History Residential Trip

[kenyancowgirl]

In a word: insurance.

Now we are a litigious society, school's have to be insured to the hilt. Add on the cost of paying flights/accommodation for staff (and there are smaller pupil to staff ratios than there used to be so often "more" staff) and also an add on for those children whose parents cannot afford to pay for trips, and the admin charges to the organising company and you can see how it adds up.

[Amber]

Some companies are big time on the make. 'Bespoke' educational tours with 'knowledgeable local guides' (totally unnecessary in Iceland frankly); oh yes and paying for the staff, as TM says.

I know a teacher (private sector, but it didn't have to be) who fancies a trip to somewhere (better not say where or he will be identifiable) and has dreamed up a school trip which can be dressed up as educational. I was a little sceptical that anyone would sign up, but oh yes they have and he is off to somewhere he never thought he would get to and others are paying, believing that this will be of educational value for their little darlings. Amazing.

[ToadMum]

Some companies are big time on the make. 'Bespoke' educational tours with 'knowledgeable local guides' (totally unnecessary in Iceland frankly); oh yes and paying for the staff, as TM says.

Not me . Although I might have done, had KCG not got there first.

As for insurance, that is one of the things the voluntary contributions contribute to, at DS2's school, at least.

[Surferfish]

My view is that school trips are valuable in the wider sense that children get the chance to go on holiday with their friends away from their parents which can be a novel and exciting experience. For most teenagers its the relative freedom of this which will appeal more than any historical or natural sites which they might visit. Sadly, it does not surprise me in the least that the school-girls who Amber encountered in Iceland were more interested in their mobile phones and fooling around than the natural wonders around them.

Going abroad might also be an exciting experience for a child who has never done so, but perhaps less so for wealthy middle class children who have already been on plenty of foreign holidays.

In terms of helping with GCSE courses and exams, I doubt very much that visiting Iceland or the WW1 battlefields in person will make any difference to the final grade the child gets. That doesn't mean its not a useful experience generally, but I don't think they would learn anything exam-wise that they wouldn't if they just read about it in a book or watched a TV documentary.

[tiffinboys]

+1

[BucksBornNBred]

Thank you for the advice re Options evening not being a good time to ask; I hadn't thought it would be chaotic but can see why it might be (if we even get there with the snow!) DS has now read the options booklet fully and said he doesn't want to go on the trip but "who knows in 2 years time". I really don't want to put any doubts in the teachers' mind so I think I might wait and see and not put him off what he wants to do as, from all the responses, it does not appear to be compulsory. Thanks for all your help and input.

[silverysea]

On the aspect of dcs who find residential school trips unbearable, I have one like that. I basically forced her to go on each one until last year when I saw it was clearly the wrong thing to do. It was a rubbish trip too, for her, doing activities that she has tried properly many many times and truly hates. A week in jail would have won, hands down! My other child, and myself back in the day would have KILLED to go on a trip like that, but we are all different!

Despite doing my best to explain to the school what these issues are (health issues that are very private and must be managed rather than able to be solved), my poor kid was later told off by the tutor in her formal review, for choosing not to go. She was very upset as she tries to meet all expectations.

I’m still pretty annoyed about that.

Also she is making herself go on more trips now even though not compulsory in most cases. I feel it was good to stretch her boundaries and build confidence when younger, but also I am glad I supported her to make her own decisions as she has got older.