School visits
Guidance for Parents
Please see below frequently asked questions regarding school trips. If you have any questions or concerns about a trip planned by your school, you should speak first to the school. In most cases it will be the class teacher in primary schools and head of department in the case of secondary schools or the school's educational visits co-ordinator.
If I do not wish my child to go on a school trip, can the school insist that she/he goes?
No. However, parents are encouraged to talk to the school before reaching a decision to withhold consent. It may be difficult for the school to deliver the curricular aims of the visit if the child does not go. If the trip is not linked to the national curriculum, there are other factors to consider before withholding consent and the school will wish to have the opportunity to discuss these with you.
A school trip has been planned and I cannot afford the cost involved. Can I receive any financial help?
Head teachers cannot impose a charge for a trip that takes place during school hours. The head teacher may ask for a voluntary contribution. Children whose parents do not contribute must not be discriminated against, but if the school does not receive sufficient voluntary contributions, the trip may have to be cancelled.
Charges for board and lodging on residential visits are permissible.
However, if a trip is deemed to be an 'optional extra' head teachers should obtain parents' agreement to meet the full cost. An 'optional extra' is a visit that falls wholly or mainly outside school hours, does not form part of the national curriculum, is not part of a sylllabus linked to a public examination and not within the scope of the statutory requirements relating to religious education.
Parents are encouraged to speak to the head teacher if there are financial difficulties. There may be a way of paying by instalments or other means.
Children gain a great deal from school trips both educationally and socially and it is disappointing when there are children who cannot go.
What are the adult/pupil ratios for school trips?
There are factors to be considered by schools when determining ratios but Croydon LEA recommends the following to schools:
KS2 - Years 3-6 - minimum ratio of 1:10/15
KS3/4 - Years 7-9/10-11 - minimum ratio of 1:15/20
A higher ratio when the visit involves:
- Public transport - 1:12
- Children under 8 years - 1:6
- Children in foundation stage - 1:4
- Children with special educational needs - 1:6
- Residential visits - 1:12
- Visits abroad - 1:10
- Special risk activities - variable
All Croydon schools have received guidance on procedures from the local authority. Please see the LA contact for further information.
In addition schools can look at the Government guidance by using the associated link 'Teachernet - School Trips'.
Contact Details
- Contact name
- Sharon Meadmore
- Job title
- Departmental Complaints & Schools Support Officer
- Telephone
- 020 8726 6000 ext 65496
- Fax
- 020 8760 5447
- education.comments@croydon.gov.uk
- Address
- Taberner House
Park Lane
Croydon
CR9 1TP
