The parents expected to pay £3000 for a state school trip

Have you been asked to pay more than £1,000 for your child to go on a school trip? More than one in five parents has received requests from their child’s school for a trip costing that much or more, and many feel pestered into paying for an expedition they can ill-afford – and often feel is overpriced.

Guardian Money spoke to families across Britain about the pressure to send their children on trips which, they claim, are often of dubious educational value. Many felt they were paying four-star prices for stays in youth hostels, and were made to feel like “rubbish parents” if they refused to allow their child to go. We found wealthy families for whom £2,000 school trips to Washington DC were barely a drop in their annual holiday spending budget. But we also found others asked to pay more than their entire family could spend on a holiday in a year, and who felt the cost of trips should be capped. We also found private schools where trips cost £4,500 a head.

We polled 1,000 families about the cost of trips. One in five had been asked by their child’s school to pay more than £1,000 for a trip. Seven in 10 said they thought it unacceptable for schools to even ask for such sums – but 47% said that the pressure and guilt were such that they ended up paying. The poll was carried out for Guardian Money by Hogan’s Irish Cottages, a budget family holiday company.

We obtained our case studies by appealing on social media to families that have been asked to pay more than £1,000 for a school trip to get in touch. Interestingly, nearly all the replies came from relatively well-off parts of the UK. This probably suggests that the pricier expeditions reflect the income profile of the area – with state schools in Surrey and Buckinghamshire organising £1,000-plus trips, but schools in low income areas steering clear of such deals in the knowledge that most parents would not be able to stump up the cash. We asked schools to justify the cost of the trips (see box below), and all of them told us that they offered invaluable, exciting experiences linked to pupils’ studies, that staff volunteered their time, and that many schools have hardship funds so no student misses out.

Here eight families tell their story, seven with children at state schools and one at a private school.

South Africa, biology trip £3,000

“I was gobsmacked when I heard the price of the trip”

Louise, from Weybridge, Surrey, works in PR and overseas property, and has a household income in the 40% tax bracket. Her son, aged 14, was invited on a two-week biology trip to South Africa by Heathside School, a local state school.

“I was gobsmacked when I heard it was going to cost £3,000. I want to give my children the best possible chance in life and I’ve paid for £650 school trips in the past, but I think £3,000 is hugely expensive and puts too much pressure on parents.

“The first week was going to be spent working with elephants and the second half was deep sea diving. I don’t regret saying no because we made a similar trip as a family last year, which was our trip of a lifetime, not an annual event.

“I think there should be a common-sense limit of say £1,000 on school trips or things get out of hand. I don’t believe it is acceptable for a state school to ask parents for such a large sum for a school trip.

“Although the children are meant to be fundraising to help, in effect parents underwrite the trip and could still end up paying the whole amount.”

Washington and New York, politics and history trip £1,800

Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty

“We spend £30,000 to £40,000 on holidays each year so it wasn’t an issue”

Rebecca, 50, a GP, has a household income of over £300,000 and lives in Marlow. Her son, aged 18, was invited by Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, a selective state-funded academy school in Buckinghamshire, on a week-long politics trip to Washington DC and New York for £1,800.

“The trip seemed very worthwhile and we spend £30,000 to £40,000 on holidays each year so a £1,800 school trip wasn’t an issue for us at all. We said yes. It’s a grammar school in a very affluent area, and it didn’t surprise me that most – if not all – the students on his politics and history course also went.

The children did stay in four-star hotels but they flew economy, so it wasn’t a lavish thing. Unfortunately, after their first day in Washington a massive hurricane hit the east coast and instead of going to New York, they sat in the basement of the hotel watching movies. He didn’t enjoy it in the end.

Even though I can easily afford to pay more, I wouldn’t be against a £500 cap on state school trips. I think it would be fairer to other families. And I could just take him wherever he wants to go myself.”

New York, orchestra tour £980

“There was absolutely no way we could afford to pay £980 for a school trip.”

Sarah, 48, an administrator from north London, has a household income of £47,000. Her daughter, aged 17, was invited by her state school to go on a four-day orchestra tour to New York. The price was £980, plus lunches.

“There is an assumption of wealth if you live in north London, even by schools, but there was absolutely no way we could afford to pay £980 for a school trip. That made me feel like a rubbish parent.

The school made the trip sound so exciting, and it annoyed and surprised me that a state school would dangle a carrot like that in front of my daughter. I think it was divisive and she would have got the same experience touring five music venues in the UK. She didn’t need to go to New York.

I’m holding my breath because I think the question is going to come up again for my son, who is 15 and at the same school. I’m dreading him coming home and asking to go. I think state schools should limit trips to £500 and allow you to pay over a year.”

Zambia, charity and safari £1,700

Photograph: Alamy

“My daughter paid £1,400 towards the trip all by herself”

Philippa is a shopkeeper, from Esher, Surrey. At the age of 15, her daughter was invited by Esher Church of England High School, a state school, to spend two weeks working at charity schools in Zambia for £1,700.

“The school has asked her on £900 ski trips in the past and we’ve always said no. But this trip was different. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity. At £1,700 it was an expensive trip, but I also thought it was a fair price.

We agreed to it, but told her she’d have to raise half the money herself, and not through sponsorship – by babysitting, cat-sitting, hosting supper parties and working at my shop. At the end of the trip she was going on a three-day safari and staying in a hotel with a pool, so it wasn’t just working at the charity schools.

The school set up a fundraising group, and all the parents helped by holding quiz nights, car boot sales etc. We collectively raised enough to contribute £300 per student. I’m proud to say she paid the remaining balance of £1,400 all by herself.

She spent the first week in the capital, Lusaka, teaching dance and tag rugby to the local children, organising sports tournaments and painting the school walls. And although she enjoyed the safari at the end, she felt that first week was life-changing. It opened her eyes about the world. I think working to pay for the trip also boosted her confidence and she made new friends at school. It was absolutely worth every penny.”

Austria, skiing £1,000

“If she’d wanted to go, I would have had to borrow the money”

Olivia, 35, runs a training company in Bristol and has a household income of £50,000 to £60,000. Her daughter, 11, was invited by her state school to go on a five-day £895 ski trip in Europe.

“My first thought was: ‘bloody hell, I could take the entire family on holiday for that.’ In my view, skiing is not a useful life skill and the trip was going to be a lot less educational than, say, visiting a capital city.

If she’d been absolutely gutted when I said no, I would have felt guilty. And I wouldn’t have wanted her to feel left out if all her friends were going. I would have had to borrow the money and it would have cost us more than £1,000 including her kit. Fortunately, she wasn’t desperately upset.

In total, the school has asked us for more than £1,350 in school trips this year. I think it’s ridiculous. I can’t ask my daughter to contribute – she’s only 11. What am I supposed to say: ‘Give me your pocket money for the next five years? Cut the grass every day?’ It puts a lot of pressure on parents.”

Australia, hockey and netball tour £4,500

Photograph: Alamy

“I prefer to spend my money on a holiday with with my kids, not sending them away”

Viv, 47, works for a PR company in Fetcham, Surrey. Her daughter 16, was invited by her private school, Epsom College, to go on a £4,500 hockey and netball tour of Australia.

“An email came round saying there was an opportunity for her to do three trips, each over £3,000. My ex-husband, who is wealthy and lives in the Philippines, said he would pay for the hockey trip in full if she wanted to go.

In the end, not enough parents signed up. I think it was because it wasn’t seen as good value. Despite the price, the kids would mostly have been staying with families at the schools they were visiting. The teachers, however, would have been staying in hotels.

So instead of that trip, they’re going on a £1,500 hockey-only tour of Europe, in a coach.

Personally, I wouldn’t have paid for either trip. But I don’t have much money. The money I do have, I prefer to spend on a holiday with my kids, not sending them away.

On the other hand, their father has plenty of spare money and sees these trips differently. He thinks they live in a very global world and it gives them a better perspective. He didn’t hesitate.”

Austria, skiing £1,500

“Skiing is an expensive hobby and I accept that”

Sharon, 43, owns a design and marketing company in Thelwall, and has a household income of £100,000. Her 14-year-old daughter was invited on a £1,000 week-long ski trip to Austria while she was attending Lymm High School, a state school in Cheshire. The price was £1,000.

“We said yes, but we felt the trip was expensive for what she was getting. She was travelling by coach and staying in youth hostels. At £1,500 (including her meals, kit and spending money), it wasn’t great value.

But skiing is an expensive hobby and I accept that. I think it’s a good thing she gets the opportunity to do it on a school trip. It makes her more independent. Plus I don’t enjoy skiing, so it’s not a holiday I’d want to take her on myself.

We used it as a bargaining tool with her for good behaviour and paid in instalments over four months. She had a great time and made friends with people she wouldn’t normally socialise with. I think it was worth it.”

Singapore/Malaysia, sports tour £2,050

Photograph: Alamy

“Anyone can manage to raise £2,000 if they put their minds to it.”

Pamela, 44, works in local government in Uttlesford, Essex, and has a household income of £90,000. Her son, 14, has been invited by his state school to go on a £2,050 12-night sports tournaments trip to Singapore and Malaysia in August 2014.

“We have seven kids so although our household income is high, it has to go far. We’ve been saving for this trip ever since they told us about it two years ago. We think it is a fantastic opportunity for our son to see that part of the world, and we could never afford to go as a family.

He has a paper round so has been contributing £30 a month towards the trip for 18 months. He’s also training for the tournaments after school.

He loves his sport and is very good at it. I wouldn’t have been able to say no – I would have gone to great lengths to make sure he could go. I think with two years to pay for it, anyone could manage to raise £2,000 if they put their minds to it.”

Thanks to Hogan’s Irish Cottages, Mumsnet and MoneySavingExpert.com for help with this story. Some names have been changed.

What the schools say

We asked all the schools named in these case studies to respond. In summary, they said:

• The trips offer students invaluable, exciting experiences linked to their studies outside the classroom.

• Staff volunteer their time to keep costs down and trips are not compulsory nor part of the curriculum.

• Not all trips could realistically be taken by parents and the point of some trips is that students are exposed to situations without their parents along.

• Many school trips cost less than £1,000.

• All the schools named help parents to fund or fundraise for the trips, and encourage students to self-fund where possible, as a valuable life lesson. Many have hardship funds, so that no student misses out due to financial need.

For example, Tarun Kapur, CBE, executive principal of Lymm High School said: “At Lymm High School we are proud to say that we offer trips for all abilities and pockets, including subsidised trips for those in most need.”

Mrs A L Cullum, principal at Heathside School said: “The school operates a hardship fund to support students on trips linked to the curriculum; this expedition is not part of the curriculum nor takes place in term time and parents are not expected to cover the cost – rather students are expected to meet the cost through organising fundraising activities.”

Simon Morris, Headteacher at Esher Church of England School said: “We are incredibly proud as a school to be able to offer a wide range of experiences through trips to our students, and this particular trip is part of a six-year school community project helping children from poorer communities to access education. This is the only trip of around 70 annual trips in the school that has a cost above £1,000″.

Dr Peter Holding at Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School said: “Our goal is that no child should miss out on an opportunity owing to lack of finance and we try to help parents find funding for such trips, which we think provide our students with invaluable experiences linked to their studies.”

The parents expected to pay £3000 for a state school trip