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Original poster

Head refuses to reward Year 11’s with a July Prom? Any ideas?

211 replies

Mom69 · 16/05/2021 18:30

My DC is in Year 11 and is nearly finished 4 weeks of GCSE exam papers - sometimes with 4 papers/day! The Head has decided not to reward them with with their Prom at the end of July! Parents have offered to organise it, and despite numerous emails the Head has said ‘she has nothing further to say on the matter’. She’s even done a u-turn and will no longer give them a last exam-free day of school together and is escorting them off the premises by 11.45am. I am SO upset for her year group, even last year’s cohort had a final day together! I’m not sure where to turn to escalate it? Any ideas? 😡☹️

OP posts:
HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 16/05/2021 20:36

They really have had a terrible year, schools handling of assessments has been so stressful, far more so than the actual GCSEs.

THIS IS NOT THE SCHOOLS FAULT. BLAME THE INEPT GOVERNMENT.

lljkk · 16/05/2021 20:35

DC high school are following over selves to make prom happen this year. Come Hell or High Water. 2nd priority after assessments for current yr11s, I dare say.

It's an outdoor partly under Marquees event, btw.

Think OP & other parents need to organise their own disco, though.

DustCentral · 16/05/2021 20:33

In order for school to do prom you’d need teachers and staff to volunteer to man it. Many won’t want to under current circumstances. So organise your own thing as parents.

SingingSands · 16/05/2021 20:29

Gah! Posted too soon!

It sucks. But it is what it is. You'll not be able to change her mind.

SingingSands · 16/05/2021 20:28

The three schools local to me have cancelled their yr 11 proms too. It sucks.

TeenMinusTests · 16/05/2021 20:27

@yodaforpresident Here in Hants schools don't generally have 6th forms, we have a variety of large 6th form colleges instead.

My understanding is that DD's school is still hoping prom will go ahead in early July, though I note they haven't asked for payment yet. DD has a dress but it needs altering. We will get it done and she and her friends can have pizza in the park in their dresses if need be.

I can see why HTs are taking different approaches, as the virus prevalence is different across the country.

Hoppinggreen · 16/05/2021 20:27

At DDs school Y11 is a bubble so they mix freely.
No one from outside school is allowed at Prom so apart from staff at the venue m who will presumably be in masks there will be nobody there who they haven’t already been mixing with.
It’s at the end of June and a lot of the girls have already bought dresses, cars booked etc. Plus we have bought tickets at £40 each
If it does have to be cancelled it’s a shame but I’m pretty philosophical about it. Unless the govt changes it’s advice before then I am confident it will go ahead

Hallyup6 · 16/05/2021 20:27

Last year's year 11 haven't had theirs yet. I think they're the priority.

MoiraQueen · 16/05/2021 20:25

Our school hasn't been great about a lot of things, but at least they will make sure they get a prom. Last year did too, although it had to be organised for a lot later in the year.
They really have had a terrible year, schools handling of assessments has been so stressful, far more so than the actual GCSEs. Also a pp mentioned the cost - the students pay for it, parents supervise and not the school, ours isn't on school grounds either.

DeusEx · 16/05/2021 20:23

If you want to organise something, ask people to contact you - give their form teachers a message with your email address. Then you can organise it yourself.

DeusEx · 16/05/2021 20:22

@Whyarewehardofthinking that sounds really crap. You have such a hard job Flowers

Soontobe60 · 16/05/2021 20:14

@Mom69

She won’t give us access to the year group contact details and they leave this Friday ☹️

The children are equally upset at not having a final day together. It just doesn’t make sense when all of this term the Teachers have said they will have it.

What do you do when a Head doesn’t listen to her staff or the students?!

And she’s very right in not giving out contact details! That’s a massive GDPR breach.
elliejjtiny · 16/05/2021 20:14

My dc's secondary school is doing a year 11 prom this year. They are also bringing back last year's year 11 and doing a prom for them too.

BungleandGeorge · 16/05/2021 20:14

Are they leaving the school completely? Seems a bit of a shame if they are, given the terrible year most have had. They’re in a year group bubble and less risk than the other events allowed. Can’t they send out a bulk email with your details on if people want to participate?

yodaforpresident · 16/05/2021 20:13

Ah, so this is more like a disco type affair in the school gym, similar to US high schools?

UserAtRandom · 16/05/2021 20:12

@yodaforpresident

Yes, the formal is held in Upper Sixth, so the last year of school.

Does everyone not have to stay in school until 18 now?

You have to stay in education or training until 18. That doesn't mean that you stay at your secondary school. Some secondary schools don't have a sixth form, and at others, there is significant movement after the end of Year 11. At my DC's school only about 60% of the Year 11 pupils go into the school sixth form, so having some sort of goodbye party seems appropriate.

(And I'd like to remind OP that last year's Year 11 got nothing - they had 2 days notice that school was closing and didn't know at that point what would happen to their GCSEs or how bad the pandemic would be. And at my DC's school, and I suspect many others, a large proportion of the year didn't make it until the last day as they were self-isolating or had been withdrawn because they or their families were CEV. At least this year the last day will give some sort of proper closure, even without a prom).

kowari · 16/05/2021 20:08

@yodaforpresident

Yes, the formal is held in Upper Sixth, so the last year of school.

Does everyone not have to stay in school until 18 now?

Education, not school, as far as I'm aware.
LubaLuca · 16/05/2021 20:08

@Tinty

^It is presumably relying on the kids and parents to be sensible enough to realise for themselves that if they're not allowed to put the year group in the hall to sit exams, cramming them together in a function room is off the cards.^

@LubaLuca
Well I don’t know about your school, but our school have had all year 11’s doing all their exams in the hall as usual for four weeks, except they are wearing masks and have to have all the doors in the hall open. All the year together exactly like normal GCSES.

I said they aren't allowed to hold the exams in the hall, so you do know Confused

They're not allowed to sit in the lunch hall either - they eat outside when the weather allows or in their form room in small groups.

yodaforpresident · 16/05/2021 20:07

Yes, the formal is held in Upper Sixth, so the last year of school.

Does everyone not have to stay in school until 18 now?

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 16/05/2021 20:06

We aren't having assessments in the hall because of covid. I'm surprised schools are but some heads are less cautious. Our year 11s mix with approx a third of the year group in school.

Prom is a logistical nightmare!

cptartapp · 16/05/2021 20:05

DS2 in year 11 have been tentatively told they're having a prom. We've a date and paid the deposit.
As have two of my friends with DC at different schools an hour away.

UserAtRandom · 16/05/2021 20:03

This thread is another example of how varied school experiences are, though. Our Year 11 are not in the hall for assessments - they are in classrooms in smaller groups. (The hall is actually now a testing centre).

daisypond · 16/05/2021 20:02

Is it not the wrong time of year for a formal

No, it’s a prom. When pupils leave school - often permanently - after their national exams in the summer.

UserAtRandom · 16/05/2021 20:02

@DeusEx

Also they may all be in a year group together but they’ll bring outside boyfriends and girlfriends for sure. And parents chaperoning. And staff. Massive, massive risk.
Exactly. And the whole of Year 11 won't be mixing with the whole of the rest of Year 11 anyway. They aren't having assemblies, and it if it's anything like my DC's school the timetable has been carefully choreographed so that they minimise the number of other students they mix with. And they are restricted in how many people they sit with at breaks. There must be at least 300 people in DD's year group that she never comes into contact with at school but would do if her year group had a prom and everyone came.

Can't you just organise a smaller celebration for your DC and their friends?

Hoppinggreen · 16/05/2021 20:01

@daisypond

Of course schools aren’t organising proms this year!
Yes they are
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