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Original poster

End of Year 13 - how did your school mark the occasion?

46 replies

bendmeoverbackwards · 15/06/2021 11:28

Just wondering what other schools have done.

Dd finished Year 13 a few weeks ago, straight after finishing their assessments. There was nothing planned to mark the occasion - no leavers service, assembly, shirt signing etc. Nothing. They just finished their assessments and left.

I know it's difficult with the current restrictions but I've heard of other schools managing to do something, even if outside in the rain!

They were supposed to have a leavers service next week but dd has just heard it has been cancelled due to continuing restrictions and she and her year group are obviously very disappointed.

OP posts:
NotSorry · 15/06/2021 11:29

They had a leavers assembly on the last day - they were supposed to have an outside social event at the end of June but I'm guessing that's now not happening due to ongoing restrictions.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 15/06/2021 11:35

@NotSorry was the assembly inside or outside?

OP posts:
NotSorry · 15/06/2021 11:58

I think it was inside - it was at the end of half term on the last day

capercaillie · 15/06/2021 12:03

Ours had outdoor event with inflatables, ice cream etc. Also had a leavers assembly

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 15/06/2021 12:03

So I don't understand dd's school's decision to cancel their leavers event due to restrictions. As I understand it, both indoor and outdoor events have been allowed from 17th May onwards!

OP posts:
Oblomov21 · 15/06/2021 12:09

I think this is poor. Something. Something could have been arranged. I can't accept that absolutely nothing was done.

Unless the school was in the middle of Bolton and their rates were so bad.

NotSorry · 15/06/2021 12:13

I just asked him and he said it was inside but as they are a year group bubble they are allowed to mix

mumofthree22 · 15/06/2021 12:13

My son is finishing year 11 and they are having a end of year ball in a marquee outdoors still scheduled for the end of the month for the whole year as it's a year bubble with DJ, pizza vans, bar etc.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 15/06/2021 12:20

Wow some of these sound great! So I am right that our school has been rubbish about this? Sad

OP posts:
Oblomov21 · 15/06/2021 12:25

Yes.
Sad

LoonvanBoon · 15/06/2021 12:29

DTs' school had a leavers assembly done over zoom, while the students sat in separate tutor groups - widely seen as very lame indeed from what I've heard!

DH's school used the sports hall for a proper leavers assembly and had a barbecue on the field.

Genehuntsfanclub · 15/06/2021 12:37

We've just been informed by my daughter's school that the Year 11 leavers prom which was supposed to be next week has just been cancelled. I have to tell my daughter later.

MarchingFrogs · 15/06/2021 12:39

Ours had outdoor event with inflatables, ice cream etc. Also had a leavers assembly

Same here. The school actually put quite a lot of effort into making their last three days enjoyable, which DS2 really appreciated.

Bryonyshcmyony · 15/06/2021 12:40

Ours was supposed to be having a ball with a marquee etc. Haven't heard but presumably it's been cancelled now. I booked and paid for a campsite space for dd and her 5 mates so she's camping for a few days by a sunny beach and that will be her finishing school party!

KingscoteStaff · 15/06/2021 12:45

Last year DS and his cohort left on March 20th and never went back. No last day, no summer sport, no leavers’ events or prize giving or anything, really.

Followed by no interrailing and no gap year...

Ironoaks · 15/06/2021 14:20

Similar to the experience @KingscoteStaff describes.

DS was at home in the middle of household self-isolation in March 2020 (because I had symptoms) when he found out that Y13 had finished. A few weeks later he was invited to a remote "form time" to check in; he attended but said that only a few turned up.

The next time he went in to the school was to collect his A-level certificates 9 months later.

He found out the following spring that he had won three school prizes; the vouchers were sent to him in the post.

bimkom · 15/06/2021 14:37

We are supposed to be having a Leavers afternoon next Monday, so far nobody has mentioned cancelling, so I am assuming it is still going ahead. Not totally sure what is going to be involved.

Bryonyshcmyony · 15/06/2021 14:42

@KingscoteStaff

Last year DS and his cohort left on March 20th and never went back. No last day, no summer sport, no leavers’ events or prize giving or anything, really.

Followed by no interrailing and no gap year...

And no exams /endless endless assessments!
Middersweekly · 15/06/2021 15:48

DD1 Yr 13- had a very small Graduation ceremony with a few nibbles and some pizza ordered for them.
DD2 yr 11-nothing planned or organised at all by the school. She did her last exam on Friday. Saturday she went out with some friends in the evening time as a farewell to school.

KingscoteStaff · 15/06/2021 16:01

@Bryonyshcmyony SHEDLOADS of assessments, all done in lockdown, past papers done to time on line, all the time desperately worried that an algorithm would force their results to mirror a notoriously weak previous cohort.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 15/06/2021 16:12

Awful for last year's cohort, feel so sorry for them Sad

OP posts:
snoodle1 · 15/06/2021 16:14

My ds's school have a leaver's prom planned to take place on the school ground and have reserved a nightclub for them for after. They are expected to wear black tie, which my son is not pleased about! It's not a private school but a grammar. We had to pay for the ticket.

chopc · 16/06/2021 00:46

Is the event going ahead @snoodle1 ? My DC school NAS just informed they have cancelled the leavers ball. It's a single sex school and they were allowed to invite dates from outside. But I don't understand why it could t go ahead with just the students from school.

Apparently they will still maker their leaving with some events and they have already had a leavers service which was special.

DC has been in school most days even after he left either for music lessons, to play or watch sports or just for the heck of it as they were invited to do so by their housemaster. So I don't feel too terrible although it's not what I wanted for him

chopc · 16/06/2021 00:47

Don't know where NAS came from - wanted to write has

MarchingFrogs · 16/06/2021 08:04

I can't find the actual article(?guidance) again now where the question of proms, open evenings etc is discussed, but my memory is that open evenings probably
no, induction events possibly yes, proms possibly yes, but outdoor events, in bubbles and in groups of 30. No idea where I found that now, also not sure why it has to be groups of 30 when school sixth form bubbles can be 200ish, but perhaps I'm just misremembering the bubbles bit and the groups of 30 is to allow for an event consisting of multiple 'normal' outdoor groupings. Either that, or I just dreamt the whole thingHmm.

An actual nightclub event, even for the exclusive use of one 'client', sounds unlikely to be allowed, though.