Totally OTT primary school 'leavers' celebrations

[irritatedandhotandsweaty]

Am I a crap mother because I really don't see this as an amazing achievement?

I just feel like for the last two weeks the whole class have been totally hyped up and there's been far too much talk of 'their journey' and 'being soooo emotional' and all of this nonsense of the prom. Thankfully we could afford it but it was ludicrous! Some of the girls had full make up and tans.

I think it's a lovely thing in secondary school but absolutely not in P7.

I agree with you too.

I'd have liked a disco and a nice assembly. A day at the beach sounds great.

Mine had a prom and a graduation with hats and gowns. They have graduated from nothing. They have been to primary school and now they are going to secondary school. 👩‍🎓

The proms seem very ott to me, not right for that age group. I think when I finished primary school year 6 had a BBQ (I missed it as I went on holiday before the end of term). A picnic/bbq/normal disco sounds so much better.

Abroad now, at my DD's school when they finish primary they have a whole school assembly and the first years sing a song to the 6th years, saying goodbye and wishing them luck etc. its really sweet.

It seems to be for everything - gender reveals, baby showers, birthday parties, hen nights that are expensive weeks away, followed by a wedding that costs almost the gdp of a small country.

Just why?

Yes I agree and it’s all because of SM platforms like Instagram. Everyone has to be living an amazing life and no one can be seen to be shitting out. It’s obscene and deeply damaging. Most of it’s manufactured bollocks anyway. I look at the crap that someone posts about their husband and kids and I know for a fact the husband is abusive and the kids are pigs but that’s not what’s portrayed. It’s all bullshit

I left primary in 2001.

We did a leavers assembly and signed each others school shirts.

Then left.

It's way over the top now.

Agree, all so OTT these days.

My DNephew even had a ‘graduation’ ceremony from nursery age 4, complete with cap and gown and the nursery hired a professional photographer to capture the occasion. All parents invited and a party afterwards. Seemed bizarre and ridiculous to me.

My cousin graduated from nursery intbe 90s, thats not a new tradition!

I agree with you about this, and indeed feel the same way about the hyping up of normal events in life.

When I was leaving y6 we had a party but the food was provided by parents. Each child had an item of food drawn out of a hat which they had to bring. Drinks were 50p and they had a Dj. I really enjoyed it and the money they made from drinks went into their summer school pot which was two weeks of summer school where we went swimming did activities like arts and crafts lots of outdoor time and it was really good

I think it is good to mark it, and now that y6 is all about SATs they really do have half a term to do things in.
However there is no need for it to be in an over the top, expensive for parents, way.

Nothing like that in early 70s when.i left primary. Leavers assembly, sang and hymn, they wished us good luck for the future and we bogged off home to enjoy the 6 weeks summer holidays.
They had school proms in the noughties when my kids left secondary but only one of my boys attended. Another unnecessary import from the States, only now of course its escalated to anyone who is anyone has to rock up to the prom in a stretch limo.
Or even a helicopter.....FFS

We had hoodies at the start of this term. They just came home with them, no payment asked for.

Apparently a beach day will happen, an assembly and a big water fight during the last week.

Thank God in Wales year 6 hasn't been filled with Sats.

They've had a fairly relaxed year with a few of day trips and a play.

Hopefully England will do away with them too soon.

Yes, and everything is 'a journey.' So over the top.

This makes me laugh pta insisted on contributing to leavers hoodies parents paid for them in May but didn’t get them til last day of year 6 at the end of the day so couldn’t wear them It was one of the hottest days of the year. School had leavers assembly which I thought was ample to mark the occasion, the year 6 had had a day at a theme park as well but then certain parents insisted on a leavers party over summer holiday a complete waste of time food we felt pressured to attend, pay towards food that wasn’t eaten, kids doing their own thing (as too old for anything organised games etc) just felt like a performance exercise by certain parents to compare what other schools do with the guilt of or but they will remember leaving primary…

The minute someone mentions the word Prom it all goes wild. Call it a party and it keeps the expectation down.

I do think it's all a bit mental at the end of P7 but it's kind of nice to to have leavers services and recognise that it's the end of a huge chapter. Most of us don't remember starting primary but remember leaving.

But the outward bound weeks are fab and not really part of the leavers stuff.

Ours got leavers hoodies at Easter partly funded but PTA, party by PTA, leavers service, tie, book and a party funded by parents.

Totally agree about schools hyping the kids up, my DD left primary last year and the kids seems to be whipped up into a complete frenzy by the end which caused loads of extreme emotion. Quite a few of the kids (and parents!!) spent the last couple of weeks in tears which was really unnecessary. Allegedly the teachers kept crying too which I can’t vouch for but can completely believe!

No way should a primary school aged girl be wearing make up or fake tan. Disgusting!

I left primary school in 1973. Can't remember a thing about it.

Nothing n my day lol. Board games on the last day and out the door.

We just did a beach day too (beach is walkable from the school).

Everyone should just live near a beach

We’ve had our p7 leaving bbq the church service/leavers ceremony is next week. They put on lots of things the end of term to celebrate them leaving and moving on. For some it is a big thing. My son struggles with school and it has been a bloody shit journey and I am celebrating him getting out of that school and moving on tbh. He’s enjoying activities with friends.

when I left school 33 years ago, we had a church service and leavers bbq/picnic on the beach v low key and great fun. It’s nice to celebrate and spend time with friends that you likely won’t be with so much in high school. Don’t see the big deal. I’ll miss my friend who stands with me at school pick up, and just my youngest (of 4) at primary they grow up so fast it’s nice to celebrate milestones. We don’t go ott the kids were free for their bbq parents paid £6 for food hall etc kids played outside we ate and drank it was a nice night.

when i left school teachers said good luck then that was it out the gate and look forward to 6 weeks of freedom before starting secondary school. no hoo ha

Yep...a few years ago now but they hyped it up to the extent kids were sobbing and hugging the year 5s. They created a human arch way of hands to walk under. I have a video of my daughter racing through it and was first out the gate with a big grin on her face and happy to escape the emotional fall out.

Rubbish! What about pupils who attend a straight through school ( there are a few in our area) - should they be traumatised because they didn't make the transition from KS1/2 to KS 3/4?

This is EXACTLY what is wrong with the world today, making huge events of something that is just the next of many,many stages pupils will go through.