Tips to run a successful Primary School Prom

Due to Covid, the importance of a Year 6 prom has massively increased. With so much school having been missed in the last 12 months, a final send-off from primary school will be welcomed by pupils (and lockdown restrictions should hopefully be over when most proms are scheduled).

The move to secondary school is an important milestone in the lives of children – and their parents – and a party is a great way to celebrate this.

Primary school proms tend to be a bit more informal than Year 11 proms. Just think of it as an end-of-year school disco with a little more emotion!

Remember, the prom should be what the children want, not the parents (within reason). Here are a few tips to run a successful – and fun – primary school prom.

Dress code

Don’t make it too formal. Neither children or parents, for different reasons, will thank you for this!

Typical dress for boys tends to be shorts and a polo shirt. Girls tend to get dressed up a bit more, often in party dresses.

Music

There are two options here:

• Hire a DJ
• Run a playlist from Spotify

If hiring a DJ, make sure he/she has experience of kids parties and run the details past a few pupils. Many wedding DJs don’t have the current songs and children will not want to dance to Come on Eileen or Dancing Queen.

Whichever route you go down make sure you ask the children what their favourite music is and have this on the playlist, or tell the DJ. Remember this isn’t about you; it’s the children’s night!

Food and drink

Few children will be interested in the food and it’s probably best (and easiest) to have just some light snacks and nibbles. The food will not be the most healthy, but remember this is a party so it’s ok to let them enjoy!

Remember to cater for vegetarians as well as for those kids with food allergies.

And make sure you have an unlimited supply of water, squash or other soft drinks as well.

Photography

Leaving primary school is an important milestone in a child’s life. What better way to capture this than by taking professional photos. Remember, these will work in the moment, and also in years to come when they are re-discovered in the shoe box at the bottom of the wardrobe! Smart Pics UK Event Photography offer a range of services including pop-up photo-booths and professional headshots.

And, make sure there is a group photo taken at the end; this will be a great memento in years to come.

Decoration

Balloons are the obvious choice. A balloon arch at the entrance or as a backdrop for selfies is always a good idea. Combine this with balloons on tables for greater effect.

Many online printers can supply banners at a good price if your budget stretches to this.

Parents

Keep them out! The prom isn’t about them, it’s about their children and their friendship groups. At a push, allow them in for 10 minutes before the end.

That said, the organiser parents will have to be in attendance to keep an eye on what is happening!

Ticket price

You won’t be thanked if the ticket price is high all due to booking the most expensive venue, entertainment etc.

Be conscious that the coronavirus pandemic will have affected families in different ways. Some will be financially better off, whilst others may have suffered redundancy or had an income cut due to furlough. Keep this in mind when deciding the ticket price.

Don’t book the most expensive venue or entertainment; keep the cost affordable so all the children can attend. If possible, see if it’s possible to give some tickets free of charge to children whose families are struggling. It would be a great shame if a child misses out because of finances.

In summary…

Within reason, be led by the children and what they want. The primary school prom is a very important day in their lives and is all about them creating special memories.