My twins have just started secondary school in September and the first thing we were handed was a school journey trip for a team building activity at a cost of for 5 days
Total x2
Now just before Christmas, not yet been on the first trip and payments not complete. we are handed another school journey trip this time skiing at a cost of £800 for 7 days.
Total x2 £1,600
I feel it puts a lot of pressure on our children, especially those of us that have twins whereby we have to pay double all at the same time.
Do schools think that all parents are able to afford such trips?
Are children not at school to learn?
Where are the trips like we used to do?
The only trip I had at secondary school was a trip to Paris as part of our French lessons
Both trips are next year one in February the other in May.
I would like to hear what others think?
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Are these type of School trips needed?
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This is a tricky one. For me they are a waste of money, and are certainly over priced a lot of the time.
The poor parent is in a no win situation, and the schools know this too. Can you imagine little Jimmy going into school to say that his parents cannot afford the trip, but everyone else is going? That to me is a cheap shot, and I feel these trips are not the be all and end all.
Minxy make a stand and say your kids cannot go. I hope others will follow suit. In these current financial climates, what parents have a spare 800 quid to send their kid on a sking trip fgs?
I feel at times this kind of thing is almost bordering on emotional blackmail. Mrs777's Daughter was handed a form to go to New York next year, hence to say she is not going. Why have they got to go to New York for a school trip ffs?
I would like to know who pays for the teachers trip? If it is paid by the school, I would have thought that money would have been better put to something else perhaps.
What ever happened to trips to the museums?
The poor parent is in a no win situation, and the schools know this too. Can you imagine little Jimmy going into school to say that his parents cannot afford the trip, but everyone else is going? That to me is a cheap shot, and I feel these trips are not the be all and end all.
Minxy make a stand and say your kids cannot go. I hope others will follow suit. In these current financial climates, what parents have a spare 800 quid to send their kid on a sking trip fgs?
I feel at times this kind of thing is almost bordering on emotional blackmail. Mrs777's Daughter was handed a form to go to New York next year, hence to say she is not going. Why have they got to go to New York for a school trip ffs?
I would like to know who pays for the teachers trip? If it is paid by the school, I would have thought that money would have been better put to something else perhaps.
What ever happened to trips to the museums?
i remember going on a 7 day trip to France with my school when I was 10, it cost my mum and dad £75.
These days they are costing ridiculous amounts and going further and further afield too. Bad enough of you have one child in the school, but throw in another child or two all needing the same thing and your up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
Throw in all the other school trips throughout the year, fundraising raffles/sponsorship days, world book day, non uniform days, shoe box appeals, save the school clock collections and so on, its a dear do to send a kid to school these days and thats before education starts!
These days they are costing ridiculous amounts and going further and further afield too. Bad enough of you have one child in the school, but throw in another child or two all needing the same thing and your up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
Throw in all the other school trips throughout the year, fundraising raffles/sponsorship days, world book day, non uniform days, shoe box appeals, save the school clock collections and so on, its a dear do to send a kid to school these days and thats before education starts!
(tongue in ) these school trips get more n more each year and have more to do with teachers getting freebie holidays rather than "work" at teaching the children in a classroom 
And what the heck has skiing got to do with educating the children
:
And what the heck has skiing got to do with educating the children
: these trips are ridiculous, the price is so high for most of them.
one thing that infuriates me is out of 50 places 5 are reserved for and given (subsidised by those paying) to kids whos parents are in reciept of income support. (in my childs school)
id rather save the money and go on holiday as a family.
its only for educational trips i will pay for.
xx fem xx
one thing that infuriates me is out of 50 places 5 are reserved for and given (subsidised by those paying) to kids whos parents are in reciept of income support. (in my childs school)
id rather save the money and go on holiday as a family.
its only for educational trips i will pay for.
xx fem xx
Sex God
We went to the Lakes for a week and walked about 10 miles each day, stayed in a Youth Hostel. Made our own meals, washed our own pots and made our own beds and ate soggy cheese sandwiches and drank Dandelion and Burdock from the bottle.
It was HEAVEN!!!!!!!!
A few days in France/Germany using the language - great. Skiing - LUXURY.
It was HEAVEN!!!!!!!!
A few days in France/Germany using the language - great. Skiing - LUXURY.
my father never paid for these trips.. as there swas 4 of us.. it would be a lot of money over the years we were at school..
i think the huge cost comes from all the insurance that the school now has to fork out, to cover they selves from any liable action.
for me there are a load of placed in the UK that are educational enough, we have got a vast array of, Castles, roman ruins, Eco parks, scinece museums, Art Galleries, parks, nature reserves, bridges, caves Etc Etc Etc..... so why the need to jet set off to europue... except for the teacher to get an ALL expenses paid trip.
i think the huge cost comes from all the insurance that the school now has to fork out, to cover they selves from any liable action.
for me there are a load of placed in the UK that are educational enough, we have got a vast array of, Castles, roman ruins, Eco parks, scinece museums, Art Galleries, parks, nature reserves, bridges, caves Etc Etc Etc..... so why the need to jet set off to europue... except for the teacher to get an ALL expenses paid trip.
Warming the Bed
Quote by foxylady2209
We went to the Lakes for a week and walked about 10 miles each day, stayed in a Youth Hostel. Made our own meals, washed our own pots and made our own beds and ate soggy cheese sandwiches and drank Dandelion and Burdock from the bottle.
It was HEAVEN!!!!!!!!
Now THIS is team building! I loved trips out into the forest, doing biology 'research' at lakes and in the sticks. We learnt so much about the environment we were living in yet the cost was absolutely minimal. Without the usual amenities, it was also up to us to 'build a team' so tasks could be performed successfully. Good old times.
A few days in France/Germany using the language - great. Skiing - LUXURY.
Well, I went on a ski trip to Austria during school holidays. It was organised by the school as one of the school activities. However, my parents wouldn't pay for it either and I didn't even expect them to. I got myself a job during summer holidays and earned the money needed. What I am trying to say, such trips do have their merits but they must be on a voluntary basis.
Quote by Theladyisaminx
I feel it puts a lot of pressure on our children, especially those of us that have twins whereby we have to pay double all at the same time.
We have twins too. In the final year of their primary school, everybody was going to a residential course for a couple of days. When the headmaster phoned us to say that only three children in the school year were not going on the trip, our twins and a child leaving the area before the date of the trip we were basically asked to explain the reason behind us "witholding" our children from the trip. When I explained that we couldn't afford to pay for two children with just two weeks notice.
The headmaster was very accomodating and allowed us to pay over several months and so our kids could go in the end.
Now in senior school, the trips seem to be cheaper as they are just day trips, however they do have a habit of asking for £60 (2 x £30) part way through the month and the money is needed within 24 hours.
To pile on the pressure, they purposely don't have enough spaces for all the children eligible for the trip so its a first come first served basis.
So now even if you want them to go, and you can afford it, if the money doesn't get there in time, it's double maths followed by litter duty.
Ian
Orgasminator
ok well my 2 pennce worth....
when i was at school i went on lots of school trips and outside ones two, i went on 4 ski trips in three years. I think it was my parents way of hiding their divorce.
But thinking on it now it was the best thing they could have done, it gave me a veery broad view on life and a ton of confidence.
I will agree its expensive and not possible for a very large section of society, including me at the moment. But if the oppertunity arises I will move hell and high water to make trips that i went on a reality for my kids.
when i was at school i went on lots of school trips and outside ones two, i went on 4 ski trips in three years. I think it was my parents way of hiding their divorce.
But thinking on it now it was the best thing they could have done, it gave me a veery broad view on life and a ton of confidence.
I will agree its expensive and not possible for a very large section of society, including me at the moment. But if the oppertunity arises I will move hell and high water to make trips that i went on a reality for my kids.
I went on a school trip back in the seventies to the Soviet Union, cost about £3oo. i went there a committed marxist and came back a true capitalist, so money well spent according to my parents!
These days, my sons' school has a slush fund for parents in financial hardship which will pay a percentage, if not all of the cost of a trip depending on the parents ability to pay.
These days, my sons' school has a slush fund for parents in financial hardship which will pay a percentage, if not all of the cost of a trip depending on the parents ability to pay.
Orgasminator
I'm only 24 so school wasn't too long ago for me. I did go on a number of trips abroad with school such as France/Spain/Belgium.
However the trip that will always stick in my mind was a free trip for all of the first year students to get to know one another.
We went class by class and spent a week camping in a big farmers field about an hour away from our town.
It was great, it pissed it down all week and the camp got flooded out.
Never had a better time, and we all got to know one another really well.
Who needs to spend hundreds on a school trip when the same can be achieved by having a cheap and cheerful camping holiday.
However the trip that will always stick in my mind was a free trip for all of the first year students to get to know one another.
We went class by class and spent a week camping in a big farmers field about an hour away from our town.
It was great, it pissed it down all week and the camp got flooded out.
Never had a better time, and we all got to know one another really well.
Who needs to spend hundreds on a school trip when the same can be achieved by having a cheap and cheerful camping holiday.
Quote by Ukwineman
ok well my 2 pennce worth....
when i was at school i went on lots of school trips and outside ones two, i went on 4 ski trips in three years. I think it was my parents way of hiding their divorce.
But thinking on it now it was the best thing they could have done, it gave me a veery broad view on life and a ton of confidence.
I will agree its expensive and not possible for a very large section of society, including me at the moment. But if the oppertunity arises I will move hell and high water to make trips that i went on a reality for my kids.
Would going on these same trips with your parents rather than the school have altered the confidence gained?
I was lucky enough to visit france and rotterdam while at school and although it was good at the time i'd much rather have went on a family holiday or done those same things with my family.
i couldnt afford for my children to go on the trips abroad but they werent bothered at all, they preffered to have family holidays wether it be camping abroad or in the uk
there was massive pressure from the school to make parents let their children go on these trips but i just ignored it (i couldnt afford it anyway) and my children say they never felt they missed out and none of them actually wanted to go on the trips anyway !!
they did go on local trips and trips in the uk with school and with me
there was massive pressure from the school to make parents let their children go on these trips but i just ignored it (i couldnt afford it anyway) and my children say they never felt they missed out and none of them actually wanted to go on the trips anyway !!
they did go on local trips and trips in the uk with school and with me
I agree i get fed up with my kids coming home with trip latter for verious places all costing hundreds each and of course the kids wanting to go to all of them, i very much doubt many of us can afford it even more so if you have more than one kid at the school, what really annoys me is if i wanted to take my kids on holiday in school time we get made to feel like the worlds worse parents for interfearing with their education, but if the school making money out of it its ok for them to do it!!
Warming the Bed
found this interesting as I have been in the possition at one time, where I could not afford to send my child on a trip and also been on the other side of the fence when teaching.
1. Teachers who go on these trips do NOT have a holiday. It is bloody hard work.
2. If a family cannot afford to pay for their childs trip the school cannot discriminate gainst them by not allowing that child a place. they must find the funding from school funds.
3. If a trip is arranged for a certain class, tutor group etc., the school must provide enough places on that trip for every member of that gropup if necesary.
Now getting off my box. Sonnie
PS where is the spell check on this forum?
1. Teachers who go on these trips do NOT have a holiday. It is bloody hard work.
2. If a family cannot afford to pay for their childs trip the school cannot discriminate gainst them by not allowing that child a place. they must find the funding from school funds.
3. If a trip is arranged for a certain class, tutor group etc., the school must provide enough places on that trip for every member of that gropup if necesary.
Now getting off my box.
SonniePS where is the spell check on this forum?
Sexlightened
My daughter is only 9 and last year went on school trip 20 miles down the road for 2 night which cost £60.
Next year she has another trip to Wales for 7 days which is costing £200.
There is funding available for these trips from the local council for those on income support which means you only roughly pay half the price of the trip
These days the trips are so expensive because of the insurance the school and the place the children are going to have to have.
Next year she has another trip to Wales for 7 days which is costing £200.
There is funding available for these trips from the local council for those on income support which means you only roughly pay half the price of the trip
These days the trips are so expensive because of the insurance the school and the place the children are going to have to have.
now this is going back ten years well that was the very last school trip i went on, it cost 260quid but which i suppose for our situation it wasnt so bad but i was on amougnst 4 other siblings who at some stage in the year would also go on some sort of trip, and if i go and my parents decided that it was too much for everyone how do they explain letting me go whilst the others couldnt, to make things worse there was also peer pressure too.
From my expereinces a lot othe school trip that i can recall i could have really missed out on without it hving any adverse effects on edcation.......now that im older i appreciate what money is i guess i wouldnt have been so hard on my folks to send me away on a holiday at there expense!
From my expereinces a lot othe school trip that i can recall i could have really missed out on without it hving any adverse effects on edcation.......now that im older i appreciate what money is i guess i wouldnt have been so hard on my folks to send me away on a holiday at there expense!
Sexlightened
my lad is in first year of high school and so far no letters about school trips phewwwwwww but while he was in primary education he did go on the school trips and as i am on tax credits these trips were subsidized quite heavily up to 80% in one case ... perhaps there is a similar scheme that your school offers if you are on tax credits or even other benefits ... worth a phone call at the very least
Quote by kentswingers777
Mrs777's Daughter was handed a form to go to New York next year, hence to say she is not going. Why have they got to go to New York for a school trip ffs?
New York City, amazing.... :shock:
Am 31 & the most exciting places I went with School where...
Maybe New York City is worth the cash after all, perhaps. :idea:
Sex God
If school trips are educational then if you're sending your kids to a state school you have, by definition, already paid for them. Charging hundreds of pounds for them clearly disadvantages kids whose parents can't afford it, which defeats the whole point of state (i.e. tax) funded education.
If they are not educational then they shouldn't be taking place during school time.
If they are not educational then they shouldn't be taking place during school time.
Quote by browning
Plenty of good places in this country to visit that don't cost a fortune.
Thats true but....as a teacher where would you want to go for free? New York or New Zealand or The Lake District?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm tough choice.
Sex God
I think that school "holiday" trips should stop. We have twin boys and a daughter in just a year the School trip bill for us is £720:00 :-( Thats freaking silly tbh together with the £500:00 for uniforms it has put a bit of a strain on us this year if i'm honest.
I have no objection to aying a £10:00/£20:00 each together with a decent packed lunch to go to museums galleries Wildlife parks and places of educational and recreational interest.
Peer pressure is massive and a big driving force in all this. One of my sons quite openly said that it was only the tramps and pikeys in his year that don't go on the trips. (I did bollock ermm sorry chastise him for the unPC speak)
Stop the trips? Damned right they should!
I have no objection to aying a £10:00/£20:00 each together with a decent packed lunch to go to museums galleries Wildlife parks and places of educational and recreational interest.
Peer pressure is massive and a big driving force in all this. One of my sons quite openly said that it was only the tramps and pikeys in his year that don't go on the trips. (I did bollock ermm sorry chastise him for the unPC speak)
Stop the trips? Damned right they should!
