My daughter and two of her friends want to book a holiday for after their GCSEs in the summer, to celebrate leaving school.  I'm not keen on a chalet type holiday as I would worry too much , but am sure they would be OK in a cottage somewhere - only trouble is I think everywhere will say they are too young.  Has anyone ever organised anything like this - anyone got any ideas???  They fancy going to the Isle of Wight, but don't suppose they will be too fussy! We also have the added problem of one of the mums not being keen, but can worry about that later!

I'd really welcome any ideas please!

My daughter and her friends wanted to do the same, unfortunately everywhere they tried wouldn't take groups of teenagers :(

They even tried booking to go camping, but had the same response.   She finishes her A levels this year, so they are all planning on going abroad.

Both of my eldest two did the Newquay experience post GCSE.  All seemed to end well and they got back safely.  In the intervening years, I've heard horror stories of their week that made my toes curl!! 

It's a right of passage, they'll survive!

Where did they go in Newquay?

Sophie and a few of her friends are going to Euro Disney after their GCSE's ...we were quite stressed about it at first but they are all good girls who just want a few days away. Oldest son Luke (30) has said that he and his girlfriend will accompany them so that has eased our minds a bit :)

I'm horrified when I hear stories of the costs of the now-fashionable "School proms"!   One of the people I work with has a daughter who will leave in the summer, and her school is having a School Prom.

Last week, one of the Bridal wear shops opened in the evening, so that the girls from this particular school could go and chose their dresses.   Now whilst I think it is lovely that they have an opportunity to dress up for an evening I think that the costs quoted are absolutely horrendous - this person says that the dresses (which they have to buy) started at £80 and the "norm" was nearer £150

And of course, that's not all - there is the obligatory "stretch limo" - costing another £50+ per person - and that is before they start talking about shoes/bags/tiaras (yes .....tiaras:rolleyes:) !

I sigh nostalgically for the end of school discos attended by my mob - picked up by mum/dad in the family taxi - or for my school dances - "court shoes and discreet makeup will be allowed" :)

I should add, we are talking about 16 year olds here, too, not 18 yos!

Margot

> and that is before they start talking about shoes/bags/tiaras (yes .....tiaras) !

Don't forget the hairdo and the manicure, Margot :D :( :(

We were lucky - our school didn't do discos. We certainly didn't go on any leaving school celebrations - we just couldn't afford it AND we went to a very middle-class school and were 18 year olds. How do 16 year olds afford to go on a holiday ????

Daisy xxx

One of Sophies friends is 16 this weekend and as a treat is having a *cocktail party* ....so they have all bought dresses and most of them have gone for long as the dresses will also do for the end of year 11 prom that they will have at the school :)

This is Sophies dress Here Ebay can be a fab place :D Oh and the black and pink goes with her Emo look lol

HI Margot- My neice had a leaving prom at the end of Primary school, P7 here. This was about 3 yrs ago & the dresses were @ £120 then!

I don't think that anywhere will rent to under 18s. Personally, I think that 16 is too young - by themselves they may be well adjusted young ladies, but together ................ :D Waiting until 18 can't be too bad :)

Daisy

well adjusted young ladies :D :D

:D :D :D :D Didn't say that I was one though :D :D

Daisy

Yes :rolleyes: :D :D

I went on a trip to Newquay We had a fantastic time :D

I did however have my head screwed on and so did my friends ;)

I did learn a few things though :D

Lucy
xx

I think Newquay's a definite no-no then!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan so long as you keep the communication up she will be fine ;0

I was and Flo my daughter are quite ok ;)

Lucy
xx

TK Maxx have started stocking up their ball gowns for the proms.  They are usually very reasonably priced.  My son's prom was last year and we ended up buying a suit. You can hire them, Burtons do good deals for the teens. As it turned out we left it a bit late which coincided with a Moss Bros sale.  Son and his friends (14 lads total) hired a stretch. I have to say they looked absolutely gorgeous

Daisy, they can afford to go on holiday by having Saturday jobs and saving hard - I certainly can't afford to pay for them!!

Thanks all of you - if anyone has names of anywhere that will take them though please let me know!

Best wishes

My daughter has struggled to get a Saturday job as most places ( Supermarkets and DIY stores) won't take them until they've finished their GCSEs.
I've just had to give her £32.50 to pay for the meal and hire of a hotel for her school prom. Most of the kids are staying over at £122.00 a roomThen theres all the rest to pay for, dress, limo etc but it seems the norm these days. I'm a single parent so its a real struggle.
I just hope she doesn't suggest a holiday as well! It will be a definate no.   

My girls didn't go in limos.  They were escorted by a boy in their year who collected them in a taxi.  My son went in a limo but he paid for that himself.  I most certainly would not pay for them staying in a hotel room.  They are 16 after all and no matter how well behaved your child is you can't vouch for the rest of them and the behaviour of all of them once in a group.  I think on occasions like these when you put your foot down and say no, your child might thank you because they don't want to be put in a position that they know they might not handle very well.  I know this is the case with one of my girls, the naughty one, in fact.

We paid for their clothes and the prom ticket and that was all.

Thats a great idea about the boys collecting the girls in a taxi Cheryl, I will suggest it.

My daughter won't be staying over in the hotel. I've told her she can if she can pay for it herself (Knowing full well she can't)

I did the taxi driving for my daughter and all her friends. She bought a dress from TKMax for £20 which she paid for from her wages as a Saturday girl in a supermarket. The whole sixth form did some fund raising in the school - selling cakes and biscuits etc - and the rest of the venue hire fee was paid for by the students themselves. My daughter paid her money in weekly to the school ( they also had to fund the cost of two bouncers as the golf club they hired wouldn't take a group of 18 year olds without the bouncers being present).

If they wanted to buy alcohol they had to make sure they had identification with them and were only allowed to buy a maximum of four alcoholic drinks. They had to decide in advance what they were going to drink for the night, pay for all four drinks and were given a token which they could then exchange for a pre-ordered drink - no token meant no drink. If they didn't use up their drink allowance they were refunded the cost of their drink at the end of the evening in exchange for their unused tokens.

In my day we didn't have anything other than a goodbye assembly at school but with so many american tv shows hitting our screens the youngsters of today now seem to see it as a necessary part of their school/social life.

I left school about 14 years ago, we had a leavers "ball" in the school hall, not sure where the dinner was prepared but we were waited on by the year below, some people really went to town on the dresses but really seeing as it was just a glorified disco most of us just wore summer dresses - no limo, I think we all walked there :p

I have a 'holiday home' on a holiday park - not suggesting they go there its not glamorous enough I'm sure - BUT - they do get groups of teenagers staying there - they hire out 'luxury 8 berth holiday homes' (static caravans to me!) - and the way they get round it is that Mum or Dad goes and books them in and then disappears .........   Boys tend to get so drunk in the afternoon by the early evening they are asleep on the beach and no trouble at all - tend to rally again around 11.  The girls tend to spend so much time checking their outfits and make up and daft accessories - hats/sashes etc - they only have time to get merry and silly.............

hope they find something - I went on my first girls holiday at 17 - to Cyprus it was fantastic,

Maxine

How about a PGL activity holiday?  My 15 year old son has been on them.
There is one on the Isle of Wight. They are un-escorted for under 18's.

My son/Paul will be going on a cruise with us the day after his prom night.
Paul chose the mediteranean from the options we suggested.

Time I went to bed ! 

Pam

Thanks for your replies everyone!  I've found somewhere that will take them as long as the booking is in my name, so she's very happy!

Thanks for the PGL idea Pam - loved that one but just too expensive.

Best wishes

Jan

I left school at 15yrs old many years ago and went to work at BHS,i knew a girl from school who worked with me there and was same age,we went on holiday at 16 yrs old to warners holiday camp on hailing island.