Annie Bynnol Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Things have changed. Academies do not have the same rules. Due to a series of incidents which have resulted in compensation for harm or malicious claims. School insurance companies require schools to conform to certain routines. Few teachers have the necessary qualifications to cover outdoor work in coastal or hill areas therefore they nor students are insured. So many schools no longer run/organise all aspects of the activity. They book each stage of the activity eg. travel, accommodation, activities etc. Each will have their own insurance. The travel/accommodation package the schools buy will include a number of free places for teachers as they will not be expected to pay for their travel and accommodation when supervising students. One of the attractions of doing Geography is the fieldwork element Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 If it's for GCSE assessment then it's part of the curriculum I expect and the education costs shouldnt be chargeable. It comes down to transport, board and lodging - at very most I'd expect that to hit £25, perhaps £30 if they had a very nice coach. I've always thought that people should be questioning school trips as they always have seemed expensive, and when certain parents of my scouts have asked questions and wanted the costs justifying the school trip prices fell, quite markedly and there was no noticable change for the worse or better, in the quality or experience of the trips... You amaze me sometimes. You think the school should justify the cost of a school trip, (I happen to agree,) but think it's quite normal to charge £9,000 for a years University education - a figure apparently plucked out of thin air with no justification or breakdown of the figures whatsoever. Same with other government costings - £1,400 per week to keep a prisoner inside, £500 to £1,000 per week to keep an old person in a care home etc... but I digress... At least if you asked at the school they could probably give you a breakdown of the cost to the last penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Are you sure? Yes. Not all parent can afford £55 trainers , some family struggle to put food on table or turn heating onI know that, too. Which is why I said ''most', not 'all'. But I do know what I am talking about and although I appreciate that many families struggle to make ends meet, the majority still have material goods (TVs, mobile phones, etc), which would have been unthinkable two or three generations ago. Stand in a shopping centre and look at the footwear of 15 year olds. Very little of it will have cost less than £50. Look at their mobile phones. Most will have cost more than £100 and many, more than £500. Perhaps that money would have been better put towards educational activities? Are you in the right planet I don't live in a planet. Do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnairn8417 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I feel that sometimes people assume because you are not on benefits then you must have extra cash for school trips and other school activities. Having said that £55 isn't bad for an overnight trip. My daughter's infant school asked for a contribution of £12.50 for a day trip to a farm. The farm is 10 minutes away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I feel that sometimes people assume because you are not on benefits then you must have extra cash for school trips and other school activities. Having said that £55 isn't bad for an overnight trip. My daughter's infant school asked for a contribution of £12.50 for a day trip to a farm. The farm is 10 minutes away. 10 minutes by what form of transport? Unless it's on foot, a minibus or coach will need to be hired and that will still be expensive. Plus the farm will charge per child for the day's activities, and insurance. I can see that the cost could easily reach £12.50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slope Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 schools used to hold fetes and sales to raise money for school trips. im assuming that it was so underprivileged kids could also go too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 (edited) schools used to hold fetes and sales to raise money for school trips. im assuming that it was so underprivileged kids could also go too. Some of that money (usually called School Fund) was indeed used for that purpose. It was also used to buy additional equipment and enrichment experiences for the pupils which the normal budget ('capitation') didn't stretch to. But as funding cuts got worse and worse, schools found themselves having to use it for essentials such as chairs and textbooks... Plus, these days it is harder and harder to get parents to organise such events (mainly due to work commitments/lack of interest) and teachers are run off their feet and certainly don't have the time to run fetes, jumble sales, etc. Edited March 3, 2015 by aliceBB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slope Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Some of that money (usually called School Fund) was indeed used for that purpose. It was also used to buy equipment and experiences for the pupils which the normal budget ('capitation') didn't stretch to. The schools found themselves having to use it for essentials such as chairs and textbooks... Plus, these days it is harder and harder to get parents to organise such events (mainly due to work commitments/lack of interest) and teachers are run off their feet and certainly don't have the time to run fetes, jumble sales, etc. its a great shame. fetes and jumble sales were part of life during my childhood. I seem to remember my children having fetes and open days etc, but its a while ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliceBB Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 its a great shame. fetes and jumble sales were part of life during my childhood. I seem to remember my children having fetes and open days etc, but its a while ago! I remember, along with the other 'neat handwriters' in my class, having to stay in at playtime and write out by hand 25 invitations to every school jumble sale, fete, etc. We weren't best pleased. It seemed like a punishment for being good. The invention of duplicating machines had by-passed my Infants School, I suspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Localman Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Things have changed. Academies do not have the same rules. A School Governor writes: I've only just seen this thread, but it is disappointing how many people have substituted their own views for what the law requires. As mentioned in an earlier post, the definitive guidance is contained in: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/365929/charging_for_school_activities_-_October_2014.pdf Academies ARE required to follow the same rules. As you will note in FAQs, it states: Q. How does this relate to academies? A. Academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) are required through their funding agreements to comply with the law on charging for school activities. Every school is also required to set out its charging policy (within the guidance) and publish it. This should also include advice on any subsidies available and to whom they apply. I find it very difficult to believe that a school could justify £55 for one night's board and lodging on a trip which forms part of the curriculum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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