Cost of school trips.

[cuddlepop]

Our school arranges a ski trip once a year,usually to Austria and this year the estimated cost has gone up £60 since christmas.

The school informed us that the bus which they hire from the Glasgow area is costing them an extra £800 this year.
Once again the kids are being penilised for living here as the bus has to come up from the central belt.No idea why a local company cant win the tender?.Maybe the buses have to be special European ones.:confused

With the cost of fuel rising all the time I dread to think what the eventual trip cost will be.

I wonder too if they have to stick with the agreed price once the parents have commited or they can hike the cost up.:(
Fuel has been estimated to rise to £1 50 a litre this summer.

To date its suppose to be £560 in total for a week .This is for the coach travel.accommodation,ski lessons,food etc.
It is good value for money.

[mums angels]

i was shocked to hear the other day from a friend how much it's costing her to send her daughter on her ski trip it was excess of £600 but i have heard that once she gets the gear she needs etc it will be over £ 1000. when i was at school for my trip ( 10 years ago ) it cost my folks £350 and had a limit of £50 spending money , i thought thats was alot i'd better get saving for when mine gets up to that stage :eek: think even the p7 trip costs a small fortune these days .

[chaz]

Just paid the deposit of £155 for my daughter to go next febuary snowboarding, cost for trip without hire of board etc is £655.Its gone up a lot since last year, but she didnt get a place last year. Last year it hadnt gone up much since my son went about 4 years ago, but now its rocketed.
My other sons primary seven trip was over £200 last year, the cost of this had increased by £80 in one year.

[rainbow]

My daughter went skiing with the school and it was £720 (£35 added later following an offer of a flight instead of bus all the way), this year it is £600 as the school has changed company (and the pupils are flying instead of the long bus trip).
It is good value, as alot of the cost is eaten up by ski tuition and ski hire.
Ski gear doesn't cost that much from TKMax or M&M, and once they have it they have it for the next trip. If you choose gear wisely it can be used during the cold days at home (if it ever decides to snow).
With regard to buses - the bus my daughter got recently was top of the range. I have not seen a bus locally like it. Comfort is a priority when you have to sit for a long journey.
School trips are never that cheap, but offer an excellent social/fun/educational opportunity.

[cuddlepop]

I agree its good value for money and the trip has many benifits but I was wondering, can and do the school put the price up after you've agreed to let them go?
I would imagine with the fuel costs rocketing it'll be more expensive come next February.:eek:

[chaz]

Im sure they are not ment to put the price up, they never have in the years any of mine have gone(got 4 school kids and 1 pre school)But as you say cuddlepop fuel costs are rocketing:( Think we shall have to wait and see,hopefully they wont , but it may be unavoidable.

[Tristan]

I wonder what the cost would be if the teachers and other school staff didn't volunteer their time?

[mums angels]

i would think that bus companies etc would take in to consideration possible fuel hikes etc when they put in there quote so they shouldn't then be able to push up the price to the school .

i can't wait for the kids to experience the school trips , i always enjoyed them very much , i was gutted when Miller changed the P7 trip to Edinburgh , i'm very pleased that they put it back to york , hope it stays that way :D are most the trips that the high school do now ski trips or are there other trips ?

[cuddlepop]

I wonder what the cost would be if the teachers and other school staff didn't volunteer their time?
It would cost more Tristan but I sure the teachers and other school staff dont see it as a chore.

[chaz]

As far as im aware the teachers enjoy the trips, some of the teachers that are going in febuary were the same ones who went on the trips my eldest son went on (he went 3 years running) and im sure they all enjoy them. He really enjoyed the trips and the teachers are great with the kids:)

[Tristan]

I am sure they do, I just think it is something to keep in mind. I have picked up my own children from enough activities, camps and trips to know that there are usually only a handful of parents and children who even bother to say "thank you". Goodwill only goes so far so best not take it for granted.

On a happier note I hope the trip goes well. My daughter has an opportunity for a ski trip next year the cost ... £730 and we are in an area with much better transport links. I think it is just an expensive trip.

[chaz]

I totally appreciate that only a few parents say thank you , and after as many school trips my four have been on i make sure the teachers are thanked properly by myself and whoever was on the trip.These trips are expensive but give the children a great experiance and a certain amount of independance which all children need to develop.
Back to the happier note, she is looking forward to the trip and deserves to have the break.Just hope she doesnt break her leg or something:lol:

[balto]

why not try fundraising throughout the year to cover part of the cost for such trips them it isnt gong to have to be as much for th eparents to stump up.

[Sapphire2803]

I find school trips heart breaking, I hate having to tell my children that they can't go. :(
They come home with a letter, beaming from ear to ear and announce that it's only £500. We just about squeeze a camping holiday out of the finances on a good year, the whole family, a week away... £250 maximum, there is absolutely no way that we could find £500 and imagine if all three wanted to go!!
My daughter came home a couple of weeks ago with a brochure for a scripture union activity holiday, the one she wants to go on is £250ish. We're saving up to get the house insulated and we don't even have £250 in the kitty for that yet.

Is it just me that ends up feeling mean and nasty at least once a year?

[balto]

I find school trips heart breaking, I hate having to tell my children that they can't go. :(
They come home with a letter, beaming from ear to ear and announce that it's only £500. We just about squeeze a camping holiday out of the finances on a good year, the whole family, a week away... £250 maximum, there is absolutely no way that we could find £500 and imagine if all three wanted to go!!
My daughter came home a couple of weeks ago with a brochure for a scripture union activity holiday, the one she wants to go on is £250ish. We're saving up to get the house insulated and we don't even have £250 in the kitty for that yet.

Is it just me that ends up feeling mean and nasty at least once a year?my daughter wanted to go on that scripture union holiday with her friend but unfortunalty we are going on our first ever family holiday the week after and there is no way in this world we could afford it all.

[rainbow]

Mums angel - Wick had so few trips for a number of years, but now they are making up for lost time. There was a Polish exchange in the summer, and I believe it is to be repeated this year. There was a ski trip this year (first one since 2003) and one is organised for next year. There is also a trip to France (I think it is for S3 but maybe I am wrong) and also in October there is a footballing trip to Valencia - so plenty of scope for pupils.
Thurso I believe has a ski trip every year and this year a trip to London.
Obviously there are lots of smaller trips to sporting events - football, rugby, swimming, netball, volleyball, running etc, and lots of other opportunities.
The youngsters are lucky that the teachers put in the efforts to allow them to have these trip, as it is not easy organising them, with all the Health & Safety requirements and Risk Asessments before you even send out letters to parents.
Well done both Wick and Thurso High School.

[cat]

i agree with the fundraising suggestion. my sons P7 trip for 4 nights in edinburgh is likely to be £300!!

[BRIE]

school trips are ridiculously priced! not the schools fault its the insurance, theres been so much coverage of accidents on school trips over the past couple of years that the insurance companies have gone crazy.
my childs off on a school trips for 3 days (2nights) & its £145 without the transport.of course it costs twice that once youve bought them everything they need to go.

[chaz]

The primary school that two of mine went on the p7 trip with did do some fundraising to help cut the costs:) It did help a bit

[cuddlepop]

I'm all for fundraising but think its difficult to distribute evenly in high schools.
Lasy year at our high school the kids went to Peru at a cost of £3000 this was to be funded partly by fundraising.
We've only got a small community here and if too many people had said they wanted to go I'm sure we'd have got sick and tierd of being asked to assisit there fund raising by contributing.:(

[Cattach]

I wonder what the cost would be if the teachers and other school staff didn't volunteer their time?

And they spend lots of their own money to enable pupils to go on those trips.

[cuddlepop]

And they spend lots of their own money to enable pupils to go on those trips.

with all the cost cutting going on I dont think the schools subsidise these trips anymore.
Parent councils or what ever there called now still fundraise to help with costs.