Sudbury Hall Trip Cancellation: Your Questions Answered

We understand some parents have valid questions regarding the cancellation of the Sudbury Hall trip. We sincerely apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this has caused, but I wish to answer those questions that have been shared.  Should after this point parents have further questions, I will be happy to discuss them individually.

Why Was the Trip Cancelled Before the Payment Deadline Next Week?

Coach companies set strict payment deadlines for bookings. If these deadlines aren't met, the school is still liable for a time specific incremental coach cost. It's actually not uncommon for the coach deadline to fall before the final payment date so as to provide as much time as possible for parents to contribute, and usually we can absorb the risk of some non-payments to ensure the trip goes ahead. However, for this particular trip, the unpaid amount was substantial, totalling hundreds of pounds, and sadly was too excessive in the time scale.

Had we not cancelled when we did, the school would have still been liable for this significant cost, and unfortunately, parents who had already paid would not have been eligible for a full refund. This is why we sent out reminders early this week; we were attempting to gather enough payments to meet the coach company's deadline and prevent cancellation.

Because of the decision being made today, all those who have paid will get a full refund. Had we waited until next week, this would not have been the case.  Parents would have paid, no or limited refund would be offered and the children would still not have had a trip.  This would have not been palatable for anyone.

Why Can't Children Whose Parents Have Paid Still Go?

Department for Education policies on charges and remissions prevent schools from excluding a child from a curriculum-linked trip due to financial reasons. To do so would be discriminatory. Simply put, for curriculum-related trips like Sudbury Hall, it's either all eligible children are offered a place, or none are. The only exception is for trips not linked to the curriculum, such as a pantomime or circus.

Could a Fund Be Created to Offset Costs for Parents Who Can't Pay in the Future?

We already have a system in place to subsidise trip costs for parents, and this has amounted to thousands of pounds over recent years. Any requested contributions from parents are already heavily subsidised by the school; you never pay the full cost – sometimes less than 50% of the true cost.   However, on this occasion, the outstanding unpaid amount was too significant for the school to cover in addition to the existing subsidies.  Simply put, we already have a fund that we set aside, but the extent of non-payment meant it was far from enough.

Future actions

This is the first time that it has been necessary to enact a trip cancellation.  This is despite subsidies and providing payment plans and ample notice.  In the future, it will be necessary to assume the school cannot absorb late payments again before the deadline set by coach companies.  Sadly, this will result in payment being required earlier than normally asked.  We will however continue to offer payment plans and subsidies for all families.

We share your disappointment regarding this cancellation and are already looking into alternative, related events to hold on the school site for the next half term. Thank you for your understanding