School Trip Costs

[Deleted User]

Beeboo23 said:

[Deleted User] said:

I don't have concerns, kids take time and money.
I knew this before starting a family and it's been a learning curve ever since.

Pre-school trips to pantomime or local community farm etc cost a few pounds.
Primary school will cost more, residential trips up to a couple of hundred pounds.
At secondary, costs can spiral. You have the odd days out, sporting events, the short trips to Paris, Barcelona and so on.
Then there's skiing, I think our secondary is approaching £1,500 this year, this is coach to Italy, with skiwear on top.
Duke of Edinburgh awards, Ten Tors Challenge (I'm guessing similar in other parts of the country), all cost £££ for the equipment. Our school has a 'store' of secondhand to buy/borrow for those who can't/don't want to buy all new.
Next year, there's the option to do a three week visit to Tanzania (School has previously done Belize and other destinations). Costs will be around £6,000, with the pupils expected to get sponsorship.

But all of this is only trivial compared to what's needed for University. 
Tuition and maintenance loans don't even cover fees and accommodation.
Food, transport, clothes, social life, textbooks etc all need to be paid for.

Bottom line is that sacrifices need to be made.
Working harder, cost cutting, sacrificing treats, giving up free time to volunteer, perhaps taking on debt. 
Lots of planning, not being able to do everything offered.
There's some good life lessons in there, hopefully the kids learn responsibility (along with everything else) and go on to make a success of their lives....

Are your kids at a state school or private? £6k for a school trip is crazy and I personally don’t think families should take on debt to pay for trips. 

This is state school, trip will be for years 11 & 12. 

As I understand it, a handful of the 300 or so students will be attending.
Mine have permission to go, if they can generate £6k in fundraising and sponsorship...

QrizB

My kids' primary school offered two residential trips. Costs were similar to those you quote.

My youngest declined the second trip. Instead they went to school that week and received classroom tuition in conjunction with the half-dozen other kids who didn't go.

sheramber

Beeboo23 said:

[Deleted User] said:

I don't have concerns, kids take time and money.
I knew this before starting a family and it's been a learning curve ever since.

Pre-school trips to pantomime or local community farm etc cost a few pounds.
Primary school will cost more, residential trips up to a couple of hundred pounds.
At secondary, costs can spiral. You have the odd days out, sporting events, the short trips to Paris, Barcelona and so on.
Then there's skiing, I think our secondary is approaching £1,500 this year, this is coach to Italy, with skiwear on top.
Duke of Edinburgh awards, Ten Tors Challenge (I'm guessing similar in other parts of the country), all cost £££ for the equipment. Our school has a 'store' of secondhand to buy/borrow for those who can't/don't want to buy all new.
Next year, there's the option to do a three week visit to Tanzania (School has previously done Belize and other destinations). Costs will be around £6,000, with the pupils expected to get sponsorship.

But all of this is only trivial compared to what's needed for University. 
Tuition and maintenance loans don't even cover fees and accommodation.
Food, transport, clothes, social life, textbooks etc all need to be paid for.

Bottom line is that sacrifices need to be made.
Working harder, cost cutting, sacrificing treats, giving up free time to volunteer, perhaps taking on debt. 
Lots of planning, not being able to do everything offered.
There's some good life lessons in there, hopefully the kids learn responsibility (along with everything else) and go on to make a success of their lives....

Are your kids at a state school or private? £6k for a school trip is crazy and I personally don’t think families should take on debt to pay for trips. 

Nobody os expected to go into debt for one of these trips.

The pupils are expected to fund raise for it. Running in  marathins, coffee mornings , washing cars , holding jumble sales etc ,  anything they can do to  raise funds.

Sometimes local businesses wil provide some sponsorship.
 
 It is considered  character building.

The trips usually involve some community work. They are educational and give pupils knowledge of  oither parts of the world.

https://www.adventurealternative.com/school-expedition-tanzania/.

expedition has the hallmarks of travel and culture and adventure, combined with service to the community and interaction with the local people.

Nobody is forced to go. It is voluntary.

strawb_shortcake

My Daughter did a big trip in her last year, it was £3500 plus kit. The expectation is that children fundraise for these types of trips, a small number have their parents pay in full.

Flugelhorn

was just chuckling to myself about one of my kids private primaries.
message was re a couple of upcoming trips and please could the school have £160 by Wednesday? Site of a few yummy mummies going a bit pale in the playground, they had probably spent that much shopping and lunching that day but that was all on plastic - not much good for paying the school

Savvy_Sue

I think that what you have to remember is that while you as a family can arrange much cheaper trips, the school can't cut any corners. Ours had an activity week as teenagers: registered centre with multiple activities, well supervised and fully catered. That centre's costs have to cover utilities, insurance, equipment (replacement and maintenance), activities staff, catering staff, maintenance staff, cleaning staff. Then there's the transport: coach hire costs have increased hugely, and if it's any distance then there will be two drivers. There may well be a pre-visit with risk assessments. And so on. 

Yes, you may have to choose what to prioritise as a family. But I don't think there's a direct comparison to be made between family holidays and school residential trips. 

Spendless

School children trying to raise £1000s in fund-raising and sponsorship makes me think in a fair number of cases bank of parents/family pay it instead.

I agree though by the time you have one at Uni you'll be wondering why you ever thought a £20 panto ticket expensive. 

pinkshoes

JonasM said:

Curious to know if other parents share my concerns – my children attend a state school, and this year alone, I'm expected to pay £23.50 for a pantomime trip and a whopping £245 for a two-day residential for my Year 7 child. My Year 5 child has similar trips, and I'm anticipating a bill of around £500+. We're not in financial distress, but we do make careful decisions about our spending. I called the school, and while they offered financial assistance, I'm hesitant to take it, feeling it might be better suited for families in more challenging situations. Am I alone in finding these school trip costs steep, or do other parents share similar sentiments?

I'm a teacher, and if the trip runs in term time on a school day, then the wording of the letter will ask for a "voluntary contribution", so you are not "expected" to pay...

BUT... if you have too many pupils that are not willing to pay the voluntary contribution, then the trip will not go ahead.

The price also has to cover the cost of the staff going, as it's work for them, not a holiday. It's really stressful taking a school trip!!

elsien

[Deleted User] said:

I don't have concerns, kids take time and money.
I knew this before starting a family and it's been a learning curve ever since.

Pre-school trips to pantomime or local community farm etc cost a few pounds.
Primary school will cost more, residential trips up to a couple of hundred pounds.
At secondary, costs can spiral. You have the odd days out, sporting events, the short trips to Paris, Barcelona and so on.
Then there's skiing, I think our secondary is approaching £1,500 this year, this is coach to Italy, with skiwear on top.
Duke of Edinburgh awards, Ten Tors Challenge (I'm guessing similar in other parts of the country), all cost £££ for the equipment. Our school has a 'store' of secondhand to buy/borrow for those who can't/don't want to buy all new.
Next year, there's the option to do a three week visit to Tanzania (School has previously done Belize and other destinations). Costs will be around £6,000, with the pupils expected to get sponsorship.

But all of this is only trivial compared to what's needed for University. 
Tuition and maintenance loans don't even cover fees and accommodation.
Food, transport, clothes, social life, textbooks etc all need to be paid for.

Bottom line is that sacrifices need to be made.
Working harder, cost cutting, sacrificing treats, giving up free time to volunteer, perhaps taking on debt. 
Lots of planning, not being able to do everything offered.
There's some good life lessons in there, hopefully the kids learn responsibility (along with everything else) and go on to make a success of their lives....

University fees and the cost of somewhere to live are unavoidable unless your child chooses to stay living at home because they can’t afford to live away.
There is no comparison with a school trip skiing or to Belize, which are basically just expensive holidays. Somethings are worth sacrificing for, others are not.

silvercar

I would expect that the type and cost of trips offered reflects the income levels of the families that send to the school. No point offering a £2,000 skiing trip, if a £15 contribution to a visit to a local museum creates mass discussion and debate on affordability among the parents.