General Chat

Eldest has only bought one trip letter home in all the time she has been at secondary as she says we couldnt of afforded them so why ask.

Laddo went to Paris last year whenhe was in final year of primary and that was £220 for Sun - Fri and afterwards we all got £10 refunded as it didnt cost as much as they were told.

I know they love to go on these trips,, but the school really dont give thoughts to them that really just cant afford it,,,,,so end up with very disapointed kids,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,shoul be a fund at the school to help out ,,,,,,,,,,,

Catherine and everyone

Are you sure you aren't being asked in a roundabout way to subsidise the teachers trips.

Sue

Son has two in high school 12&14 youngest is going on a trip soon so he asked her mum for half the money she says cannot afford as she is going to Spain
her and her partner both work full time the three kids live with son he dose not work as yongest is disabled and son has R.A. Valxxx

My grandson is in year 7.Going to Spain in october with school thursday to tuesday.Going to see a football match and get the tee shirt.Beckhams old team.Cost £665 but then you have the extras,insurance,passport, clothes and spending money. Ann

A secondary school teacher friend goes away on at least 2 school trips a year, mostly abroad, for free!
Well, the little darlings have to be supervised and he gives up his spare time to do it! LOL

He went to Egypt a couple of years ago on a cruise with them. I don't think that even a free cruise could tempt me to teach 14 year olds!

Sue
xx

£335 for four day trip to Germany ( youth hostel plus all meals)
£220 for threenightsin France(hotel inc just breakfast)

Thats just this yrs trips for my yr 10 daughter.

Last yr when twins was in yr six cost £235 for five days four nights in Dorset, tho school did let me pay half price for one of them!!! Am hoping their high school will have similar when their trip letters start coming home!


Cubs are going PGL in April costing £60 from Fri eve till Sunday eve, didn't think that was too bad, as it includes all food and activies

Valium

Similar situation here, father of my eldest works full time and does not pay towards her keep at all. So he agreed to pay for her trips however when we asked him about Germany trip he refused saying it was too close to last trip to France.
However his lack of money isn't stoppping him going on a cruise this yr gggggggrrrrrrr

my son is in primary school so no residental trips yet............
but in the middle of january he went to hampton court palace which cost 15 pounds now had another trip letter for the globe theatre another 18 pounds and little un going to drusillias with school which is 14 pounds!
its costing me a fortune i swear the school thinks parents have a money tree in their gardens
what gets me the most is the way they word the letters if not enough parents pay then it will have to be cancelled and the kids will be dissapointed

I agree with Gyn , the insurence costs are outrageous now due to health and safety , and demands having to be met by teaching staff .

Mind you being a trucker and driving past schools daily , one could save money on school trips by useing all the parents 4x4s instead of coachs :-)))))))))))

Twizzle

Yikes, I went to Germany for 10 days for £300 in my 4th year of seniors. I could only go because brother paid half for me.

I think it's getting crazy... the schools don't seem to take into consideration the families who can't afford these things but are aware if they don't let their kids go they will not only be missing out but may get teased/picked on for it.

Teachers/schools need to take more responsibility for highlighting those kids who live in poverty.

Summer
we can't afford it really but we are lucky and have family who help out, feel sorry for any one who doesn't have this support

That's the thing though, Shelli, a lot of people will put themselves in debt to do it and it's really sad.

We only had the one big trip in school. And once a year we would go somewhere like alton towers. I only went to one of them as we couldn't afford it and I didn't really like the rides anyway. The germany trip was the culmination of our trips really. This is only in 1989 too. I loved it, but as I spent virtually the whole time ill with appendicitis I couldn't fully appreciate it. I didn't expect to be able to go, parents & bro were sneaky lol.

I think there should be one big trip in the whole of the school experience, and even that some parents can't afford.

Summer

I'm one of those parents I'm afraid. I would go into debt to give my kids the chance to go.
I didn't do any school trips apart from one day trip to France, Nan simply couldn't afford it.
Am unlucky that daughter is at local grammar and they seem to think that any girl who attends there has rich parents.... WRONG!!!!
But luckly it seems boys high school just does the one trip a yr, excluding yr 7 when they do a day trip to eurodisney.

Not right is it?!

I think that School Trips are a BIG con!!!

You are paying, not only for your child but for the teachers who go along to 'supervise'.

In S1, I was told that because of my son's bad behaviour, he would not be allowed to go on the school trip!!! Whew!!! Saved me £200 for a week in 1990!!!

Then, at the last minute, I was told he could go. Sorry, but I was not interested in making up the numbers and paying for it!!! He didn't go.

But each of mine (3) did have one School Trip each.

When my son asked to go to France ski-ing for a week at a cost of £450 in 1993. I said definitely NO!!! But I looked for a holiday for the four of us, me and 3 children. We got a package deal to Malta, £600, dinner, bed and breakfast for all of us for 2 weeks.

I would not pay for the teachers to have a holiday!!!

Lindy
xxx

Your daughter will love it at PGL..My daughter trained there to become a leader.The place is nice ,big open spaces.The children won't be bored as there is a lot of thing to do.Maureen

My daughter (the attitude) has gone skiing tonight with the school for the half term week, at a cost of £525 plus spending money. I am so glad this is the last child I have at school.

Tina x

Summer

Yes they really do expect us to be rolling in it. You should see price of uniforms!!!
Best bit was for the french trip total cost £220.
Paid deposit of £30 so £190 owing (this was in June) They sent letter out asking for remaining balance of £140( this was late Nov).
Spoke to daughters dad who sent the money. We sent it to school. We then get a letter saying oppppppssss typo that last amount should've been £190 so sorry but you still owe us £50.
This was sent out on Wens eve, they wanted money by Monday. Called Ex and asked him for the money, he couldn't help. I didn't have it. So called school they said write letter into head explaining the problem, they have a school fund for situations like these and they MAY help. Spoke to daughter who said no way will you beg school to help. She paid the remainder herself!!!!

I always got to go away on school trips 1) Because my dad never got the chance 2) Cause my mum got to go on one trip during school and loved it, so gave us the opportunity if we wanted it.

I went to London in S5 with my modern studies class (4 nights, trips, theatre, travel) though it didnt cost my parents much as we bag packed one weekend and made £500+ which took the cost down.

In S6 the Ochestra had a tour in Germany/Belgium and again we had lots of fundraising. We made a lot of money and had a great time doing some of the things.

I dont know why schools dont do more like that. It doesnt take much to organise and gets kids interested.

Bake sales are always popular. Especially with teachers :D