Expensive School Residential Trip ARRGGHH!

chiquit

Hi all,

My daughter has come home with a letter inviting her on a school residential trip next June, at a cost of £330 for 4 nights!

Obviously I would love my daughter to go and would feel really awful if I said she can't because I can't afford it

I notice from the letter that the holiday is being booked through a company called JCA (Junior Choice Adventure), however I have visited the website of the farm where they will be camping and it is clear that the holiday could be booked directly through them.

As I'm going to have to scrimp and save to afford this holiday for my daughter, I want to ensure that the school are getting the best prices and therefore passes them on to us lowly parents.

If any of you have any knowledge about JCA and how they charge schools it would be deeply appreciated.

Also, I have seen on the directgov website that schools can only charge for the accommodation so presumably the cost of travel and insurance is classed as a voluntary contribution??

Thanks for reading

CarolynRach

Not sure where you live but there might be a grant you can get. Even if the school has to send it off, if you offer to fill in the application, they might be willing to do it on your behalf. Alternatively, make an appointment with your year head/head teacher to discuss the costs involved and how they can support you.

claire21

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_179512

May help

http://www.fundingeducation.co.uk/funding-for-school-trips.html

choccymoose

Ours are going with JCA too, it's costing £270. They have broken down the payments into what we have to pay which comes to £120 for accommodation the rest is the activities, transport etc and because it's only 30 minutes from the Harry potter studios they can visit there for an additional £19 voluntary contribution. How kind lol. What gets my goat is when they firmly say at the end of the letter if we do not get enough voluntary contributions then no one will go! Even worse I am a governor so know what the school finances are like and they would be able to subsidise the trips for all children!

chiquit

Thanks for your replies ...

I had previously looked in the directgov website Claire and that's what got me thinking. It doesn't mention anywhere on the letter that any of the costs are voluntary, but from looking at that website they obviously are.

There's a meeting at school (conveniently timed when a lot of parents are at work!) I'll make sure I attend and ask for a breakdown in costs. To me it's astounding that they wouldn't provide this anyway, I'm sure no-one would book a family holiday without first knowing how much each element is costing and making sure they've got the best deal possible

fairyfly

I am having the same problem, my daugher has given me a letter asking for £280 to stay in a youth hostel in Okehampton for 4nights. This only cost about £20 per night per child, so the rest of the money is supposedly for food and instructors for activities. How do they expect us to pay this??

chiquit

It's a lot of pressure isn't it fairyfly ... I've been looking on some other forums and it seems that the schools do have a contingency fund to subsidise trips for parents who can't afford the whole amount and it seems that a lot of unlikely people, who probably could afford to pay, are cheeky enough to ask for it! Maybe we should swallow our pride and ask?! Like choccymoose says, the schools can afford to subsidise trips they just don't advertise the fact.

GraceJamesMum

It is hard, agree - my DD's school have sent out a 'warning' letter that they are doing a 1 night residential trip next July for £120!!!:eek:

Of course, we don't want her to miss out - she loves sleepovers, etc, and it's great for their independence, BUT .....