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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Year 6 leavers

58 replies

Crochetymum · 15/07/2019 19:31

Anybody else have a year 6 leaving this time?
My son is and he's having a prom type thing, only at the school. He's got a suit and I've bought his ticket, he's asked me this afternoon (the prom is this Thursday) "so what am I arriving in?" I was just . He said oh so and so is getting a limo, I just said , you're 11, we'll take you in our car, it's only down the road. Am I missing something? Is this more of a big deal than I thought? I just took it as the leavers disco. Please tell me I'm not being mean 🤔
I see the end of high school one as more of a big thing, but these things are becoming more common and it's a bit of a stress, along with the leaver's assembly and performance, plus getting ready for high school

OP posts:

anothernamereally · 15/07/2019 20:32

Disco midweek- dd wearing nice dress from wardrobe- transport will be walking as usual

Sweetbabycheezits · 15/07/2019 20:32

Another yr6 parent here! There is a dress up disco at the village hall that the parents club in to pay for. No prom dresses or tuxes, more like party wear. There was one mum who wanted to do the limo thing, but I said no to that...I don't have an issue with DD getting dressed up, but the limo stuff will have to wait until her proper prom at 16!

thanksamillion · 15/07/2019 20:34

At our school almost all the year 6 leavers leave school in limos on the last day. We've refused but our DC haven't been very pleased about that. I think it's ridiculous and causes chaos on the last day. I wish school would ban it but it's become a tradition. I've got one more DC to go in two years time.

RowingMermaid · 15/07/2019 20:35

When my two left the school do a year 6 party in school in the hall for an afternoon about 2 days before the end of term and then a leavers' assembly with parents on the last day of term.

But privately arranged and it has been going for at least 12 years a parent or group of year 6 parents arrange a party for all year 6 at the local cricket club. It costs £10 and includes small pizza, drink and packet of crisps. There is a disco, bouncy slide thing and a huge area to run around in/play football/cartwheel etc.

Parents can buy a pizza themselves from a van cooked in a wood burning oven which tastes amazing. There is also a bar inside for more soft drinks for the children and alcohol for the adults

Several parents volunteer to chaperone and all other parents are invited. My son did go in a hummer but it was only £10 and he was in with all his mates. They drove round for a bit before heading to the party.

No-one wore a suit, boys were in jeans and a t-shirt or a shirt, girls wore a mixture of sparkly dresses or leggings and a t shirt. So £20 all in for us.

firawla · 15/07/2019 20:37

Ours are having limo type things, I think they are hummers but one parent organised it all and whoever wanted to opt in can do so, and pay for a space and they’ll all be sharing rather than families booking individual limos. Seems like most or all the kids are taking part in it, I think it’s nice - why not have fun and make some memories at the end of an era (I know most mumsnetters hate the phrase making memories!!)

Milicentbystander72 · 15/07/2019 20:38

No, you have the right attitude OP in my opinion.

My dd and ds are both in Secondary now. When they left Y6 it was called a 'Prom' but really it was just a nice disco with more balloons.

However at my DS's 'Prom' there was a breakaway faction of parents who organised about 4 limos to take select children. We ordered a 'disco' mini bus to take 16 of them at £3 each (ours was at village hall in the next village). It caused a bit of ill feeling actually.
On the evening of the Prom none of the limos turned up!! Poor kids were left heartbroken and missed a part of their prom waiting. Parents had to take them in cars in the end.

When it came to DS's Prom, nobody ordered limos! I think it was a lesson learned.

Mumski45 · 15/07/2019 20:45

Youngest DS is a year 6 leaver this time. As well as end of year show on 2 nights and an end of year assembly next week including awards they are having a leavers meal. Parents have organised and paid for Limos which personally I think is ridiculous and expensive but I couldn't face DS2 being the only one not included so I get dragged along and even ended up "volunteering" to be a chaperone in one of the limos

maddiemookins16mum · 15/07/2019 20:58

My DD when leaving primary had a disco. They all made t shirts and wore them with jeans and there was a fish and chip van and ice-cream van in the playground.

EbbandTheWanderingHearts · 15/07/2019 21:00

My DS has his year 6 leavers this week. His class has hired 2 limo's for all the kids. Works out about £20 each. They'll drive about for an hour then go to the school disco. The kids are wearing what they want. Some in suits, some in jeans and t-shirts. I'm not really a fan of this whole prom thing but I also wouldn't want DS to be the only one not going.

BishopofBathandWells · 15/07/2019 21:02

Personally I think it's all bonkers. DSD has a leavers assembly and a prom, for which her DM has booked a limo. DSD doesn't seem to be buying into the hype, however; she told me she'll be wearing a jumper and jeans to the event.

LadyRannaldini · 15/07/2019 21:03

Since when did this become a thing?!

Since parents started falling for it maybe? I have heard of 'graduation' ceremonies from Nursery.

Heartofglass12345 · 15/07/2019 21:31

When I left in 1996 we had a party in class after lunch and had to wear our uniforms lol
One of my Facebook friends put pictures of her son graduating from key stage 1 today in a cap and gown, surely he will just be going to another class in the same school lol 🤔

DifficultSituation19 · 15/07/2019 21:39

I think this is really sad, it puts a lot of pressure on kids who are too young for it IMO. Grown up dresses, make up, and both boys and girls presumably feeling pressured (even if just among their peers) to have a ‘date’. I think it’s really irresponsible for any school to encourage this. My eldest dd wasn’t remotely interested in boys or make up etc when she was in year 6 and I’m glad that it wasn’t foisted upon her. I also think it takes something away from the year 11 prom. Not that I’m wild about that either, but at least the end of GCSEs is a bit more of a cause for celebration.

SparklesandFlowers · 15/07/2019 21:41

I've taught at schools where they do the whole limo thing, even though the actual "prom" is just some balloons and a disco in the school hall. I've also taught at a school where the leavers' disco was open to all pupils at the school with the Year 6 being cheered out at the end, which I thought was lovely.

With regards to graduation ceremonies, yes, I've taught at schools where they "graduate" from reception into year 1. At the same school. With caps and gowns. I hate it, I couldn't do it if I was in reception.

On a slightly different note, I also dislike the way the Americanism "high school" is replacing "secondary school" in the UK.

AliTheMinx · 15/07/2019 21:43

Last Friday afternoon I drove past 2 huge Hummers with scores of children (probably Year 6) leaning and screeching out of the window on the way to a prom.... just ghastly and incredibly tacky!

Original poster

Crochetymum · 15/07/2019 21:45

I really feel alot better about this so thanks everyone for what you've said. It's just trying to make the kids grow up a bit too much isn't it? My son is usually, actually always in joggers or shorts, so I know the suit he's got won't stay looking smart for long, glad I didn't pay much because it was from eBay and shoes are his school ones for September.
I'm with whoever said 'prom' should be banned for primary and it should be simply a disco. I like that they've had an easy few weeks at school after working hard for SATS too, they've had BBQ, days out, college trips, but teachers should realise that us parents are in the background gearing up for the next stage- high school 😬

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Sandybval · 15/07/2019 21:45

Cripes that seems quite a lot for leaving primary school, we just had a leavers assembly (we all got given dictionaries which was actually really nice, I still have mine!)- and then some music in the school hall. I think I'm just getting old, but everything is happening younger and younger, there won't be anything for them to look forward to! Everything will just have to be more extreme, I had a limo in year 6 I need a helicopter for my actual leaving school dance

SachaStark · 15/07/2019 21:46

Prom is for Year 11, what on earth are they celebrating for at the end of primary school?!

Whatsyournameagain · 15/07/2019 21:46

I’m shocked at some of these comments! My year 6 leaves on Friday, it’s just a normal day school day as far as I know and all very low-key.

joystir59 · 15/07/2019 21:48

They are children! What is all this aping adults crap?

reluctantbrit · 15/07/2019 21:48

DD had this last year. The party is outside the school, totally organised by the parents.

We tried to keep it below the prom but above a disco as they had discos twice a year each year and they wanted something different.

In the end it was a fancy disco, we had a Hawaiian theme, most boys came in shorts and Hawaiin shirt, the girls in colourful dresses, some had fancy ones but not a floor lenght or over the top.

The hall was in walking distance for most of them, a limo would be far too much.

familycourtq · 15/07/2019 21:48

Hummers? really?

CalmConfident · 15/07/2019 21:49

Our sensible school has issued an emsil “Please can we remind you that it is a disco not a prom; therefore, please do not hire any special vehicles for the children. We encourage the children to arrive with their friends and have fun, party snacks and drinks will be provided."

Original poster

Crochetymum · 15/07/2019 21:50

DifficultSituation19
Yep the date thing was an issue with us, he said he wasn't going at first because everyone else was going with something. I said it didn't matter, and he did change his mind, alot of kids in his class have boyfriends/girlfriends, mines just not been that interested yet, even though he has female friends they're "not like that" as he says, which is fine by me...

OP posts:

Original poster

Crochetymum · 15/07/2019 21:51

Someone not something! Bloody hell

OP posts:

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