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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

School ski trip- anyone want to share their (kid’s) experience

30 replies

whataboutbob · 28/05/2021 18:37

Hello, DS2 wants to go on a ski trip next year. He’ll be in year 10. It’s nearly £1000 for the week, in Italy. Obviously it’s impossible to know in advance what he’ll get out of it, but I’d like to hear other parents’ experiences and views on the whole ski trip thing. I never did one, tried skiing at 25 and found it terrifying!

OP posts:

StiggyZardust · 28/05/2021 18:47

My DS has done a few, he's left school now.

He loved every minute. In his opinion it's always far more relaxed than other school trips. He's been to France and Italy.

Hoppinggreen · 28/05/2021 18:52

My DD went in Y10 and completely loved it, she had never skied before but we took her for 3 artificial slope lessons.
I went on 2 school ski trips age 15 and 16 and had an awesome time. I would be too scared to try now as falling hurts when you get older.
DS has Just has the letter about going next year (Y8) and is deciding whether to go.

dopeyduck · 28/05/2021 18:58

Based on my experience of the ski trip when I was at school he'll have the time of his life. If you can afford it then let him go.

Original poster

whataboutbob · 28/05/2021 19:52

Thanks guys this is reassuring. I did only 1 school trip and it was a bit of a mixed bag, quite a lot of girls trying to ingratiate themselves with the mean/ cool girls and difficult dynamics. Hopefully there won’t be any of that!

OP posts:

Hoppinggreen · 28/05/2021 19:54

My DD found that because they were grouped by ability they were all mixed up so the usual cliques didn’t apply

clary · 28/05/2021 20:24

They ran one from my DCs' school - DS2 would love skiiing but I thought it was too £££. Check how they get there - on the trip DS didn't go on they went by coach to keep the cost down (it still cost about £1k) and they were on the coach for something like 30 hours each way. Bit grim.

nancy75 · 28/05/2021 20:28

I went a few times with my school, was utterly useless at actually skiing but had a great time.
Did manage to come back injured every time (much to my parents horror) but it didn’t put me off

HerLadySheep · 28/05/2021 20:39

My DS went skiing with school and loved it! I can think of nothing worse than skiing but I have fantastic memories of school trips that I went on as a teenager, even the long coach journey. It's a great experience and if your child wants to go and you can afford it (school trips are not cheap!) then I would do it.

HerLadySheep · 28/05/2021 20:41

Oh and don't buy ski gear, the trip organisers do hire which is brilliant and pretty cheap too, I wish I had known this before I went out & bought a load of ski gear!

clary · 28/05/2021 20:44

Sorry I meant to add that the kids seemed to really enjoy it despite the coach trip. It would put me off but hey! Worth checking tho if your child is coach-sick (I once took such a student on a very coach-heavy trip to France - she was sick every time we got on the coach!).

MargaretFraggle · 28/05/2021 20:51

I had the best time on mine!

CroydianSlip · 28/05/2021 20:54

I'm so glad I went when it was my turn. I had to contribute to the cost and got a Saturday job and did loads of babysitting as I was so keen to go and it was so expensive! My parents were not the skiing sort so it was a great way to get to try it out in a non pressured way. I'll be really keen for mine to go if they get the offer.

lovelyupnorth · 28/05/2021 20:56

My DD's both went had an awesome time utterly hopeless at skiing still but cracking trip.

meadowbreeze · 28/05/2021 21:43

DD went in Y7, as the only y7 going, just before lockdown. She didn't know anyone and I got lots of sad texts between London and the ferry crossing. It got much better from there and she loved every minute. She was gutted this year was cancelled and made lots of friends she would've never made otherwise as they're in the older years.

Bythemillpond · 28/05/2021 21:53

My friend went on a school ski trip to Scotland in the 70s

She insisted that she wear her Bay City Rollers trousers instead of salopettes 😂😂

Just in case they were around Aviemore

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 28/05/2021 22:00

My DD went Feb half-term last year (Y8) and loved it. School took 150 children, of whom over 80 (including my DD) had never skied before. Can honestly say she loved every moment even the hanging around airports and the 3 hrs coach transfer. I think these opportunities are so amazing and I am just always grateful to the school staff who are willing to provide them

PresentingPercy · 28/05/2021 23:41

Overall my DDs enjoyed their various trips to Italy, France and USA.

However a few things to be aware of. Mine would not have gone if it was coach all the way to a European resort. Just too time consuming, boring and you need more than one driver to ensure safety. You are far better off if it’s fly in.

Secondly. What resort is it? Where is the hotel? Or is it a hostel? Is it anywhere near the ski area or a transport link to it? Are dc going to have to walk along roads to get to the ski are/lifts? Is the accommodation reasonable or total sh—-? Would you stay there?

Thirdly: you are paying for the school staff. That’s why the price is high?

Lastly: are beginners and more competent skiers catered for? Who is teaching them? My DD2 went on a school ski trip and one of the teachers went off and snowboarded all week. We thought, as a PE teacher, she would be with the pupils. Apparently not. So go to the beefing, read all the documents and read about staff/pupil ratios and safety measures. If it all stacks up and dc wants to go, they certainly can be fun. Even when DD2s flight back was cancelled by Ryan Air with no alternative until the next day from another airport. Who would be a teacher in a school trip? That was Italy by the way!

PresentingPercy · 28/05/2021 23:43

Beefing!!! Briefing obviously

ErrolTheDragon · 28/05/2021 23:56

DD went on 3 school ski trips, alternate years. She thoroughly enjoyed them.
She did a course at the Chill Factore before the first one, which I think made it more enjoyable.

seven201 · 29/05/2021 00:01

When I was a teen I went on the school ski trip and had an amazing time. 20 years later I went on one as a teacher. It was bloody exhausting and a horrible never ending coach journey - I was sat next to the toilets helping those who felt sick. The students had an amazing time. I loved the skiing part and seeing the kids have a fab time but I wouldn't go as a staff member again, unless it doesn't involve a coach. We only had one student who didn't enjoy it. She didn't want to carry her skis, found her boots uncomfy, was cold etc etc. My dd is only 4 but when she's in secondary I will be saving up to send her if she wants to go.

bluestarthread · 29/05/2021 00:05

DD went in Year 8. Great experience for her. Had a really lovely time despite long coach journey to Austria and back. Often talks about it, was very mixed age groups - yrs 8-11 - they all got on great! Not something we could do as a family due to disabled sibling but might have done in other circumstances as DH and I have skied before kids. It felt important to give her that opportunity if she wanted it.

clary · 29/05/2021 01:44

Can I just say as someone who ran and/or staffed a good number of school trips (not skiing!) it's great that sop many DC have enjoyed them. They are time-consuming and challenging to organise and exhausting when you are on them (on duty 6am - midnight) but if the students have a good time then it really is worthwhile.

I have some great memories of a trip we ran every year to France and some of the kids whom we took.

parabala · 29/05/2021 10:10

If you can afford it and he wants to go, then go for it! My DH and his siblings all learnt to ski on school trips, and loved them. I fully intend to send mine when the opportunity arises. I learnt to ski in my late 20s which was great fun, but I did wish I'd had that confidence and fearlessness of a child or teen.

shallIswim · 29/05/2021 10:40

Not my DC's. But on ours the creepy PE teachers would drink with and cop off with girls.
It was the 80s.
Shudder!

jonjoy · 29/05/2021 14:32

Both my DCs have done many school ski trips and had time of their lives. All trips had flights though not long coach trips.

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