Paying for school trips

allIcouldwishfor

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Approximately 10% of parents pay for trips, that is why the cost is so high, you are paying for those who won't can't pay.

Where did that statistic come from - are you saying 90% of parents don't pay?

DS went on a school trip to the coast, cost was about £8 or so, I gave it to him and thought no more of it. Clearing out his room a month or so after the trip and I found the envelope with the cash in it. I gave it to his teacher with profuse apologies and explained what must have happened. She said she had taken his contribution out of a contingency fund the school hold for those children whose parents can't afford to pay for school trips.

Schools can't leave children behind on trips because their parents can't pay for whatever reason and school budgets are tight enough as it is. Whilst I don't agree with people withholding if they can afford it, surely subsidising one or two children who are less fortunate is a small price to pay for the whole class going on a trip? I can still remember my school trips, they were memorable, enjoyable experiences. If too many parents won't contribute, schools simply won't bother. I'm sure no school is making a profit off the back of the outings they do.

Ada_Doom

I think if we really could not afford a school trip i would let the school know. However i hate the thought of a child being left beind of a school trip, or not having the ingrediants for cooking and would happily pay a bit over the odds to cover a child whose parents could not pay. I don't know any parents who would refuse to pay if they could afford it...however, some kids at school come from really choatic backgrounds and may have parents who do not care or get involved enough with their kids schooling to ven know about school trips. I work with kids from really unhappy homes and think that some kids have a really rough start in life and need support from schools as they do not get it at home....

Ilovejackbauer

The latest at our school is £5.95 for a published book with a piece of work from every child in the school!! I imagine my son's will be about two or three lines.

I started saving £60 a month towards school trips when my eldest went ski-ing, however, he came home at the start of year 9 asking about going to China, had to turn him down on that one. What really annoyed me is if when the kids start secondary school they gave you a list of potential trips and approx costs at least you would have a ball park figure that you save for.

I asked if they weren't going ski-ing again but he said he hadn't put his name forward for ski-ing as he really wanted to go to China. I felt awful, if I had known that this trip was coming up I would have sorted a savings plan for it when he started in year 7.

Floss

Spiderjonifer wrote: »

It appears that the trips was very expensive, insurance will cost a small amount if it is not a dangerous activity.........

Erm, I think not.....have you priced public liabilty insurance for a school recently? And then added on the extra premium for taking the children off the premises?

Floss

Ilovejackbauer wrote: »

....... What really annoyed me is if when the kids start secondary school they gave you a list of potential trips and approx costs at least you would have a ball park figure that you save for........

Obviously that depends on the area & the school - my DS's school send a list out each year, with their whole school life's planned big trips on, from when my brother went there, when my DS's went and right up to the present day.

Spiderjonifer

Yes I have Floss.

If you approach the schooldirectly or the LEA and ask for the policy on risk assesments and trip protocols there is a list of prices.

For a simple day trip to a mueseam the cost is under a pound per child.

For more dangerous trips the costs rise accordingly.

What my LEA does is act as its own insurarer. Not quite sure exactly of the term but the LEA buy in whole sale to a large insurance scheme the cover many schools. Works out chaper. My opinion is to ask the school for a breakdown of the costings and get an accurate figure.

Paparika

My DS has just handed in his options and in May i think he said is when we find out what lessons he will have for the next 2 years.

I can see it being expensive.

His school isn't sending home letters every week for money for this and money for that fortunately, he was awarded an adventure weekend away last year for good behavior and i had to pay for that, i did have a good 2 months notice so was able to put money aside, it was about 30.00 for 2 days rock climbing etc, well worth it and he loved every minute of it.

But the big one for me is about 250.00 to do the french exchange trip that might happen. But it's not just 250.00 is it, because we will be having a French child with us for a week, and that's going to cost a bit, lots of day trips exploring etc.

Newly_retired

The French exchange trip will be value for money and carefully costed. When I ran them, the cost per pupil covered insurance and travel, plus an amount for any extra group day trips. Also the staff's expenses were factored in + some contingency money. It is most certainly not a free holiday for the leaders: the responsibilities are enormous.
Day to day living costs will be met by the host family, each time. That can vary enormously, and if the French family does not seem to be doing right by your son then he should tell the staff straight away. Sometimes there is the odd family who just hasn't got a clue how to host a visitor. Over the years this was more than outweighed by those who were extremely generous with their time and money. However the individual child has only one chance. In my opinion most kids don't expect lavish hospitality and lots of expensive treats. They enjoy shopping, bowling, swimming and anything not too language orientated ( so cinema not popular ). Just time with friends, preferably in small groups so that there is not too much opportunity for splitting off into the two languages. Maybe one main trip but bear in mind the length of the journey. Some of my pupils ended up exhausted being taken all over the place. If your son is going there first, you can tailor the return hosting to the standard of hospitality he received, to some extent. The main purpose is to speak the language, to experience the life and culture of another country. If a pupil is not prepared to do that, then an exchange is not the best way to go.

piratess

I agree with being a letter at the start of secondry school with a rough guide to trips and costs entailed! ..

Im very lucky that my 15yr old daughter knows how we stand financially so didnt ask to go on any of the expensive trips with school ...
yr 7 trip to france
yr 8 trip to london
yr 10 trip to poland! ...

BUT she has asked to go on the last trip in yr 11 .. for Drama which is a week in New York! This has been costed at £900 PLUS £25 per day for food .. and spending money,
so you can say £1,200 for a week! I am finding this soooo difficult to save for but she is saving to and has agreed to try and pay £400 towards it

I think schools just presume all familys can afford to pay for all trips.

lilly81

Hiya,

One of the schools in my area has stopped doing school trips as they simply dont have enough parents willing to pay.
I understand that some people cant afford to pay, I myself am on benefits so all of my son's school trips are paid for by the council, otherwise i wouldn'tbe able to afford them.

Lilly