Leaving primary - no celebration

[Lailalily]

It was talking with another mum and it make me think about our children finishing primary school.

They worked so hard all these years and grow up together, making lovely friendships and memories. For many of them they been together since Reception and now they are all going separate ways for secondary school.

I feel a little sad that our school do not really do a big celebration for them. They have hoodies and do a play. It is such an important moment in their lives and I think they deserve a nice ending to their primary education after all their hard work.

Please let me know what your schools do? Do they have leavers party, prom, disco, special trip or something else? Any ideas are welcome.

Maybe it is just me, but I feel they deserve something special to celebrate this milestone before they move on.

Ours did a play, a final assemble which parents could watch, a party (with photo booths and props) then on the last day signing shirts and confetti archway.

when my (now 18 & 20) DS left they even had limos and a prom, not done since Covid so my youngest just had the party .

all of this was provided by PtA , including hoodies

Leaver's hoodie worn from Feb half term - most compliant uniform in ages!
Picnic after SATs finish.
School disco
Leavers church service
Leavers party

Parents from the year group arrange the party each year with a "ticket" bought for each child to cover costs.

They get hoodies and do a play. With all genuine respect, what more do you expect? My worry is that the hyper celebration of every single milestone to the level some parents expect (limos to prom, sweet 16 parties except for specific cultures) gives significant main character syndrome. So many of our children seem incapable of realising that they are not the only pebble on the beach and I think all the hype is part of teaching them that their every moment is cause for a community celebration. I'm sure you'll disagree fully, but you asked for opinion and that's mine.

Hoodies
Play
leavers disco/party - ice cream truck etc

There was a play and hoodies organised by school, and a piper piping them out on the last day (Scotland). Then a big party with food, games and inflatables organised by us as parents. That felt the right balance of effort - teachers for a few nice things and them parents taking over

Not primary but between the three stages my kids moved up at
ages 8,13 and 18

They had church services and Award assemblies ( but every year is involved in those )
At age 18 a meal including parents and a disco/ dance
End of year plays happen every year anyway with all years involved so not particular to the year leaving

So really the celebration was at end of 6th form. But the school is for ages 4-18.

They get hoodies (pointless if you ask me and I don't intend to get them unless DC are genuinely desperate to), a year book (bit cheesy and American but I can see might be a nice momento), a leavers' party on the last day and a special assembly. Other than the assembly it's all organised by parents. Not the PTA and not the school.

OP have you asked if anyone wants to do more and are you prepared to put the time into organising it if you do?

I agree.
Expectations seem very high these days.

My DD’s primary do a play and a yearbook, and the PTA pay for a pizza party for them followed by free entry to the summer school disco. Parents organise leaver’s hoodies and a prom. It’s plenty.

School don’t organise the prom because they have an ethos of not doing things that every child might not attend.

Too much fuss just creates emotional stress. Your school's approach sounds great.

I think you need to focus on what really matters which is a solid transition, not a lot of hype.

I am not expecting a prom, but thought a day out would be nice or something.

Who is paying?
The school does a play, which is free for the kids.

Agreed, not about hype. My daughter is very sad to be leaving though and thought a party celebration or day out would be nice for them to remember each other by.

This is what I am asking what other schools do and who pays for it?

My school does - end of year play, leavers final assembly with parents, hoodies, the kids organise their own disco (in school time but they are expected to plan it all), and I guess the fun one is the bbq and water fight - teachers vs y6 - teachers always win 🤣 I would say the water fight is their biggest excitement/ memory!

Ours have hoodies and a play/leavers assembly and graduation. Other years have had a leavers bbq bur that doesn't seem to be happening this year. It doesn't seem very much. I was thinking about what my school did in the mid 90s and we had a leavers play, a bbq and a leavers disco in the evening with a proper dj! We also had a couple of trips. This was all organised by the schol. I didn't really enjoy primary school but I remember the end of year 6 stuff fondly and I feel a little bit sad dd1 won't have this.

Ours do a play with parents invited, with presentations at the end. Also a leavers hoodie.
There is a party but it’s being organised by parents

Ours does the same. But there's a leavers church service and BBQ. I offered to do a leavers book but only got three thumbs up. Now dd has pissed the queen bees mum off so I won't be doing that as I'm the socail leper of the week it seems.

I think if parents want more, we need to sort it ourselves. But it's hard to get the engagement and I can't do a yearbook for four kids.

Leavers disco organized by parents

So what does the PTA do about families who can’t afford the hoodies?

If she's sad, the more fuss there is the harder it is likely to be. Your school is creating a special.play and keeping it sensible and manageable.

More fuss usually causes more tears.

They usually sub them.

Our was a little bit crazy

It was mostly the mums that organised the stuff. There was a disco but they also do a yearly disco for every year anyway, but due to verg enthusastic group of mums it turned into a red carpet and photo booths, type affair.

They did hoodies but werent allowed to wear them.

Had a PGL weekend.

They also did a mini festival one afternoon.

It was very much driven by the parents. School just agreed to the proposals.

Personally I think year books in primary are a bit weird. They are a US high school thing.

Who cares about primary classmates ten years later?