Year 6 end of school party cost

[yearsixparty]

£40 a ticket. The PTA, who do a grand job, have organised this.
There’s pizza, ice cream, fizzy pop, crisps and sweets, and a fairy cake to take home. Disco, games, photo opportunities. It’s in a hut in not quite the middle of nowhere but certainly not the most obvious choice and not the easiest place to get to.

AIBU in thinking £40 is a bit steep for what sounds like a standard birthday party type set up?

We are up north so not paying London prices or similar.

YANBU £40 is a bit steep
YABU £40 is about right

The post I replied to specifically suggested OP see if she could get things cheaper or free herself. I'm referring to that.

It sounds expensive for what it is

When I did PTA stuff we would subsidise individuals who would be able to go otherwise. It does seem more like a private party with the costs being pushed on to the guests than a school event.

If it’s a pizza each (delivered), it will be more than £10, surely?

I’ll catch up later but just to add that leavers hoodies are separate to this and cost £25.

Crikey..far too much..I''m also assuming that's per child..any twins or triplets?

Someone commented that it could be £4 each for a cupcake and £10 each for a pizza.thats adult prices surely? Am 11 year old surely doesn’t consume a full takeaway pizza coupled with snacks and cakes? 🤮 I wouldn’t pay £4 for a cupcake unless I was at an artisan market!

I’m convinced this is a ‘my friend is catering’ or ‘any profit goes to the next event etc. there’s some shady people.

Another WhatsApp message last night to say someone is compiling a year book and that’s another £10.

I'm slightly baffled by this trend that turns leaving primary school into such a huge thing. If school are doing a celebration then why do more?
If a child has stretch limos and proms at 11, what makes the 16-year-olds prom special? It feels like everything has to get bigger and better and more expensive all the time and I'm not sure that's particularly healthy.
Back to the post, though... £40 will exclude many families and that feels very unfair unless the PTA are prepared to subsidise those who can't afford the event.

So these people are expecting the class to spend:

£1200 for a party and £300 on photo books...

They seem very out of touch.

Don’t bother buying them! They end up in a box then shoved into the loft in a box and then chucked out years later

waste of £ for the hoodie too! Worn once! Not exactly going to want to wear it after that are they! For a school they no longer go to

I’ve never understood why the leavers hoodies aren’t just part of their uniform for the whole of year 6. Then for the whole of year 11 at high school. Ds rarely wears his jumper throughout the year because school is too hot so I doubt he’ll wear his hoodie except on the way to school. He can’t wait to leave it and the bullies so he’s not going to want to wear it once he’s finished there.

The year books are a new thing. I’ve had 3dc at the school and the older two didn’t have a year book and there was no party except for the school organised one.

I was saying to my mum exactly the same as pp that giving them graduation certificates, proms, limos, mortar board hats and the full shebang at age 11 makes the specialness of high school prom and then uni graduation less of a big thing to celebrate. My friend lived in China and his child had full cap and gown and certificate with a big ceremony for leaving nursery at age 3. Nursery ffs! Nobody graduates primary school. It’s not an achievement as such it’s just a milestone of their childhood. I’m all for a party and a celebration but this is too far. I don’t want my bullied child to be the odd one out so I’ll pay out so he doesn’t stick out and miss out.

I hope it’s the best party ever and I hope the year book is amazing.

I totally agree. We complain that parenting is becoming harder and harder and this is part of the problem. It’s become a competition and everything has to be bigger and better than the last event. It then makes the things that used to be exciting (and are relatively cheap) look lacklustre. I think it’s adding to Mums’ pressure as well, we need to work because of the economy and also need / want to stay fit and healthy and look a certain way because of societal expectations, all whilst doing the childcare and home making which used to be easier and all that was expected of us. Where will it end?

£40 seems steep to me. Our year 6 party last year was around £15 for a ticket and that included a hotdog, soft drinks, and an ice cream as well as a disco, photo booth & games. Oh, and a party bag. The venue was the school though so no hire cost involved there. I think most parents would have refused £40 per head tbh (we’re also probably classed as a middle class area).

It certainly is! We had an event on the afternoon of the last day, 2-5, at a nearby social club with lots of green space. School hired a bus to take the kids and staff. Parents could go at 4 for the last hour. There were games and races, face painting, teachers doing silly activities, lots of photos at the end. Sandwiches and cake etc and they all had a great time. I think it was £5, 7 years ago, probably subsidised by the PTA fund.

I get it sounds costly but if it was me I’d just suck it up, make cuts elsewhere to ensure my kid could go and not feel left out. Of course you have the option not to let your child attend don’t you so you’d save yourself 40 quid there.

I must say, I loved the yearbooks