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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Year 6 leavers event

128 replies

sneakypetestolemywife · 30/06/2021 20:42

If you have kids in year 6 who are leaving to go to senior school or are a teacher or TA for year 6 can you please fill me in with what the school is doing to make this term special.
My son's school have cancled the PGL, disco and day out and are doing nothing and I want to raise this with the head because I'm sure it's not the norm.
AIBU to expect something fun for them and not just exams for their last few weeks before hitting big school?

OP posts:
Bedsheets4knickers · 01/07/2021 07:49

Our school is doing a day at south end back to school for a pool party then a sleep over in the hall . I think they've done really well in such shit times

GalacticDragonfly · 01/07/2021 07:50

Events that would normally have been inside have moved outside, with no parents. The residential trip was replaced by day trips to the same venue.
Staff have worked so hard to find solutions that would be as memorable as the usual offer, but less likely to be cancelled by a last minute change in the situation. Some things were planned as surprises, so that if things did have to change, the children would never have known they’d missed out.
I’m not surprised that there are schools who haven’t managed to offer activities though. It’s been a huge effort and many just wouldn’t have the staff capacity to plan things this year, or wouldn’t feel comfortable asking parents to pay for expensive activities. There’s no spare time or money in schools.

Cherrychocchip · 01/07/2021 08:49

I can't read all the comments as I'm so annoyed like you OP that my child's school is also doing fuck all.
No assembly, no performance, no end of yr trip, no camping. And transition to high school has been cancelled too. Yet anything relating to football it's fine for hundreds of people to mix. It's fuck the children they don't matter.

crankysaurus · 01/07/2021 08:49

They had sports day, have done leavers hoodies, and are doing some fun activities in the school field. They do at least get transition days to their secondary schools.

They're doing what they can to make it memorable and fun for the kids, which is the important but, but no parent involvement, which I'm gutted about as it's our youngest leaving and end of links with primary school for our family.

museumum · 01/07/2021 08:58

We’re in Scotland so it’s all happened but here the schools all got an adventure day at the local scout camp instead of residential and then in the last day of term pta/parents organised a big picnic / fete type gathering in the local park.

WaltzForDebbie · 01/07/2021 09:11

Residential, trip to London have been cancelled. Instead sleepover at school and day out doing canoing/sailing. School play is being recorded. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to make an effort. Even one jab has been shown to really reduce risk and kids are at very low risk from covid. We have to live with it now.

WaltzForDebbie · 01/07/2021 09:12

No transition day to secondary school is the worst bit tbh. Especially as my child will have no friends in their new class and is quite stressed about that.

Clickbait · 01/07/2021 09:14

Residential cancelled but replaced with a series of day trips to an outdoor activity centre.
There will be a leavers service (with parents sitting in pre-allocated socially distanced seats, and taking place outside rather than in the hall).
PTA are organising a leavers party - no parents.
Sports day took place but with no parents.

Clickbait · 01/07/2021 09:14

Transition to secondary school was online.

Original poster
sneakypetestolemywife · 01/07/2021 09:30

@Lanaa

This is a really nasty thread. Schools are trying their best in a very trying time. Our residential was cancelled (by the providers) and it hasn't been possible to book another. The sports day had to be postponed because of rain, which caused an avalanche of rude, sarcastic emails to be sent to our poor head.

In case it has escaped your notice we are in a pandemic. Parties have numbers legally capped at 30. If you happen to teach in a two form entry school, or your class has 30+ children it's illegal to hold a party. The numbers are too high, especially when you add supervisory adults. The DFE have issued guidance on end of year events. I'm sure you could find it on the DFE website.

Schools have a duty of care. While people deride risk assessments, they're important. Having a party and getting to watch your little darlings run round a field doesn't override safety. Some of you need to get a grip.

Really?

Our teachers haven't given is a parents evening this year ether, we don't actually know the teachers that are teaching our children because most are new and/or subs, we had no calls or work through the first school lockdown and limited school input in the second school lockdown and no phonecalls or live lessons. We also don't know the head he started a few months ago and we have no idea who he is. The school have made no effort for the children and it's really very upsetting. I can put up with me being disappointed if my kids are happy and getting the experience that they see others getting but they re seeing that their school isn't doing the same as others and it's upsetting for them. We are not going on holiday, going out and about, seeing lots or people or going to the sports or pub. We are a careful family but the kids are in school bubbles and are not having to distance so why not let them have this time to have fun and look after their mental health after the hell they have been through the last 18 months.

OP posts:
SaltAndVinegarSandwiches · 01/07/2021 09:33

Kids had two nights away at a local camp site with activities like camp fire building, football in the field. Usually they would have had a week at a PGL type place with abseiling etc. Actually according to year 6 parents they had just as much fun for a fraction of the price. They're also having an away day at a go ape type place an hour's drive from school and a cinema trip afterwards (parents have to pay obviously). They'll have leaver's assembly and goodbye party in the school fieldwhere they all dress up in crazy outfits and throw sweets for younger kids.

SaltAndVinegarSandwiches · 01/07/2021 09:34

I think it's wonderful our year 6 have these things but actually they're a bonus and I don't think it's the school's responsibilityto provide them. Instead of expending energy moaning to the school I'm not sure why parents aren't stepping up to organise stuff themselves.

GameSetMatch · 01/07/2021 09:35

My children aren’t in year six but I’ve seen from the letters they are going to the local inflated park (bouncy castle type thing)

Saisong · 01/07/2021 09:55

Almost nothing sadly, unless the school is planning something in the next few weeks and haven't told us? I think the main problem is being such a large school - 5 form entry, so approx 150 Y6 kids, numbers are just too big Sad

Residential was cancelled in Sept
No trips whatsoever
No concert/prize giving
No disco
Sports day - just a glorified PE lesson in their class bubbles, but they get to wear their house colours (no parents)
They have had a few 'Activity Fridays' - but they are whole school events not specific to Y6

They did get a leavers hoodie
And miraculously enough I suppose, they are getting a half day transition trip tomorrow to tour the outside of the big school and get to meet their form tutors (outside). Only the 4 main feeder primaries are getting this chance - each on a seperate day.

The most we have been able to do is invite the class to the park on last day for a game of rounders and ice cream.

motogogo · 01/07/2021 12:19

I know it won't make you feel any better, but these things are really new, my DD's didn't do anything like this amount 10 years ago, there was a residential (May) but only places for half the school so they didn't go and there was a leavers party in school hall, plus prize giving on last day and only parents of winners got to attend (I did because they won). Hoodies etc were for secondary school

ouchmyfeet · 01/07/2021 14:01

@WaltzForDebbie

No transition day to secondary school is the worst bit tbh. Especially as my child will have no friends in their new class and is quite stressed about that.
This is the only bit I'm really bothered about too. The rest would have been great but I was really hoping that next week's transition day would ease my child's anxiety about what's to come in September. It's going to be a long summer now.
crankysaurus · 01/07/2021 15:47

We've just had transition days cancelled. Pants.

CuckooCuckooClock · 01/07/2021 16:42

Parents at my dc school have organised something for year 6 leavers totally separate from school.
I am appalled that any parent would ask more of their child’s teachers after the year they’ve had. Teachers have been treated like shit.

Hesma · 01/07/2021 20:04

My daughter had PGL trip a couple of weeks ago. We have a leavers party at the end of term but it is off site, organised by parents at a cost of &15 per head

Attheendofthedaywhenallsaid · 01/07/2021 21:25

@sneakypetestolemywife you said your kids have been through hell for 18 months, what do you mean?

Attheendofthedaywhenallsaid · 01/07/2021 21:33

@Saisong Sounds lovely - a game of rounders and ice cream - they are very lucky children indeed.

Youdiditanyway · 01/07/2021 21:37

DS is year 6.

One of the parents organised leavers hoodies for £17.50 from a local print shop but DS was adamant he really didn’t want one so I didn’t bother getting him one.
They were the only class in school to have a class photo when the photographer came a couple of weeks back so I bought him one of those as a momento.
Apparently they give all year 6’s leavers T-shirt’s every year and they have a ‘graduation’ type ceremony where they throw hats and whatever else, usually parents would attend but we aren’t allowed. We also missed sports day but I wasn’t too fussed about that. DS isn’t keen on sports anyway and I’ve always found you spend about 90% of the time watching other people’s kids…
Their residential trip was cancelled so they’re going to Alton towers in a fortnight instead which should be nice. They’re also having a picnic together in a local park one day.
His secondary school transition day is still going ahead in a couple of weeks, the induction day next week was cancelled and replaced with a zoom meeting.

CantStandMeow · 01/07/2021 21:39

Residential was cancelled but day trip to do some activities replaced it
Disco went ahead
Leaver's hoodies bought and worn daily with all the rain!
Leaver's play has been moved to after restrictions lift (hopefully) or will be recorded
Loads of special activities, crafts, fire/den building etc
Transition day was cancelled but summer school seems to be going ahead.
All in all,they've had as near as damnit normal leaving experience.

wingsandstrings · 01/07/2021 21:44

residential was cancelled - which everyone was very sad about, but the school have made a real effort, putting on:

  • watersports
  • pizza hut
  • trip to the beach
  • bowling
  • sports morning and movie afternoon
  • disco
They have done their very best with the current restrictions.
Yubaba · 01/07/2021 21:50

Our school have been to PGL, they are putting on the end of year play with limited capacity, no end of year trip but they are having a BBQ and an icecream van on the last day. They also have leavers hoodie and a year book.
They are also doing sports day with parents, one year group at a time split over a week.

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