School Trips - Page 2

Lilly · 07-07-2008, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Really? Wow!

Maybe our school is more generous then. I do the risk assessment and associated gubbins for school trips and there's a breakdown of the cost which includes the cost of the coach, cost of the entry fee etc and then on the other side there's the cost to each pupil and the balance which the school pays.

If fewer children go (as often happens as they don't all go if parents don't pay/send in the permission slip etc) then the cost to the school goes up.

You're so right, Willow. With all this health and safety malarky we are lucky if the teachers are brave enough to take the class anywhere.

My 4 year old is in reception class. They aren't going on a trip this year as the required staff to child ratio is too high and they would need too many adults to accompany them.

To make up for this they are having a circus workshop visit them in school which my daughter is really looking forward to.

My 7 year old has been to the museum of science and industry. He really enjoyed it.

Our school does not contribute to the cost of trips. The parents pay it all and if there are not enough parents willing to pay then the trip will not go ahead.

In my day if your parents were not willing to pay for a school trip then the child would not go on the trip. There is now a law against this.

Schools are not allowed to demand money for activities during school hours. All they can do is request that you make a voluntary donation for either part of or the whole of a certain amount. They have to make it very clear that your child will be included on the trip whether you pay or not.
However, if they don't get enough voluntary contributions nobody will be going.

Thank God for schools that are willing to brave all this and still run school trips.

flashy · 07-07-2008, 15:57

H how much did the trip to the museum of science and industry cost you? thats free entry too

dont get me wrong, i love going to that place, i must go at least 4/5 times a year, its a cheap and cheerful day out for the kids

Lilly · 07-07-2008, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashytart

H how much did the trip to the museum of science and industry cost you? thats free entry too

dont get me wrong, i love going to that place, i must go at least 4/5 times a year, its a cheap and cheerful day out for the kids

It cost us £9.50 for each child. I've actually gone and dug the letter out and I'm looking at what it says.

It says:

The cost per child is calculated by dividing the actual cost of the trip by the number of children going. The cost usually includes transport, admissions and a small amount for essential supplies and first aid. No profit is made by the school. A contribution of the full amount on behalf of every child is necessary to cover the cost of the trip.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-07-2008, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashytart

they are going on the bus today (or have been on the bus) now to me thats not right, like you said, have they done a risk assesment for that? have they done a risk assesment incase a child runs into the road and gets knocked over? to be honest ive never known a school take children anywhere on public transport before

They ought to have done a risk assessment and if they haven't then they could be in serious bother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MUMMIBOO

My kids would have loved to gone bowling mine went to Liverpool art gallery! (dead exciting ) cost me £7.50 for somewhere thats free to get in! and jack went to Lancaster butterfly house better but cost me £11.00 and its only £3.00 to get in. I know they have to pay for the bus but 2 classes of around 25 kids i think they made a killing!

So that was £8 per child for transport alone? 50 children at £8 each comes to £400. How many adults were there? The teachers and assistants wouldn't have been expected to pay as they were not going for the treat they were working. It sounds like from the numbers it could well have involved 2 coaches. That's £200 per coach to travel to Lancaster. With the price of fuel these days I can imagine the coach company could well have charged the school that much. Remember the driver's wages have to be paid as well as the fuel costs and maintainance of vehicles. Not much left for a killing despite what you might initially think.

And of course if there were less than 50 children it would have been even less of a killing.

flashy · 07-07-2008, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilly

It cost us £9.50 for each child. I've actually gone and dug the letter out and I'm looking at what it says.

It says:

The cost per child is calculated by dividing the actual cost of the trip by the number of children going. The cost usually includes transport, admissions and a small amount for essential supplies and first aid. No profit is made by the school. A contribution of the full amount on behalf of every child is necessary to cover the cost of the trip.

ADMISSIONS?

the only admission to that museum is for the exhibition, i doubt that they would have gone to see any of those, not for that price anyway, so basically the transport cost that much? and essential supplies are what? drinks for the teachers?

WillowTheWhisp · 07-07-2008, 16:08

If you are really curious to see the actual break down of costings I would approach the school and ask if I were you, just to set your mind at rest.

Lilly · 07-07-2008, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashytart

ADMISSIONS?

the only admission to that museum is for the exhibition, i doubt that they would have gone to see any of those, not for that price anyway

No, I don't think there was any admission fee in this particular instance.

The £9.50 we all paid must have just been for the coach.

As Willow said, once you take the drivers wages, fuel etc into consideration it doesn't seem such a ludicrous amount.

I am confident that the school does not profit.

flashy · 07-07-2008, 16:15

i'm not saying the school does profit, but if you have say 30 pupils thats £285 for the coach, just to get to Manchester

oh my god i'm trashing my own thread here

WillowTheWhisp · 07-07-2008, 16:22

£285 for a coach to Manchester - that doesn't sound unreasonable.

flashy · 07-07-2008, 16:26

see you know more about the coach side willow with Busman working on the coaches, i am planning on going to France and Folkestone(sp?) for two night for half that price on a coach lol well its £99 each for me and Reece

SPUGGIE J · 07-07-2008, 16:30

There must be money available for some trips as when my train was stopped at Lancaster this morning there was approx 20 kids with small suit cases ready to go somewhere with their school. What kind of school I dont know possibly a private one.

SPUGGIE J · 07-07-2008, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

£285 for a coach to Manchester - that doesn't sound unreasonable.

Sounds like a good deal. Alas though schools pleading poverty and would want to spend the money on something else.

flashy · 07-07-2008, 16:41

when ivwas vice chair of the PTA at Reece's school we raised money that was supposed to go to things like this, it never did, it ended up paying for a new school sweatshirt for the kids

panther · 07-07-2008, 17:09

My son went to townley hall with their school.....WOW!!

HE also said the cost of the coach was £100!

...how much is it on a bus to burnley from ossy?

I remember each kid had to pay £6.+, but the school did say that a child would not be left out if ya cant afford to pay...BUT if they didnt have sufficent funds then they would have to cancel!

emamum · 07-07-2008, 17:19

Just asked my friend and she says that at ty's school they only have trips in the juniors cos it is a church funded school and they cant afford to take the infants..... extra staff etc (rubbish excuse imo)

saying that they do seem to have a lot of visitors....... last week they had a martial arts display thingy.....(fit blokes in latex

)