AIBU to think School Prom for 11 yr old is getting out of hand??

Our youngest has just left primary school and had just had his prom - don’t believe everything you read in the papers. There will be some extreme examples (the ones that make the DM) but the majority tend to be more like leavers discos. You’ll get a handful of silly parents who go over the top but most don’t.

My year 6 GD had her leavers' assembly, but also, the evening before, the whole year went bowling (well, those who wanted to) and had a great time. I so agree about the inappropriateness of proms.

More money than sense.

Is it the parents with money or is it the type that likes to be seen to make a splash and will borrow up to the hilt to impress ther cronies?

Common sense and restraint seem to have flown out of the window.

Luckily 11-y-o DGS is having a leavers' assembly and not a silly prom. Knowing him, I don't think wild horses would drag him to a prom.

£400 fizzers that seems so wrong. There must be many parents who cannot afford anything like that amount of money. Time to call a halt I think but who will be brave enough to be the first.

Just a chance for some parents to encourage their children to show off.

Just another marketing opportunity which will gradually involve parents in more and more expense.

I feel schools should show no encouragement whatsoever for these sorts of events, which are likely to cause anxiety to parents who cannot afford such ridiculous extravagances.

we had the "Qualli" trip ,doon the watter on the Waverly ,the Qualli being what you folk down south would call the 11+ I believe and a wee dance in the school hall after it.I wore a knitted skirt and jumper suit with an edge to edge coat over it and my first pair of kitten heels .My aunt had a knitting machine and churned out clothes for all occassions .For the dance I wore a pink shirt dress with a white collar that I wore to death I loved it so much .My GD's are at a small village school so no proms there ,just a day out and a meal in an Italian restaurant owned by one of the parents .They had a great time ,much better than the kids in my street who had stretch limos and full faces of makeup..at 11

My GD finished primary school yesterday, thankfully no awful prom or any such nonsense. Just hugs, tears and farewells in the cloakroom.

all of these proms are getting out of hand, daughter just forked out nearly 400 pounds for my grandson, suit, shirt, tie, shoes, haircut, £40 ticket into the venue and taxi fares, I can imagine it will easily be double that for parents of girls.

Terrible for children and parents teachers should refuse to cooperate.

Interesting that there doesn’t seem to be anyone on here that thinks proms for 11 yr olds are a good thing. Thanks for the warm welcome to a novice poster ?

Like all these things they start out as a good idea then get totally out of hand. Another division between the haves and have nots. The schools should be brave enough to limit these excesses, lots of fun can be had without this total waste of money.

Another question to ask when you register your child with the school. Do your 11 yr olds have a school leaver's prom?

A Leaver's party sounds fun but what you describe
sounds obscene. What kind of strange messages are these poor kids getting. I didn't encourage or discourage my DD go to her final school prom which were just beginning to be a thing back in about 2005. She was not interested and neither were her friends so they didn't go.
YANBU Grandyma and welcome to Gransnet

A relative posted on FB a photo of her the vintage roller that she'd hired for him to go to his yr 6 prom in.
DD and I just laughed.
Wouldn't be surprised if she hires him a flippin' dinner jacket too. More money than sense.

Yes, I agree.
I did post on the other thread that I think the special assemblies for Y6 are a good idea and an end-of-year treat organised by parents is lovely too - but definitely not a prom - or anything like it.

They are all dreadful my granddaughter just had hers (at 16) she went in her mums car some girls arrived in a fire engines, Cadillacs, army jeeps , and one on the back of a Harley Davidson with an entourage of 50
It’s all horrendous and totally ridiculous She now been offered a Class book at £25
Even worse for 11 year olds what happen per to he end of term disco and don’t get me on toddlers it’s horrible

But at the primary school end of term disco there were little girls dressed in slip dresses, high heels and make-up , all applied by their mothers; they looked like Victorian child prostitutes.
It wasn't the affluent parents who promoted it; very little to do with haves and have-nots.

When my kid graduated from Grade 6, she certainly didn't get a prom! It's only in Grade 12 (end of secondary school; kids aged 17-18) that they have a formal grad party, and even then, horse-drawn carriages and limos aren't really standard.

I can’t express my scorn for such things enough. Poor little kids.

I can’t remember what, if anything, happened when my sons were at that stage. In my case, in 1951, definitely
nothing happened. We all were still excited that we were leaving the juniors and becoming seniors. No more than that was needed.

I think it will be another financial pressure on parents along with Christmas and everything else. It's a shame really because I remember year 6 leaving discos where the children had a wonderful time, dressed in clothes of their choice but without having to spend shed loads of money on unnecessary fripperies such as whatever mode of transport to arrive in to make a grand entrance, neither was evening wear, and it shouldn't be at such an age, still children imo. In fact if I remember rightly year 6s had a whole range of great activities in the last term, including a memorable residential week in the Isle of Wight. I know one of my boys would always pick that year as the best out of his entire school life.

Davidhs Another silly idea from across the pond ??‍♀️

I can’t really think of anything positive to say about these proms. Why can’t we let them just be children??

I live next door to a nursery school and last week they had their graduation ceremony, mortar boards and all for 4 yr olds.

Totally over the top