school ski trips

A snowHead

I think that's about right tbh. The main difference though is that to cut costs, school trips always bus the kids instead of flying which takes so long. For that reason my kids have never fancied it. My son's school is off to Canada next year (by plane lol) for about £2000 which is out of reach for most of the boys there and many are disappointed. With so many excellent resorts "nearby" I'm not sure why they are going that far away.

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My daughter's school kept going over to the states for their ski trips even though conditions on the east coast generally are poor. However the biggest annoyance is this year they were off to the Alps but were insisting that she do group lessons even though no other pupils or teachers ski close to her ability. I even offered to pay for an off piste course that was running in resort that week separately but they wouldn't have it. Next year I may have to bite the bullet and be a parent helper just so she's got someone to ski with.

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I've had some involvement with big group trips (not kids) and they always end up more expensive compared normal trips for a couple or whatever. Big difference is you can always find a last minute deal for 2 people, but a holiday for 30 has to be planned many months in advance so you have to pay brochure prices (or with only a very small discount).

For example Crystal will sell you Kitzbuel in April this year for £469, or same hotel in 2018 for £874.

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I've just returned from my school ski trip in Italy, the cost for the week was £740, although we travelled 22hrs each way by coach. It was an absolutely brilliant week and I've enjoyed myself immensely. However, if the trip had cost much more than I wouldn't have been able to go - once I'd bought clothes and renewed my passport it was pushing the £1000 mark, and this is simply out of reach for the majority of students at my school and I was only able to fund it by working last summer. I think it's very unfair for the price to be more than this children at state schools.

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Oh god I can't believe we are doing this thread again. How are people so THICK?

"The teachers are taking the wee wee having a free holiday" - ARGH Feel free to take your own child skiing if you want. They are doing a GOOD THING for the school/your child.
"It is really expensive, I can do it cheaper when I DIY" - OH FFS! Feel free to organise a DIY trip and all that entails AND conform to a decent risk assessment and contingency plan for 55 children... Yeah. Right.

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After all it is free

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I'm currently in Andorra working as ski instructor with my first school group. OMG, what a difference in 4 days!!! These kids are having a life changing experience! I've no idea what they have paid, or what their backgrounds are, nor do I care, but it's a first time ever on snow for nearly all of them and Wow! I've seen them battle through challenges and mature in a way that's left me gobsmacked! They are SO proud of themselves for what they have achieved - and rightly so! We skied a run today in 20 mins, which took us 2 hours 3 days ago. They are learning so much more than skiing - courage, determination, how to overcome fear and setbacks, how to look out for each other, how to help those weaker than themselves, etc etc.

And the teachers are working! Probably way harder than at home. There's no way it's a "free holiday" for them!!

Would I send my own kids on a school ski trip after seeing this - absolutely!!! Whatever it has cost these kids' parents it's an investment in their futures and it's cheap at the price!!

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@skilass, I don't think you've got anything to be sorry about all of this is a great read and very informative.

Just want to add there's no way in hell I'd want to go away trying to control 50 teenagers. Hats off if you teachers can turn it into a holiday but I can imagine it's blooming stressful.

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One thing to consider about teachers on half term trips... I'm a teacher away this half term with the family. I know that last week was a complete nightmare making sure I had all my marking done and data completed (half term is quite often a data point for lots of school). We nearly drove so I could bring more stuff away with me.

Any questions/comments about teachers taking the wee wee need to think about what the teachers are giving up to be away (not many professional people would give up a week of annual leave to do more work).

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Just talking to my lad who's sat next to me on the sofa. He's skied with us since he was 5, he's now 16, but he's looking forward to his school trip on Saturday more than any of our trips.

He even likes the bus journey as he finds it "more interesting" than flying.

Remember they're off with 40 odd of their mates.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I get that teachers are giving up their time and I think it's great that they do. My concern, as in my previous post though, is why do an increasing number of schools (like my son's) need to go all the way to the USA and Canada
which makes the cost prohibitive for so many kids? having said that they do an awful lot of fundraising to help subsidize, but still.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Many schools go to the USA because it's impossible for the children to get alcohol.

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I am somewhat surprised at the number of parents who ski that do send their kids on the school ski trips. I must admit I wanted to go on our school one but missed out due to not getting stuff back in quick enough so missed out. My parents then decided to book it as a family holiday (first time for them as well and the start of a live long love for all of us -they both still ski and Dad is 69). However hubby did go, and him and another child got separated from the group (instructor didn't wait for them all at the top of the lift) so they tried to ski down following where they thought they went but ended up on a black run wiped out and cracked his ribs. I had to really twist his arm to give it another go with me as an adult. This has left me rather concerned? I guess the supervision has improved over the years?

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@NickyJ, I'm certainly glad for my son that he's going but I'm worried like crazy about it and it's still a year away. Lot of responsibility resting with those teachers.

Edit: ought to add this will be his 4th time on a skiing/boarding holiday so he can ski and I will be making sure he understands piste markers, the fis rules, how to read a map and has all required contact numbers on his phone.

After all it is free

Getting rid of the kids for a week in exchange for a grand seems like a bargain to me! Very Happy

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@hammerite, +1
Giving up a week's leave to spend it in a situation of heightened risk (therefore duty of care) and potentially 24hrs a day active supervision.

Our lad's school trip went off to France about 2hrs after the end of school on the last day of the Autumn term; when many teachers I know (including my wife) are heading for the pub, these teachers took 101 children on an 18hr coach trip to Les Menuires. About 15 of those succumbed to winter vomiting virus while they were there, and had to miss a day or two of skiing, with a teacher needing to stay in the hotel to look after them. Every child wanted (and got) full on 9-5 skiing, and then full-on fun in the evening. It was full on everything, for 7 straight days!

Verdict from the boy? "Best holiday ever!"

Those teachers worked bloody hard, at the end of a long term, and did a brilliant job; I certainly don't begrudge them a subsidised place on the trip. And, as @hammerite wrote, why would anyone *choose* to have a miserable time?

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That seems like great value, with everything covered by the cost.....Can I book onto the trip?

You know it makes sense.

Sounds about fair price-wise. Elder Little Snowplough is going to the US at Easter next year for something in the low 4-digit range. A beginners' trip to Italy this HT is medium to high 3-digits.

The issue is whether offering such a trip is sensible given that it has no real additional educational or social value (kids find out about beer and the opposite sex well enough without ski trips) and the less well off families can't really justify sending their kids off with their mates.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

My youngest can go next year with the school (2018)
This year the trip was €1500.
We have discussed it and if we can find a pal to go with her we are opting for this

http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/trips-for-all-ages/ucpa-youth-programme

Say around £600 plus flights , the thinking being we all fly together , we get them there , drop them off etc and head to a resort nearby and pick up at the end of the week.

An alternative option

A snowHead

I said earlier, a grand seems pretty good value and about the going rate - but value and affordability are not the same animal, and many families can do a lot of better things ( in the short term anyway ) with GBP 1000.

I worked in 1988 as a barman in Morgins in a Schools Abroad hotel (Bellavista -in case anyone ever went there) , and pretty much all the pupils seemed to have an amazing time. It seemed just a positive experience for them as it had been for me a few years earlier.

The idea of schools going to America to avoid issues of alcohol could only be dreamt up by somebody who does not inhabit the real world. Thats like saying - the way to teach road safety is to go where there no roads.

A few things about Morgins:
In Switzerland beer and wine is permitted from age 16.
It was a small resort 5 or 6 bars, you could walk round it in 5 minutes.
There were 2 Schools Abroad hotels in the village ( La Foret was the other, but latterly became a Dutch hotel club).
There was also a private School (college Alpin in the village).
Bar owners would not serve young people who spoke French as very probably they were from College Alpin ( unless they were locals, in which case they were know to the bar owner).
Schools abroad would introduce the teachers from the 2 hotels to each other on the first night. There was a Welcome meeting for everybody, followed by a short meeting for all the staff and teachers.
La Foret took around 70 pupils and the Bellavista around 110, so normally there were about 16 teachers in resort.
2 Teachers would be in each of the 2 hotel bars, and the other teachers would spread themselves out in the other resort bars, to ensure nothing got out of hand. While some of the more disingenuous types might suggest that the teachers were buying beer on expenses while "keeping an eye in things" is a stroll in the park, at the end of the day they did a fantastic job, and if that costs 20 CHF a night per teacher, then that is fantastic value for money.
I did not witness any alcohol related issues ( other than my own ) the whole season.

A snowHead

What ratio do you have staff: pupils? 1:6? That means £141 is paying for the staff, making it £849 per head. Doesn't sound bad value to me. There's presumably a lot of instructor time in that - are children allowed on the slopes these days without one?

(I'm not sure I'd fancy that 'free' holiday if I were a member of staff.)

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Advice given out for a school trip by snowsports england/wales is 1:8 teacher to pupil ratio. On a 49 seater coach you would probably take 5 staff.

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Travelling by air 1:10; by coach & boat 1:8.
Pupils can ski outside lessons if accompanied by an ASCL qualified teacher. Doing that course involves giving up another week of holiday, and the cost of the course. And a weekend first aid course, and the cost of that. And an annual membership fee and insurance. A 'free' place on the ski trip isn't much in return...
I never took an inspection visit until this year; for the record I'm now advised to go to the resort in advance; the 4 day trip was subsidised by £5 per full paying passenger and cost me return flights, ski carriage, £155 bill, €45 speeding ticket, lunches etc - it was an adventure and I enjoyed it, but it was work and a long way from a 'jolly'... However I now know the resort, have done my own risk assessment, and know where the evening events are, have tried them, and have all the emergency contacts I need to ensure the trip goes as smoothly as possible. On the trip, duty members of staff are sober and on call all night.
I've also spent 2 days of this half-term week doing admin for the trip.

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We sent a message once to her classmates' parents that we were going to be in X resort during half-term, and anybody wishing to join us could do so. Up to them each to book their own travel, accommodation etc. We nearly got two other families but they cancelled last minute - at their own inconvenience, not to us. (booking.com day-before cancellation, and driving).

It didn't work out but maybe we're in a special situation, firstly she was 8 yrs old, secondly in an expat school where many Europeans e.g. Italians prefer to go back to their own country rather than another one.

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Difficult to place a true value on the school ski trip experience and the developmental potential. Still if the kids don't know what they may be missing out on, then maybe that's all right. Cash in the bank might feel like better value instead, however though ... Smile

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I hear all the point but I find the resort choice odd. Both my wife and I had epic school ski trips but they were to resorts of 30-50km which surely must be cheaper and were great fun.
They give people a chance to ski who don't normally do it.
My daughters trip is to the USA including a trip to NYC... well she isn't going! And can come on the family ski trip which is about half the price

After all it is free

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I did the school ski trips in 1989, 1990 and 1991 as a kid, I seem to remember it was about £400 then. We flew the first year (Serre Chevalier) and went by coach the following 2 times (Isola 2000 and La Plagne). When you take into account that all the food is included too then I don't think £1000 is that bad. I do know that the local high school is away in Italy this week and it's cost just short of £1000 (mine too young to go yet). They were some of the best times I've ever had, but I wouldn't have wanted to be a teacher either, we drove them insane!!

What I will say is that it has left me with a complete obsession with the mountains and skiing and we're in the process of buying a small ski apartment, something I will always be grateful to my parents for starting.

Help!!

school ski trips

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