A mum-of-five branded the price of her son's school trip as 'ridiculous' as she claimed she could take the entire family away for less money.
Mum Emma Mellor was left 'shocked' when she saw the amount parents were being asked to hand over for the trip to Krakow, Poland, which was set to last three nights.
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The trip includes return flights from Manchester, as well as coach transfer to the airport from Shropshire, accommodation and a number of excursions, including a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Two evening meals were included in the price, but Emma noted that parents would probably have to fork out more money for extra food on the trip.
In total, parents were asked to pay £799 for each child, including a non-refundable deposit of £300 which was due just 11 days after the first email to parents went out.
"I was shocked when I saw that it was £800 for three nights," Emma said.
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"For this sort of money [£799], we could go on a nice family holiday in a caravan for five days or we could splash out and go on a weekend away, all six of us, to Centre Parcs.
"I would rather spend my money on doing something for the whole family."
Emma pointed out that one of her other children had previously been on a trip to Berlin for just £275, so she decided to respond to the school's email to criticise the high price tag.
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In her response, she said: "If I had £800+ to spend on going away, I’d be putting it towards a trip for the whole family, not for one of my five children while the rest of us go without a holiday.
"These prices are utterly ridiculous for many families. I suppose the 1 percent with plenty of throwaway income will gladly be on board."
Emma's son hasn't yet mentioned going on the trip, but she plans to tell him she can't afford it if it comes up in conversations.
She believes other parents will be in a similar position, explaining: "This is not so much of a complaint against the school, it is more of being shocked by the price of the trip.
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"It's really sparked some interesting discussion of more and more people not being able to afford the school trips as they are becoming more expensive and out of reach."
The mum suggested some parents would likely have to work even more hours, or forego a holiday of their own, to afford the trip.
"It's unrealistic expectations," she argued.
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"With the cost of living rising at an incredible rate, people's wages aren't even matching this.
"I would imagine it would cost anywhere between £400 or £500 of extra money on top of the £799 for food, clothes for the trip, travel money, insurance and you want them to have a good time on the trip too."
The trip to Krakow was actually the cheapest of three trips advertised by the school, with the other two coming in at more than £1,000.
Emma took to Facebook to share her concerns over the price, and was met with a wealth of support from other parents who agreed she should have 'no guilt' over her decision to keep her son off the trip.
Emily Brown