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school trip advice

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  • kelloggs36
    kelloggs36 Posts: 7,712 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Becles wrote:
    If you can't afford it, then don't let her go. My son wil be in the same situation next year as they all go away on an activity week, but with a new baby and me on maternity leave, we'll not be able to afford it.

    I know he'll make me feel awful and cruel for not letting him go as nearly everyone else does, but I also think it's important for him to learn that we can't afford everything he wants and that money is better spent on something the whole family can use/enjoy rather than just him.

    Well said. Basically it boils down to whether you can afford it or not, even with help. if you can, then do it, but if not then they won't lose out really not in the grand scheme of things. It will be forgotton soon enough. They will learn the value of money too as the problem with much of society these days is the attitude of 'if I want it, I shall have it' regardless of costs and affordability because credit is so easily available. No wonder so many get into trouble in the end.

    They will not think any less of you if they can't go - maybe in the short term, but once they stop sulking they will get over it!!:D
  • loopy_lass
    loopy_lass Posts: 1,551 Forumite
    i beleive this subject has been posted before, but cant find it. anyways, at the risk of repeating myself, i beleive if you are in receipt of benefits you are also entitled to claim from the LEA for school trips which are not optional.

    Also, schools usually have a "hardship" fund and you can borrow the money and pay it back so much a week, or they will subsidise the trip. I paid half towards my daughter trip costing £180.

    hth..

    loops
    THE CHAINS OF HABIT ARE TOO WEAK TO BE FELT UNTIL THEY ARE TOO STRONG TO BE BROKEN... :A
  • emilyt
    emilyt Posts: 2,051 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    This is an all to familiar story that i have had to deal with both of my 2 DD'S. My youngest DD year had a trip organised to the Isle OF Man. The cost was £250 and that was 7 years ago. Explained to my DD that we just couldn't afford it and she understood. 2 weeks before the year were due to go i heard one of the mothers saying how awful it was that there was only one child not going. I felt so guilty and knew she could have only been talking about my DD. It really upset me and in the end we asked my father-in-law to fund the trip for us and we would pay him back. I was lucky that he was able to do this. Think it is awful the guilt that parents feel when they just haven't got the funds to pay.
    When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile :D
  • we are lucky that our trips aren't expensive, i've seen threads about this before and it seems hardly anyone gets cheap trips like ours. but even here some parents struggle to find £69 for a 4-night residential stay.

    the school office staff will be able to talk to you about help, i don't know exactly what help is available but am pretty sure that as has been mentioned some parents didn't actually pay the full cost of the trip before they went away.

    i've always thought these trips were good value because i have a 9 year gap between my children and it's great that the older one gets to do stuff without the baby, and in the company of kids his own age - it would cost much more for us to go away as a family.

    but a cost of £190 is shocking :(

    i hope the school can offer you a solution, or tell you that half the kids won't be going anyway.
    'bad mothers club' member 13

    * I have done geography as well *
  • Idiophreak
    Idiophreak Posts: 12,024 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I can remember going on a trip to derbyshire in year 6 and it was awesome. Really enjoyed it, some of my best memories of primary school.

    I'd certainly like my (future) kids to do similar things.

    Has this trip come as a surprise?

    When I was at primary school every year went on the trip, so my parents weren't exactly shocked when my turn came around, every other year had been on it before, so they knew the rough costs and had budgeted for it in advance.

    I'm sure it's not the end of the world if children don't go on these things, but they're generally a good "growing" experience.
  • our last one came as a surprise for many people. letters were handed out on the final day of term in the summer but lots of kids were on holiday that week. nothing more was said in sept for a few weeks so those parents didn't hear about it. all of a sudden requests for payment within a week were sent out and lots of parents didn't have a clue that the trip had been arranged. they usually go near to summer, not in october.
    'bad mothers club' member 13

    * I have done geography as well *
  • kitchpoo
    kitchpoo Posts: 1,255 Forumite
    As someone who organises school trips, it is getting harder and harder to do so at a cheap price. Coach costs are extortionate around here - we used to do a "free" trip to the cathedral and castle in the city, but the coach worked out to £6 a child! Also rules and regulations have changed regarding adult to pupil ratio so that has to be taken into account if it is an activity centre with organised activities, you are paying for staff, activities, equipment hire, food etc, so although it looks expensive on first glance, it is actually good value. The school should provide a meeting with parents to discuss the trip. We do this and break the week down for the parents and show pics of previous trips too.
    This doesn't help you but I know for a fact that our school certainly does NOT profit from a trip like this.
    Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!

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  • vippymini wrote:
    right my dilema,

    alisha has come home from school with a letter for a school field trip. its for 3/ 4 days at a cost of £190 per child about 25 mile away.

    personally i think its too much at £50 per day especially as they want £50 by wenesday.Hubby has said no but i agree but dont if you know what i mean

    the price they set is not the final price as that could go up if kids drop out, yes i may be able to get help but thats only up to a third...

    what would you do as i really cant afford it....
    i would still quistion the price this seems high the trip you seem to going on is it outward bound type of stuff ? if it the majority of schools charge around £75
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