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School Changing Trip Destination 3 days before travel
mossstitchmama
Posts: 293 Forumite
If there is somewhere more suitable, please feel free to move it.
Title says it all really
Every year, the years 5 and 6 in my sons school go on a residential weekend visit. Up until last year, the destination had always been the Isle of Wight. My daughter went four years ago. For some unknown reason, they always go the weekend of the Isle of Wight festival and it always causes delays.
Last year the venue was Norfolk. My son was given the opportunity to go but he wanted to go the the Isle of Wight like his sister. We started paying in October last year, and the final payment was in March 2014.
We have just received a letter from the school saying that "Due to a booking error with the coach company, transport has not been arranged for the Isle of Wight part of the journey. Because of the festival, the centre have been unsuccessful in finding an alternative" The trip is now going to Norfolk and the school are refunding us £10. The trip leaves on Friday.
They have also changed the departure times. Originally the coach was leaving at 7am. I have another child to get to school at 8.20 am and then I have to drive 45 mins to get to a course I paid for in January.
Now the coach leaves at 10.30am. I cannot be on my course starting at 10am. School secretary suggested I drop son off at 8.30 and go to my course. What part of "I am going to see my son off on an trip do you not understand?". I asked for my course fee to be paid for by the school as I cannot cancel and get a refund with only three days notice.
I am very unhappy. If I ask for a full refund, my son misses out on an experience he has been looking forward to for years. To the other children in his class who went to Norfolk last year and a thought they were going somewhere else it is a disappointment (one child came out of school clutching the letter said that Norfolk was CR&P).
Other parents have arranged time off work as kids were not in school Tuesday morning. Now they are in at normal time.
Not expecting any solutions as I know if I want we can get a full refund but that is not my point. I am going to see the party leader tomorrow morning. Any suggestions as to what I say to him are welcome.
Title says it all really
Every year, the years 5 and 6 in my sons school go on a residential weekend visit. Up until last year, the destination had always been the Isle of Wight. My daughter went four years ago. For some unknown reason, they always go the weekend of the Isle of Wight festival and it always causes delays.
Last year the venue was Norfolk. My son was given the opportunity to go but he wanted to go the the Isle of Wight like his sister. We started paying in October last year, and the final payment was in March 2014.
We have just received a letter from the school saying that "Due to a booking error with the coach company, transport has not been arranged for the Isle of Wight part of the journey. Because of the festival, the centre have been unsuccessful in finding an alternative" The trip is now going to Norfolk and the school are refunding us £10. The trip leaves on Friday.
They have also changed the departure times. Originally the coach was leaving at 7am. I have another child to get to school at 8.20 am and then I have to drive 45 mins to get to a course I paid for in January.
Now the coach leaves at 10.30am. I cannot be on my course starting at 10am. School secretary suggested I drop son off at 8.30 and go to my course. What part of "I am going to see my son off on an trip do you not understand?". I asked for my course fee to be paid for by the school as I cannot cancel and get a refund with only three days notice.
I am very unhappy. If I ask for a full refund, my son misses out on an experience he has been looking forward to for years. To the other children in his class who went to Norfolk last year and a thought they were going somewhere else it is a disappointment (one child came out of school clutching the letter said that Norfolk was CR&P).
Other parents have arranged time off work as kids were not in school Tuesday morning. Now they are in at normal time.
Not expecting any solutions as I know if I want we can get a full refund but that is not my point. I am going to see the party leader tomorrow morning. Any suggestions as to what I say to him are welcome.
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Comments
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mossstitchmama wrote: »If there is somewhere more suitable, please feel free to move it.
Title says it all really
Every year, the years 5 and 6 in my sons school go on a residential weekend visit. Up until last year, the destination had always been the Isle of Wight. My daughter went four years ago. For some unknown reason, they always go the weekend of the Isle of Wight festival and it always causes delays.
Last year the venue was Norfolk. My son was given the opportunity to go but he wanted to go the the Isle of Wight like his sister. We started paying in October last year, and the final payment was in March 2014.
We have just received a letter from the school saying that "Due to a booking error with the coach company, transport has not been arranged for the Isle of Wight part of the journey. Because of the festival, the centre have been unsuccessful in finding an alternative" The trip is now going to Norfolk and the school are refunding us £10. The trip leaves on Friday.
They have also changed the departure times. Originally the coach was leaving at 7am. I have another child to get to school at 8.20 am and then I have to drive 45 mins to get to a course I paid for in January.
Now the coach leaves at 10.30am. I cannot be on my course starting at 10am. School secretary suggested I drop son off at 8.30 and go to my course. What part of "I am going to see my son off on an trip do you not understand?". I asked for my course fee to be paid for by the school as I cannot cancel and get a refund with only three days notice.
I am very unhappy. If I ask for a full refund, my son misses out on an experience he has been looking forward to for years. To the other children in his class who went to Norfolk last year and a thought they were going somewhere else it is a disappointment (one child came out of school clutching the letter said that Norfolk was CR&P).
Other parents have arranged time off work as kids were not in school Tuesday morning. Now they are in at normal time.
Not expecting any solutions as I know if I want we can get a full refund but that is not my point. I am going to see the party leader tomorrow morning. Any suggestions as to what I say to him are welcome.
How about thanking him and the team for finding an alternative at short notice. TBH it's a bit of a generalisation for any 10/11yo to say Norfolk is cr&p but Isle of Wight isn't - presumably this can only be feelings bred by disgruntled parents as if it's anything like our school none of the kids will have been to both locations anyway so can't offer a comparison.
Whilst the logistics are difficult I can't imagine you knew in January when you booked your course that you'd be free in time to attend at 10am - now you just need to make one of those regular choices in terms of prioritising your son or yourself
Personally I'd accept it's changed and treat yourself to a nice G&T in the sunshine with the tenner you've saved0 -
mossstitchmama wrote: »If there is somewhere more suitable, please feel free to move it.
Title says it all really
Every year, the years 5 and 6 in my sons school go on a residential weekend visit. Up until last year, the destination had always been the Isle of Wight. My daughter went four years ago. For some unknown reason, they always go the weekend of the Isle of Wight festival and it always causes delays.
Last year the venue was Norfolk. My son was given the opportunity to go but he wanted to go the the Isle of Wight like his sister. We started paying in October last year, and the final payment was in March 2014.
We have just received a letter from the school saying that "Due to a booking error with the coach company, transport has not been arranged for the Isle of Wight part of the journey. Because of the festival, the centre have been unsuccessful in finding an alternative" The trip is now going to Norfolk and the school are refunding us £10. The trip leaves on Friday.
They have also changed the departure times. Originally the coach was leaving at 7am. I have another child to get to school at 8.20 am and then I have to drive 45 mins to get to a course I paid for in January.
Now the coach leaves at 10.30am. I cannot be on my course starting at 10am. School secretary suggested I drop son off at 8.30 and go to my course. What part of "I am going to see my son off on an trip do you not understand?". I asked for my course fee to be paid for by the school as I cannot cancel and get a refund with only three days notice.
I am very unhappy. If I ask for a full refund, my son misses out on an experience he has been looking forward to for years. To the other children in his class who went to Norfolk last year and a thought they were going somewhere else it is a disappointment (one child came out of school clutching the letter said that Norfolk was CR&P).
Other parents have arranged time off work as kids were not in school Tuesday morning. Now they are in at normal time.
Not expecting any solutions as I know if I want we can get a full refund but that is not my point. I am going to see the party leader tomorrow morning. Any suggestions as to what I say to him are welcome.
Not really sure what the problem is.
Not going to the Isle of Wight when there are always delays sounds sensible. Going to Norfolk seems like an alternative that's been planned - as I'm not sure how
"Due to a booking error with the coach company, transport has not been arranged for the Isle of Wight part of the journey. Because of the festival, the centre have been unsuccessful in finding an alternative" unless it was a 2x part trip.
Wherever your son goes, I wouldn't have thought it would make much difference unless he's picked up on everyone else having a downer on Norfolk! If you want him to go on the trip, I'd drop him off at his regular time, tell him to have a great time, and you'll pick him up when he's back. Then go to your course.Bern :j0 -
It says 'booking error'. Obviously someone has screwed up, and they are offering an alternative.
I don't see how the school could be any more accommodating personally.0 -
I think it sounds like the school have been royally let down by the coach company and have done their best to source an alternative at very short notice (which would have been an absolute pain in terms of paperwork hence having to go somewhere familiar because of risk assessments and the likes).
I don't think you'll get anywhere asking the school to refund your course fees. It's not their fault the change has had to happen and they've offered for you to drop your child off early (which some schools wouldn't offered).
I realise you, and your child, are disappointed, but tbh being let down so late on I think they've done well to arrange an alternative rather than just cancelling the trip altogether.0 -
I've never waved my children off on the coach on a school trip, so can't really understand what the problem is. You can drop both your children off at the same time and go on your course.0
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Am I reading it correctly? Did you choose to go and book a course, (paid for in advance I presume,) on the exact same date that your son was going on a school trip, knowing you wanted to 'see him off?' (From what I am reading, you knew about the trip before the course you booked.)
From what I can see, the school are doing everything they can. You have no alternative other than to be late for your course or miss it, OR miss 'seeing him off.' If you miss seeing him off, I am sure he will get over it.
Not sure what you expect folk to say. Are you hoping for a refund on the trip?(•_•)
)o o)╯
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My parents never waved me off on school trips either - they dropped me off at school, said goodbye, have a lovely time and left immediately. I always thought it was weird, as a child, other people's parents hanging about to be honest.I've never waved my children off on the coach on a school trip, so can't really understand what the problem is. You can drop both your children off at the same time and go on your course.I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once0 -
if you want your son to still go on the trip and also want them to pay for a refund on your course where is that money going to come from?
probably the schools budget so there is less for them to actually spend on educating your child!The only people I have to answer to are my beautiful babies aged 8 and 50 -
I've never waved my children off on the coach on a school trip, so can't really understand what the problem is. You can drop both your children off at the same time and go on your course.
Having got up at before the crack of dawn to wave Junior off on one particular trip only for him to disappear the moment he got to the school to meet up with his mates and then give a 'you'd better not kiss me in front of my mates' look I wondered why I bothered as well........2014 Target;
To overpay CC by £1,000.
Overpayment to date : £310
2nd Purse Challenge:
£15.88 saved to date0 -
mountainofdebt wrote: »Having got up at before the crack of dawn to wave Junior off on one particular trip only for him to disappear the moment he got to the school to meet up with his mates and then give a 'you'd better not kiss me in front of my mates' look I wondered why I bothered as well........
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:(•_•)
)o o)╯
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