Covid-19: School proms hit by continuing lockdown restrictions

Jorja was delighted to get her prom dress but devastated when her school cancelled the event this year

School proms have become a rite of passage for millions of teenagers but Covid restrictions have forced many to be postponed or even cancelled altogether. What does this mean for pupils, parents and the businesses that have come to rely on this annual summer money-spinner?

'We didn't get that final goodbye'

Jorja, 15, was all prepared for her post-GCSE prom this year.

Excited after Soham Village College in Cambridgeshire told students three months ago that the event would be going ahead on 16 July, her mum had even booked a truck for her big arrival.

Hair and nail appointments were booked, and the most important thing - the dress - was ordered, it arrived - and it was "perfect".

"It's now gathering dust in its bag," her mother, Gabrielle, says.

But the day after Boris Johnson announced all remaining Covid restrictions would not be lifted on 21 June, as had been hoped, parents received an email saying the prom was cancelled.

"Flat-out cancelled - no postponement - nothing. It made us mad, not just myself but all of the parents.

"We are just disgusted. Most of the other schools have moved the date but ours has just cancelled it. We've decided we're going to put our own prom on for the kids."

She says about 200 teenagers would have been expected at the party.

Jorja is now resigned to the fact it is not going ahead, but the realisation that her prom dreams had been shattered hit hard.

Jorja plans to collect her GCSE results in her prom dress

"I've watched older cousins go to prom and seen their big elaborate dresses," she says.

"When I was younger I wanted a fairytale carriage, but now? I wanted that truck."

The hardest part is not having a proper send-off with her school friends, she says.

"We didn't get that final goodbye. Prom is like having that - but we're not getting it."

But her prom dress - which she is "in love with" - may yet see an outing.

"We're all determined that when we go to back to school to pick up our GCSE results, we're going to wear our prom outfits," says Jorja.

Her mother and other parents are raising funds to put on their own event for the students.

Soham Village College declined to comment.

Proms and the UK

School proms are a popular American import

• The prom (short for promenade) has long been popular in the United States, where its popularity spread from the north-eastern colleges

• During the 1920s US high schools began hosting proms for their students

• The school prom began to take hold in the UK at about the start of the new Millennium

• The British Council estimates at least 85% of schools in the UK now hold proms for their GCSE students

'Such a huge thing in any young person's life'

Kim Burr says proms are a "huge thing" for pupils

"I've had lots of cancellations of appointments," says Kim Burr, who runs Burr Bridal in Cambridge, "and lots of cancellations of the alterations that we were going to go ahead with.

"Luckily some of the mums and dads have said they are going to go ahead and do something personally, which I think is lovely because it is such a huge thing in any young person's life.

"It is a huge part of my business and it is a nice part and we love doing it because it is seasonal.

"So usually by July, when it is all over, we are buying again for the next year."

Fiona Drake runs a dress shop and beauty business

Fiona Drake, who runs Cinderella Ball Gowns and Beauty in nearby Histon, has had a similar experience.

"We had hundreds of dresses sitting in our store - with no events to go to," she says.

Remembering the pre-prom excitement of early 2020 - before the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK with its full force - her shop was full of girls ordering dresses for their summer leaving parties, she says.

"We put the dresses on order, paid for them, and then no-one wanted them.

"It was a bit of a nightmare for us, really."

This year, however, she says she was excited to hear proms were starting up again, before the delay to lifting lockdown was announced.

While most proms have been rescheduled, she says, some have been cancelled.

"It's really sad - the girls have been dreaming about this all of their school life and then they don't get to experience their prom, which is so sad," she says.

Government grants have been "an absolute godsend" for her business, she says.

"Without that we probably would have gone under."

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'It's absolutely decimated the business'

Paul Clark says school proms are "a massive deal" for his limo business

Paul Clark owns Starlite Limos near Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

"When Boris gave us the roadmap out, business started to pick up again," he says.

"The phones started ringing - they'd not been ringing at all before that - and the work was coming in."

On one day this week, Mr Clark had three cancellations

The decision to delay the end of lockdown "has absolutely decimated the business again and thrown it all into turmoil", he says.

"Schools have cancelled proms, where parents have booked all the cars, bought all the dresses - and the phones went mad with people cancelling bookings.

On one day this week, he had three cancellations. "That's over £2,000. That's gone," he says.

The loss of another month's work means "a very hard year ahead" for the business.

"School proms to us are a massive deal because it's a big influx of work which helps build up a pot of money for the winter months, when we still have the overheads," he says.

"A couple of little grants" have helped, he says, "but the business rates, rent and insurance still had to be paid, and that was about £1,200 a month and we had no income, so we just literally had to dig deep.

"We're just doing what we can, but it's a massive blow to the business again this year - just a massive blow."

'More chance to look for my dress'

(from left) Asmaa, Tom and Bethan are all looking forward to celebrating with school friends at this year's prom

Not all schools have cancelled.

At Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon, this year's prom is going ahead.

Pupils say the decision has boosted morale.

"I am definitely looking forward to it," says Tom. "I really wanted to get out and be with my mates again.

"We felt so privileged that other schools had cancelled because of the Indian variant and a sense of relief that there was a date set and that were going to be able to celebrate our time at Hinchingbrooke."

Bethan says: "I think it is so important. Everybody is talking about it in their free time.

"The feeling was relief. I didn't have to send the dress back and it boosted morale. It is something to aim for now."

Now in year 12, Asmaa had her prom cancelled last year. She is now looking forward to this year's event.

"I think for all of us we've been thinking of the possibility of all of us being together," she says.

"When we heard the summer ball was back on I think we were all really excited and I'm looking forward to how we can all celebrate together.

"Ever since year seven we've all been together and we didn't have the chance to finally say goodbye and be together and celebrate after however many years of education.

"I was happy to have more chance to look for my dress.

"It will be nice to have a day to let it all go and celebrate."