When is Prom in the UK?

Prom is an important event for all students in the UK. Some people look forward to it for their entire secondary school career, while others dread it from the moment they hear you need to pay for tickets to this party. Either way it is a very important event in hardworking students’ school careers. Some children plan their prom day from the moment they set foot in secondary school. What about you? Have you ever thought about what kind of dress or suit you would want to wear? Who would you want to go with? Where would you want it to be? But most importantly, when is the famous school prom?

In the UK, prom is usually held in the months of June or July, at the end of the summer school term. It is usually held at the end of S6 in Scotland. In England, prom is most popular around the end of Year 11 and the end of Year 13. This is either when students have completed their GCSEs or completed their A-Levels.

If you are interested in finding out more about prom such as what it is and what people wear to it, keep reading this article to find out. Prom is an important part of secondary school for all students and is definitely something you should know and understand.

What year is prom in the UK?

At most secondary schools, prom is at the end or near the end of a student’s final school year. This can also be thought of as a farewell party for the school leavers.

Prom is usually hosted at this time of year to celebrate the end of the students’ exams as well as their secondary school careers. It is also a new beginning for most students as they will soon be starting university or will be starting a new job.

However, at many schools, pupils not only receive a prom at the end of their school career, but there are also relatively similar parties and events throughout their secondary school years. This includes discos, balls and fairs.

As well as prom most commonly being held at the end of your GCSEs in Year 11, there is sometimes a prom at the end of year 13 in sixth form colleges in the UK. You can find out more about Year 13 prom in this Think Student article.

What is prom?

Prom is a large party event which is hosted at the end of Year 11 in England, for the leaving secondary school students. The students are usually expected to wear formal clothes to attend this social gathering. For an overview of prom in the UK, have a look at this article from the British Council.

Prom is usually partly sponsored by the school. It is generally organised or contributed to by a student committee. Some proms have a theme and dress code. On the other hand, some school proms are less formal, where students can wear more casual outfits. Other schools pick a semi-formal option where some students can wear suits and formal dresses.

The party usually includes food and drinks. This is usually provided by professional catering. The music can range from a student’s Spotify playlist to a hired professional DJ. Proms are typically dance parties. The dancing aspect may either include slow dancing, freestyle dancing, or some variation of both.

There are many events which take place at prom, excluding the dance party itself. One of these activities includes taking group photos. Some proms arrange and hire a professional photographer to take care of this for students. At other proms, the prom committee will set up a photo booth where students will be able to take their own pictures.

To find out more about what to expect from your prom, click this link to visit a Think Student article.

How much are prom tickets?

Though at many schools, prom is a fun, free event that is paid for by the school, this is not the case everywhere. At many schools throughout the UK, there is a set price that students need to pay in order to attend this final formal school party.

The exact price that must be paid for prom tickets varies between schools. The cheapest and minimum that students will have to pay for a single ticket is usually around £5. However, such a cheap ticket is usually quite rare.

On the other hand, at some other schools in the UK, due to their prom being such an extravagant event, tickets can be priced up to £65.

The most common price for a prom ticket to be sold at is £20 to £30. The reason for this to be the most common price is taking into account all the services required for the prom but also the amount that students can actually afford.

The services that contribute to the prom include the DJ’s wage, the catering, the decorations, the venue rent, and many others. When added, all of these costs can make up quite a hefty sum, and so when divided evenly between all attending students, it usually falls to around £20 to £30 per person.

What do you wear to prom?

All proms usually have some type of dress code or theme. This could be black tie or winter wonderland… or both! At a typical prom, men will wear a formal black tuxedo. Along with this, they might either wear a bow tie or a normal tie. The colour of this tie is often meant to match the dress colour of their prom date.

Women will typically wear a formal dress to prom. There are many available styles open to them, including different kinds of colours, lengths, necklines and overall style.

However, as the world progresses, students are conforming less to gender stereotypes, meaning that women also have a choice of suits and men, dresses. Check out this BBC Bitesize article for more about the history and modern development of prom.

Where do proms usually take place?

Different schools and students arrange for their prom to take place at different locations. Some places decide to host this important event at the school itself.

On the other hand, some schools rent out either casual or fancy venues which they then decorate. Some of the cheaper and more casual options may include a local basketball court, or park with indoor areas. Some more expensive but exquisite venues may include a hotel ballroom or large restaurant seating areas.