Buying a gift for leaving high school?

[VoteForPedro]

I’m not sure what the done thing is? DS is in his last year of school and will then be off to uni later this year. I was planning on getting him a laptop when he starts uni so not til around September. I also want to pay for some of his driving lessons that he’s hoping to do this summer as his 18th birthday present.

I heard of others talking about getting a gift for finishing school but I don’t know if that’s a thing? I usually get a little gift on exam results day too to mark the effort put in so it all seems a bit much to get a gift too for finishing school?? But it’s also quite a big milestone!

Any thoughts??

It’s not a thing.

Not something we did. A congratulations on your exam results token gift.

We bought DS a silver chain when he went off to Uni. He bought his own laptop with some inheritance that he got - he wanted a fancier one than we would have bought!

I've never heard of it either.
As you say by the time you have done prom in y11 possibly, exam results, driving, items for uni, that is quite a lot of potential stuff.

My dd went out with her friends on results day. It was their day to celebrate, maybe you could give him some money to spend on a day out.

I think of the last day of school as GCSE year rather than A levels. I’m not sure why though!

Round here in Hants y11 is end of school as we have colleges for both A levels and vocational courses alike. state schools with a very few exceptions don't have 6th forms.

DD finishes 6th form this year. Her 18th birthday is just after A levels results. We aren't planning on getting her a specific 'finishing school' present. She is having driving lessons from us (and insurance on my car), she will gave an 18th present, she will have stuff she needs for uni bought for her and she will have financial support from us through uni. I don't feel she is hard done by not having a present for finishing school. I am quite pleased college doesn't have another prom - if she had stayed in her high school for A Levels they would have done.