Prom

[EvilTwins]

If you teach secondary and your school has a prom, are teachers allowed a drink? I taught at a school for years and we always had the prom at a local hotel. It was usually on a Friday evening, and teachers were allowed to have a drink though obviously no one got drunk or drank to excess. This year (I stayed to teach yr 11 despite having left officially last summer so I still get whole staff emails) the new head has sent out an email saying that alcohol will not be served to staff and that he likens events like this to a School trip where staff are on duty to ensure the safety of students. Just wondering how other schools play this.

The prom is at night so relying on the good will of the staff?

I think it’s shocking that a Head thinks it’s ok to tell other adults what to do in their own time they’re giving up. Never mind whether you want to drink or not, I’d be proper miffed at that missive.

And on school trips abroad the teachers most certainly and understably enjoy wine with meals.

Being drunk is a problem, drinking is not.

Our Year 11 prom was always dry for everyone. I guess it was easier than expecting the bar staff to check id all evening. Year 13 prom wasn’t but staff were always warned to be responsible with their alcohol consumption!

We have a prom for y11. Staff enjoy a drink or 2.
The event relies on staff goodwill. Everyone uses common sense.

Personally, I drive to Y11 prom and don't drink, but get a lift to Year 13 prom and enjoy a few. For me, drinking in a room of 15/16 year olds feels a bit odd, but with 18 year old leavers it's actually really nice and the students often end up getting staff drinks in as thann yous. Obviously, we don't get drunk.

Y11 prom isn’t anywhere with a bar, Y13 some staff are officially on duty and the rest can drink.

We have a wine box stashed in the ktichens. Ours is at the school.

We don't have a Y11 prom. We have a Y13 graduation ceremony when teachers are served drinks, as are parents and Y13 students (ID not checked but all students are with their parents).

Year 11 is dry. Your new rules might have something to do with auditors saying absolutely no money to be spent on alcohol any more!

(Not that we are on regular piss ups but we did buy thank you bottles for some guests who come in and go over & above.)

Roseanne - alcohol was never provided free, it’s just that the prom was (still is) in a hotel and so staff were able to buy a drink at the bar. This is about control and lack of trust - clearly the head thinks staff can’t have a drink without getting hammered.

In the last senior School I worked in, there was speech day and then the year 13 leavers ball and parents were invited too. It was carnage but the kids were all over 18 and were their parents responsibility (couldn’t attend without them there IIRC) i think that there should always be a couple of sober members of staff (SLT can take one for the team on that score) but the rest of the staff should be able to enjoy themselves. The last one I went to, my absolute favourite year 13 class were leaving. We literally danced the night away with them and their parents, my DH was there and it was such a lovely evening. We had a riot!