School slammed for proposing Caribbean sports trip
A West Yorkshire state school has been slammed by parents for asking them to fork out £1,650 for a trip to Barbados.
Parents of pupils at Horsforth School in Leeds took to social media to complain about the school PE department’s plans, which they called ‘disgraceful’ and ‘disgusting’.
In the past, the school, a ‘sicence specialist’ academy, has run similar sports trips to Italy and Spain.
HR director Lauren Robinson at the 1,400-pupil school stressed that the Caribbean trip was not compulsory.
The price of the holiday, for pupils in years 8, 9 and 10, includes seven nights half-board at the Butterfly Beach Hotel in the south of the island, a catamaran cruise and a special sports tour kit. said the BBC.
Pupils would play in three fixtures with local teams and enjoy ‘traditional evening entertainment.
The school told the BBC: "The cost of the Barbados trip is high but 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.
Parents took to Facebook to air their views, with one writing: "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."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive