School discos are a brilliant way to mark the end of term and make some memories. Whether it’s to congratulate them on some super SATs results, or just celebrate the end of another fantastic school year, children will love getting together with their friend and showing off their dance moves! We’ve got some top tips for planning your next school disco.
Timing is everything
Depending on which age group your disco is for will decide the time you choose to hold it. If it is year 6 leavers, then an early evening disco is perfect, maybe finishing a little later than normal bedtime to make it a special occasion. For younger year groups, consider holding your disco right after school before anyone gets too tired to party! End of term discos for the whole school may need to be staggered in order that the school hall doesn’t become too crowded. Splitting children into their key stage groups works well as it means you can tailor your disco to the specific age range of your children, but if your school is big you may need to split into small groups and hold your disco over two nights.
Volunteers
Make sure you recruit plenty of volunteers for your school disco. You’ll need people to help with toilet breaks, refreshments, any changeover periods, as well as supervising in the hall. Teachers and teaching assistants are a good place to start, they know the children well and often enjoy the disco as much as the kids do! When advertising the disco, pop a note on the bottom asking for any additional parent helpers. Be sure to check with your school about DBS requirements and adult to child ratios to ensure everyone is adequately supervised.
Prepping your venue
The great thing about school discos is that you have a venue at your disposal in the shape of your school hall! To get the most out of your disco, make sure your hall can be made really dark. Lots of school halls have curtains to cut out the light, if yours doesn’t, see if you can borrow or hire some. Failing that, covering the windows with black sugar paper is a brilliant quick fix and means your disco lights will look much brighter. Check with your DJ how much time they will need to set up beforehand and make sure some of your volunteers are available to help with setting up before the disco starts.
Pick a theme
Picking a theme for your school disco isn’t a must, kids will find that simply getting their glad-rags on and dancing with their friends will be great fun. However, having a theme gives that extra special feeling to any party. You could choose something the whole school will love, such as a neon theme, or a summer holiday theme (think Hawaiian shirts and shades!). Fancy dress discos work well with children of all ages and you could hand out prizes for the best dressed. If you’re throwing a leavers disco, having a theme can make it a really memorable night. How about a Hollywood theme with a red carpet? Or a throw-back theme, perhaps to the year they started school. Recreate some newspaper articles from that year to enlarge and use as decorations in the hall alongside more personal ones with pictures of school trips and important moments from their time at school.
Food and Drink
It is a good idea to have some refreshments on offer at your school disco- dancing is thirsty work! The timing of your disco will depend on what food you have on offer. A simple snack such as sweets or crisps is quick and simple to organise. Some schools offer burger or pizza and chips, or traditional party food, especially if the disco is over dinner time, but this will depend on the facilities available to you and the number of volunteers.
Making it extra special
End of school year discos are often the last time children will be together for several weeks. And for school leavers, it might a final goodbye before they all head off to different secondary schools. With that in mind, making your school disco extra special becomes even more important. Add the WOW factor with extras like candyfloss or popcorn machines. Or hand out accessories such as glow sticks, balloons or wristbands on entry as a little memento to take home. For leavers, how about giving them a final photo opportunity with their friends. A photo booth or even a special selfie area will give them the chance to take photos with their friends to remember the night.