How do you pay for School Trips

Caterina

Hi all

quick update on the ski trip money situation:

Because Xmas is proving to be quite expensive, the twins have agreed to give me £100 each from their own savings (it is money I put in their bank account for occasions like these, after all, not to buy sweets and games!).

So thanks goodness the pressure is off, as I only have to pay £ 50 in January, of the £250 that I would have had to pay, and another £200 in February (but by then I shall have been paid for my January work and will be fine - hopefully!).

This means that I can buy them ski clothes myself, have already started looking around in charity shops and a friend of mine gave me a tip about ski clothes coming out in Lidl on Monday morning at a really good price so I shall go and check (and then be a card tart in January with my Visa balance heheehe).

Ciao all

Caterina

tiff

My children go to a Catholic primary school and the only residential trip is a Mon - Fri camp to the Forest of Dean in Year 6. I think that is enough, a trip every year from reception is unnecessary.

My son also goes to Beavers and there will either be a one night camp next year or a sleepover at the scout hut. That is good too.

Am I the only one that thinks kids DO too much organised activities these days? Maybe that should be another thread somewhere.

Savvy_Sue

Am I the only one that thinks kids DO too much organised activities these days? Maybe that should be another thread somewhere.

come down to Discussion Time and get us all going on the subject there. ;D

Wish I could organise mine off the computer!

MATH

Am I the only one that thinks kids DO too much organised activities these days? Maybe that should be another thread somewhere.

Your not the only one - over scheduled kidz is big news in America. They've probably got a twelve step programme by now to help you de-schudule ya kidz and give them some free time.

My oldest two go to all sorts of clubs 'n' groups cos they're sociable and noisy kidz but it's starting to take its toll with Autumn being a long term, I can tell they are ready for a break. So am I with taxi service and going to see one or other in this show or that. Come Christmas if they want to veg out all day and watch something mindless on TV in their PJ's I shan't complain (I may even join them) ;D

Savvy_Sue

This subject came back to haunt me last week when my youngest, 12, brought home a note saying that to prepare them for Year 9 History (2nd World War), they were hoping to take them to France and Belgium for 3 days early in May to visit battle sites and war graves.

So if we want him to go please can we send in £70 deposit within a week, followed by two payments of £65 before the middle of April. So that's a total of £200 to be found, with no notice at all, out of two months income.

I wouldn't mind quite so much, but most of the year group are already going to France in June or July for a week, at a cost of £300 which I've already paid. So why couldn't History and French TALK TO EACH OTHER and plan ONE trip to include this? And if that's not possible, why not wait until Year 9 to do this and give us a bit more notice?

AND they didn't make any reference to the special fund the school has which will help if you want your child to go but can't afford it.

I've sent the deposit in, with a note asking them to consider combining the French and History trips in future, but I'm actually hoping there won't be enough interest to make this viable...

jellyhead

i got a letter last week about a residential mon-fri trip, cost is £70. they're 8. they get another trip in year 6 (to the same place i think).

the letter says if you're on benefits (working tax credit included) the trip is completely free. nothing to pay at all. they do 10 week payment plan cards for the rest of us if needed. i don't think i can afford it to be perfectly honest! i know it's only £70 but there will be other costs, spending money, probably certain clothing needed (wellies maybe?) and i know i'll be embarassed by his clothes and will want to buy him some new things!

spankymonkey_2

what i have found (by personal experience) is that when some parents get a letter for a trip or activity etc and there is a fee, or donation as its put, that parents who can afford to "donate" dont and i find its the people with little money pay.

jellyhead

i think this is the first letter i've seen that doesn't say 'voluntary contribution' - it's a fee that we have to pay if not on benefits or child can't go. while around 20% of children have parents on income support there are lots more whose parents are on working tax credits. if those of us earning over the WTC threshold couldn't pay our kids just wouldn't go. the LEA pays the fees for those on benefits i believe, for this trip anyway, not for the theatre trips etc. just the residential trips.

i suppose we'll be living off value fish finger sandwiches for the next few weeks then!