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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Higher education

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:

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snoodle1 · 16/06/2021 08:42

Yes it was originally meant to be plus one but now it's just them but still going ahead.

chopc · 16/06/2021 08:54

I asked DC school and was told that the company doing the event wouldn't legally be able to do it for an event with 200 people and no social distancing .....

TBH I think I am more bothered about the cancellation than DC so ......

motogogo · 16/06/2021 08:55

Went for cocktails as a family

mumofthree22 · 18/06/2021 09:27

We've just had confirmation that the leavers ball next weekend is still going ahead for around 200 kids and has been given permission from the LA and local police after reviewing all the covid precautions. DC are really happy. I think a lot depends on the school and how hard the organisers push for the events to go ahead and put the additional admin in that's required. It will be held in an outdoor building in the field with pizza vans, DJ etc.

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/06/2021 09:29

@mumofthree22

We've just had confirmation that the leavers ball next weekend is still going ahead for around 200 kids and has been given permission from the LA and local police after reviewing all the covid precautions. DC are really happy. I think a lot depends on the school and how hard the organisers push for the events to go ahead and put the additional admin in that's required. It will be held in an outdoor building in the field with pizza vans, DJ etc.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 18/06/2021 09:36

It really depends on the school and the current situation. We had nothing as year 13 as a whole year group had to isolate before half term due to the number of positive cases, and had also done so at the end of April. We had them back for a week after half term but that just became 2 days due to another student waking up on the Tuesday with symptoms and subsequently testing positive -we had to shut them down. Same happened for year 11; we did manage an assembly but only because we brought them back at the start of this week for it, again because we had so many out isolating before half term and some still isolating over half term itself (someone threw a party and more positives popped up....)

Our proms are cancelled as we have nowhere to go, plus we are now not allowed them anyway.

It is shit, it is really shit. At the moment though we still don't have all of our staff fully vaccinated (they've been jabbed in the surge vaccination but not 3 weeks after it yet), we have staff on long term sick and staff isolating. We are really trying to not shut the school due to staffing, which is happening to schools around us. Thankfully, the numbers of students isolating means we haven't had to yet and we can redeploy our staff actually in.

We are hoping for post results day events; better weather, hopefully less cases.

chopc · 18/06/2021 09:47

Are you in one of the areas where there are high rates of Covid infection?

Bryonyshcmyony · 18/06/2021 10:16

@chopc

Are you in one of the areas where there are high rates of Covid infection?

Yes I'd be interested to know this. We aren't and everything cancelled here.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 18/06/2021 11:41

I am in Manchester. The same is now happening across the North West at schools of friends and my DPs school in Bolton.

bendmeoverbackwards · 18/06/2021 12:15

I've emailed the school for clarification. They have said that according to Covid restrictions, outdoor events are allowed as long as bubbles are kept separate and they cannot see a practical way of ensuring the bubbles don't mix. Lots of hugging etc going on.

How are other schools overcoming this?

Apparently Sports Days are allowed but they are keeping each form group bubble separate and they will be supervised by staff to ensure no mixing.

School is South Herts where apparently Covid rates have been increasing

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mumofthree22 · 18/06/2021 12:25

We just have year bubbles (around 140 kids) not class bubbles so our event is going ahead. It's taking place in a barn with an open side so classed as an outdoor event. Rates are low here so maybe that makes a difference - haven't had any covid cases at school since before Easter.

chopc · 18/06/2021 15:15

@mumofthree22 you are lucky not to have any Covid cases since April. Wouldn't it follow that is anyone in a bubble of 140 tests positive , all 140 would need to isolate? Or do bubbles work differently to close contacts?

I have lost track

Notagardener · 19/06/2021 07:06

They are having a BBQ at school

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 19/06/2021 07:12

I work at a school. School hired a marquee for the week before half term and each year group had an assembly. Year 11 and Year 13 had a special breakfast laid on and then shirt/leaver's book signing on the field after the assembly. It wasn't quite a prom but it was better than nothing, which is what my DD got last year (not school's fault obv).

bendmeoverbackwards · 19/06/2021 14:31

@mynameisnotmichaelcaine how did they do this within the restrictions if bubbles are not allowed to mix?

OP posts:

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 20/06/2021 08:02

Sorry that's worded confusingly - they were separate assemblies.

pourmeanotherglass · 20/06/2021 08:22

DD had a garden party event booked for next week, which has been delayed to july 20th.

pourmeanotherglass · 20/06/2021 08:24

Our sixth form has no outside space of its own, so they have to use a public space. I guess schools with their own space have more options.

vjg13 · 24/06/2021 17:01

Nothing at my daughter's school, year 13, they finished the exams at the start of May and that was it!

Decorhate · 24/06/2021 17:39

I was thinking recently about how much more of a fuss is made in other countries - eg high school graduations in the US & in Sweden parents turn up with balloons & flowers & the kids are driven around town on the back of trucks.

Seems like it’s often an anticlimax here.

sashagabadon · 24/06/2021 17:41

My daughters school have done a fair bit, year book, leavers hoody, leavers brunch ( outside and it rained but thought was there) plus a prom on 21st July, pushed back from 3rd July due to lockdown.
I am and she is happy with the effort they have made

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