We are a group of concerned parents and carers of the current Year 4 cohort at Harvey Road Primary School.

The school has recently announced that the long-standing Year 5 residential trip (PGL) will be cancelled starting next academic year, replacing it with a single day trip. This means our children will miss out on a vital Key Stage 2 milestone.

While we understand that the school is trying to manage costs and logistics, we believe that completely cutting the Year 5 residential is the wrong solution.

Why the Year 5 Residential Matters:

Irreplaceable Life Skills: Overnight trips build essential resilience, self-reliance, and independence. It is a vital milestone for children to experience being away from home in a safe, supportive peer environment.

A Crucial "Dry Run" for Year 6: For many children, jumping straight into a Year 6 residential during an already stressful, SATs-focused year is a massive leap. The Year 5 trip serves as a lower-stakes trial that reduces anxiety.

Bonding That Can't Be Replicated: A day trip, while enjoyable, simply cannot match the deep peer bonding, teamwork, and character-building that happens during an overnight stay.

Our Goal:

We want the school leadership to pause this decision and hold an open parent consultation forum.

As a parent body, we are highly willing to collaborate with the school to find creative, alternative solutions to keep the trip viable—whether that means choosing a cheaper, more local residential site, shortening the duration, or introducing more flexible payment plans.

How you can help:

Please sign this petition to show school leadership and the Governing Body the strength of feeling among the parent community. Together, we can work with the school to find a positive compromise for our children.