Quick poll: How does your school charge for school trips/outings?

[northender]

Our school asks for "voluntary" contributions and gives a suggested amount. The PTA subsidise 1 trip a year for each class. What has been happening though is that lots of parents don't pay, the PTA makes up the shortfall so that all children get to go (which it can't afford to keep doing).

How does your school manage this? Are school trips made optional so those who don't pay don't go? I would really appreciate your responses as we're trying to come up with a better solution.

btw we're talking of trips that cost £10 or less if that makes a difference

Thanks.

[TennisFan]

Our school sends notes home telling us how much each trip costs. It is not a voluntary donation, and often very high IMHO for what is on offer.
You can opt out of the trip if you want - but I am not sure what happens in that case, like where do your DC go if the rest of the class are on an outing.

[smee]

Ours is very careful to only do free trips, but we're lucky as we live in London, so museums are free, as is public transport. Bit hairy getting a whole year (60 kids) from AtoB on the bus/ tube, but it's fun (mostly!) and means all can go. The PTA fundraise for extra school equipment rather than trips.

[CaptianPicardsPineapple]

Ours is the same as yours OP. I don't know how many of the voluntary contributions are volunteered though.

[gremlindolphin]

Ours were £12 last year. the letter is worded cleverly ie if people don't pay then school won't be able to organise trips.

My main gripe was the lack of imagination with the trips as my eldest dd went to a local stately home that we have a season ticket to bearing in mind we do live within an hours door to door of London, the coast etc etc.

I raised this with the Head and was told that lots of children weren't lucky enough to have visited the location as much as my children but my response was that this argument to me just states that those children definitely won't have been to the London musuems etc so all the more reason to do it on school trips!

Anyway I digress.

xx

[CardyMow]

Far too frequently and far too much. . They ask for a 'voluntary' contribution, but I have noticed that the contributions are increasing. The PTA subsidise the costs for those DC's whose parents can't/won't pay. But in our school, it's not that many, it's not in a deprived area, and the percentage of DC's on free school meals is very low, even when compared to most other schools in our town.

I am one of the few parents on benefits, and while at the moment I am just about managing to cover the costs of all the trips etc, there was one year about 4 years ago where I was made redundant, and was in serious debt, and paying £40-odd a week in bus fares to get the DC's to school, and I couldn't even afford the £2.50 a week costs for DD's swimming lessons that EVERYONE in the year has to do.

Fast forward 4 years, I'm now back on benefits for a different reason, but have no problem paying the costs for swimming for DS1, even though I'm still paying the bus fares (which are now £50-£60 a week) AND the swimming lessons now cost £5 a week. Mostly because I'm no longer in debt.

But the PTA ended up paying for DD's swimming lessons that year. They won't pay for the Y6 residential trip though. Well, not the whole cost, they offered to pay half, but I'd been saving for it for over a year, so was happy to tell them I could manage.

[rimjhim]

In London museums, gellaries and transport are free. We still have to pay! My daughters are in yr1. First trip was £6 and the third one was £3. The second one was by coach to a museum and price was £10.

[Madsometimes]

Most of the cost of school trips goes on the coach hire. Our school tends to charge £7.50 per day trip, which is voluntary but expected.

[AreAnyNamesAvailable]

At our school we would charge for the cost of the entry/coach hire. We had a high number of parents who did not pay 'because it is voluntary, why should I?' but still wanted their child to go. Therefore we could do less trips in the year because we could not afford to keep paying for these same children.

I do not mind the school giving assistance if it is needed, but I do object to parents who will not pay if they are able but still insist that their child is allowed to go on the trip as it disadvantages all the other children.

Schools will never charge more than the trip is costing. If the cost is high, it is probably to do with the huge cost of hiring a coach for a couple of hours.

[northender]

Thanks for all your responses so far. Loudlass the problem is that there is no formal system for those who genuinely struggle to afford it to request a bigger subsidy or whatever. It's the parents who clearly can afford it but choose not to as they know the school won't cancel the trip anyway.

The school is now taking a harder line (at dh's suggestion ironically)and ds' trip next week has been cancelled . I'm hoping it will provoke some discussion at the school gate about contributions and change the mindset a bit.

[northender]

X posts AANA. Sounds like everywhere has similar issues. Does any school exclude those who haven't paid (haven't not can't)? I'd like to think that would shake up those who just choose not to pay.

[peanutbutterkid]

Voluntary charge, I don't know how the school makes up short-falls, though. They always say that if not enough parents pay then the event won't go ahead (I nearly always pay, unless I've lost the slip of paper somewhere ).

DS-yr5 is signed up to do an expensive event in June that will be £85 for 3 days. There's also a 4-5 day residential trip for Yr6s that I think comes out at about £110 (including coach). But otherwise, other outings/events cost under £10, £3-£4 would be typical.

[ToccataAndFudge]

We get asked for "voluntary" contributions (though the junior school frequently omits the "voluntary" from the letter) usually a week or so's notice for most things - but for the YR4 residential in July (£130 - but we all voted for the more expensive option last year so that they could still do all the activities) we got the letter last week about it.

They have now started sending out a letter at the start of the school year outlining the main trips planned for the school year for your child' year group - and the cost for the previous year (to give parent a rough idea of cost well in advance)

They also introduced a "savings card" last school year where parents can choose to pay money in small amount regularly to the school, who then keep a record of it and deduct from the "savings" when the trips come around - so it's a more gradual thing

[coppertop]

Our school asks for 'voluntary contributions' and says that if they don't receive enough contributions then the trip might have to be cancelled. So far the trips have all gone ahead.

The staff know the families fairly well and recognise that some will be unable to pay. I would guess that some children have had their trip paid for by the school but it's (rightly) never mentioned.

The trips are usually £5-£10.

[Northumberlandlass]

We are advised of the trip / outing and advised how much the trip will cost. There is a line in the letter that if you cannot afford to pay, then contact the school and something can be arranged.

x

[choccyp1g]

Same here as Northumberlandlass.
"We are advised of the trip / outing and advised how much the trip will cost. There is a line in the letter that if you cannot afford to pay, then contact the school and something can be arranged."

[canariesfansmum]

Our school often sends a letter home to canvas parents interest and ability to contribute before arranging the trips. I think this is a good idea because it gives you the chance to express an opinion about the suitability and cost of the trip. If the trip is not viable/well supported, it doesn't happen, for all children.

We are lucky, our PTA is VERY well supported by the staff and parents (and even ex-parents)and generally it has enough resource to cover the cost for children whose parents/carers can't afford the contribution for whatever reason.

Perhaps an alternative way of looking at the problem might be how to raise more funds for the PTA? I realise this comes with its own set of challenges though and may not be feasible, particularly if you are already doing as much as you can.

[Elibean]

Our school asks for a contribution, and gives suggested amount. We've only just set up an official PTA, so most of the funding comes from a local charitable trust - and to be fair, the school trips are wonderful. There are several per term, varied, well supported by learning, well staffed and supported by parents, and much loved by the kids.

But...as the profile of the school changes (its come up and up in Ofsted and reputation terms generally), the charitable funding will decrease. They have already asked us to contribute next year. We are a small school, and many of the families will have a hard time paying for trips (same reason our PTA fund raising is limited), so we'll have similar problems. Am watching thread with interest.

[Elibean]

btw, suggested amount is usually £2-£5 (KS1)

[choccyp1g]

It sounds as though word has got round at OPs school that the PTA will pay the shortfall, so some parents may be taking advantage.
I think the letter that goes out to parents needs to indicate that EVERYONE is expected to pay, but also make it clear that cases of genuine need will be met with a sympathetic ear. Would it be reasonable to state that they need to ring the office if they can't pay, and for the office to have some criteria, (eg free school meals) to indicate that PTA will pay for that child? Otherwise they need to come in for a chat, which would weed out the freeloaders.
I know some people hate to bare their souls especially about money, but PTAs simply can't afford to subsidise every child.

[choccyp1g]

Just had a look at the eligibility for Free school meals, and am pretty sure it would miss out a lot of people in genuine need...for that matter I am eligible and we are not all that hard-up.

[northender]

I like the savings card idea. Unfortunately dh is the only parent on the PTA and he has only just joined. There are a couple of others but they also work at the school. The parents as a whole are very apathetic. Attendance at fundraisers apart from the Christmas/Easter fayres and the discos (I think as these are all driven by the children)is extremely poor. Dh and I are trying to turn it round but I think it'll be an uphill battle!

[Elibean]

northender, sympathies. There are only a handful of us on our PTA, trying hard to turn it around - and with some success, but still not enough people!

Maybe I should start a thread asking how people encourage others to join PTA actively (they're all members by default, of course).

[emy72]

Our kids' school asks for voluntary contributions, also stating that if not received the trip will not go ahead. However, so far max they have asked for is £3.50 and that is to cover the coach rather than the visit itself. I think that is very reasonable imo.

[CardyMow]

At how cheap your Y6 residential trips are! DD's was £216 for 4 days last year! I'd been saving for over a year based on the previous years cost. I've been doing the same as they do a residential trip for a WEEK in Y7 at her Secondary, I've just had the letter and it's only £80!! (Ponders the possibilty of higher insurance costs for Juniors as opposed to Seniors). Most of the day trips are around the £6-£10 mark. I know that the PTA in our school is full of parents from the school, and they do LOTS of different fund-raising things throughout the school, like non-uniform days for the PTA, Easter and Halloween discos where the sweets are sold to make profits, Christmas and summer fairs, quiz nights and probably lots more I'm not remembering off the top of my head. Also, there is a very low number of people who would need subsidies IYSWIM, as most parents can and do pay, unless they are really in genuine hardship. Last year, they paid for one of a set of twins to go, as the mum was an LP, working but couldn't afford to pay £432 for 4 days.

[CardyMow]

TBH, if the parents can pay, but aren't, then they need to be sent out a stern letter informing them that although these payments are 'voluntary', the trips are also 'voluntary', and if not enough parents pay, the trips won't go ahead. Guilt trip them into paying.

But then, you can't actually run the trip, but leave some DC's behind. Maybe a week before the trip, send out a named letter in the child's bookbag reminding them that they haven't paid for the trip yet, and their DC's will be unable to go without payment, but tack a line on the bottom of the letter stating that if you are having trouble meeting the cost of this trip, then speak to the school secretary/Ht. Hopefully then it will shame all but the people in real hardship into paying, if they think their DC's will miss out.

Just don't actually let the DC's miss out, IYSWIM, but if their parent won't pay, call them into the school for a meeting to discuss the issue. Will soon weed out the piss-takers IMO.