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| Leeds school asks parents to pay £1,650 for sports trip to Barbados | Leeds school asks parents to pay £1,650 for sports trip to Barbados |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Parents in West Yorkshire have criticised their children’s school for setting up a sports trip to Barbados which would cost them £1,650. | Parents in West Yorkshire have criticised their children’s school for setting up a sports trip to Barbados which would cost them £1,650. |
| Parents of children attending Horsforth school in Leeds who received the letter notifying them of the island trip said it put pressure on them to find the cash or to say no. They called the trip “ridiculous” and “unfair”. | Parents of children attending Horsforth school in Leeds who received the letter notifying them of the island trip said it put pressure on them to find the cash or to say no. They called the trip “ridiculous” and “unfair”. |
| The letter, sent from the school’s PE department, said pupils from years eight, nine and 10 could stay for seven nights half-board at the Butterfly Beach hotel in the south of the island, according to the BBC. | The letter, sent from the school’s PE department, said pupils from years eight, nine and 10 could stay for seven nights half-board at the Butterfly Beach hotel in the south of the island, according to the BBC. |
| Sports students would play in three fixtures with local teams and would be given “traditional evening entertainment”, a catamaran cruise, the option of going to a water park, and a special sports tour kit, the letter said. | Sports students would play in three fixtures with local teams and would be given “traditional evening entertainment”, a catamaran cruise, the option of going to a water park, and a special sports tour kit, the letter said. |
| Horsforth school, which has academy status, has defended its decision to run the trip, addiing that it was not compulsory. It said although the cost of the trip was high, it had to be balanced with the large number of more affordable events the school ran. | Horsforth school, which has academy status, has defended its decision to run the trip, addiing that it was not compulsory. It said although the cost of the trip was high, it had to be balanced with the large number of more affordable events the school ran. |
| One person wrote on the school’s Facebook page: “Wondering what people’s thoughts are on Horsforth school deciding to do their sports tour to Barbados next year at a cost of 1,650 per child? Personally, I’m appalled and think it’s really unfair to put this pressure on parents of either finding that sort of money or saying no to their child.” | One person wrote on the school’s Facebook page: “Wondering what people’s thoughts are on Horsforth school deciding to do their sports tour to Barbados next year at a cost of 1,650 per child? Personally, I’m appalled and think it’s really unfair to put this pressure on parents of either finding that sort of money or saying no to their child.” |
| Another said: “I think it’s far too much to expect people to find and puts too much pressure on families.” One parent wrote that their child was let down and said: “I am appalled by it and will not even consider such a trip, much to the huge disappointment of my son.” | Another said: “I think it’s far too much to expect people to find and puts too much pressure on families.” One parent wrote that their child was let down and said: “I am appalled by it and will not even consider such a trip, much to the huge disappointment of my son.” |
| People reacted to the news on Twitter and Brian Hamilton compared it with the cost of his school trip when he was younger, and wrote: “My parents paid £180 for a skiing trip in 1981 (£490 today).” | People reacted to the news on Twitter and Brian Hamilton compared it with the cost of his school trip when he was younger, and wrote: “My parents paid £180 for a skiing trip in 1981 (£490 today).” |
| The school’s director of human resources, Lauren Robinson, said: “For a number of years, Horsforth school has been running an overseas sports tour.” Previous destinations have been in Europe, such as in Italy or Spain. | The school’s director of human resources, Lauren Robinson, said: “For a number of years, Horsforth school has been running an overseas sports tour.” Previous destinations have been in Europe, such as in Italy or Spain. |
| The school said the decision to offer an alternative destination, in the Caribbean, for 2016, was driven partly by student views and by some shortcomings with current arrangements. Robinson said: “The cost of the Barbados trip is high, but that is balanced by a much larger number of more affordable events, from residential exchanges and study visits to single day trips and school based events. | The school said the decision to offer an alternative destination, in the Caribbean, for 2016, was driven partly by student views and by some shortcomings with current arrangements. Robinson said: “The cost of the Barbados trip is high, but that is balanced by a much larger number of more affordable events, from residential exchanges and study visits to single day trips and school based events. |
| “We try to offer a range of extra-curricular activities for our students which vary in terms of destination, theme and cost.” | “We try to offer a range of extra-curricular activities for our students which vary in terms of destination, theme and cost.” |
| On another Facebook page, a user called Chris Ivory, posted: “It appears that there is income war at this school, who have recently arranged extracurricular activities that prevent children from less well off families from taking part. This cannot be acceptable, or condoned.” | On another Facebook page, a user called Chris Ivory, posted: “It appears that there is income war at this school, who have recently arranged extracurricular activities that prevent children from less well off families from taking part. This cannot be acceptable, or condoned.” |
| The Department for Education said it could not comment on this specific instance and that it was for the school to provide comment. | |
| However, the department’s advice for school staff on charging for activities said that state schools cannot charge for education provided on any visit that takes place during school hours, or education provided on any visit that takes place outside school hours if it is part of the national curriculum, or part of a syllabus for a public examination that the pupil is being prepared for at the school, or part of religious education. | |
| Schools can charge for board and lodging for residential trips but the charge must not exceed the actual cost, the guidelines add. It states parents in receipt of certain benefits will be exempt from the charge. | |
| The Leeds school is rated as “good” by Ofsted and 69% of pupils attained five A* to C GCSE grades including English and maths last year. | The Leeds school is rated as “good” by Ofsted and 69% of pupils attained five A* to C GCSE grades including English and maths last year. |
| Other schools have also charged high fees for school trips: Aldridge, an academy in the West Midlands, has asked parents to pay £1,740 for a “once in a lifetime opportunity” on a week-long “ultimate Florida experience”. Highlights include having lunch with an astronaut, a tour of Nasa space station and a half-day student astronaut training course, according to the letter sent to parents. | Other schools have also charged high fees for school trips: Aldridge, an academy in the West Midlands, has asked parents to pay £1,740 for a “once in a lifetime opportunity” on a week-long “ultimate Florida experience”. Highlights include having lunch with an astronaut, a tour of Nasa space station and a half-day student astronaut training course, according to the letter sent to parents. |
| Last year, a two-week biology trip to South Africa by Heathside, a local state school, cost parents £3,000. A parent whose teenage son attends a state school said he had been invited to a £2,050 sports tour in Singapore and Malaysia, and had saved up for it for two years. | Last year, a two-week biology trip to South Africa by Heathside, a local state school, cost parents £3,000. A parent whose teenage son attends a state school said he had been invited to a £2,050 sports tour in Singapore and Malaysia, and had saved up for it for two years. |