Year 6 Leavers' Ideas: The Best Ways to Say Goodbye

As the end of the school year approaches, another cohort prepares to leave primary school and embark on the next big phase of their education.

Year 6 students will experience many emotions when they close the current chapter of their education story; after all, most have probably been at the same school for seven years! They will undoubtedly feel deep affection for their primary school as both a familiar place and a safe space, which will always hold memories of happy experiences and close friends.

Preparing to transition to secondary school is a big moment for many students, both daunting and exciting in equal measure, and it deserves to be marked like any special occasion. But, before they go, it’s important that they get the chance to say a proper thank you and farewell to the school that has seen so many of their ‘firsts’ in life.

So, how can teachers make their leavers’ last days at primary school extra special? We’ve put together some brilliant Year 6 leavers’ ideas to make their departure unforgettable.

Year 6 Leavers’ Party Ideas

1. Themed Year 6 Leavers’ Party

Everyone loves a function with a theme! Add some magic to an end-of-year leaver party with a fun dress code, such as a circus or Hawaiian theme. Whether you splash out and hire a venue or spruce up the school hall, your Year 6 leavers will be delighted to bid goodbye to primary school amid glitter and face paint. For a Year 6 leavers’ disco party, you will need:

Decorations
Games
Music
Lights
Tableware
Themed food

2. Beach Party

We all know that summer belongs to the beach, and what better way to treat everyone than with some fresh air and a good old-fashioned day at the seaside? To keep students entertained on the coach, why not sing along to some of our leavers’ songs to celebrate their achievements? Don’t forget to rope in some parents to chaperone fish and chips!

If your budget won’t stretch to a day out, not to worry! You can always bring the seaside to the school. Get everyone dressed up in their best beachwear and play some jaunty tunes over loudspeakers as the Year 6 leavers arrive. It’s a cheerful way to transform your school and transport everyone far from the world of lessons and exams. You will need:

Paddling pools
Water sprinklers
Inflatables
Small cardboard boxes for an authentic fish and chips experience
Ice cream van

Year 6 leavers sit together at the beach.

3. Trampoline Party

A few hours at a local trampoline park is guaranteed to let Year 6 leavers release any excitable or nervous energy that might have built up during the last few weeks of term. Plus, there aren’t many better ways to celebrate the end of the school year than by literally jumping for joy with all their friends! Follow up with a small speech from each Year 6 teacher.

4. Leavers’ Movie Night

There’s something about nighttime that gives school events an extra special feel for students, and who doesn’t enjoy an evening at the cinema? Welcome Year 6 leavers and their parents to watch a family film and maybe even chow down on some tasty barbecue. You will need:

Projector
Screen or large white sheet
Seats
Popcorn
Soft drinks

Year 6 leavers and their families gather around an outdoor screen.

5. Leavers’ Awards Ceremony

This is a classic. Celebrate Year 6 leavers individually with personalised awards for finishing primary school and maybe a certificate of excellence in light-hearted categories like ‘the messiest desk’ or ‘the most chatty in class’. While the ceremony takes place, it would be an extra nice touch to play a slideshow of photos taken from the children’s time at the school.

Year 6 Leavers’ Activities

1. Water Fight

Since summer days are hot and Year 6 leavers are full of energy, it might be a good idea to let everyone cool off with a water fight! Give them half an hour to have fun and let off steam. They would probably be delighted if teachers got involved, too; whether you’re getting soaked or revealing your own sneaky water guns, this is a happy way to end the school year.

2. Art Project

An end-of-year art project keeps children’s creative juices flowing and gets them to reflect on their school memories. As the start of their final half-term, have each Year 6 leaver paint a ceramic tile with a positive representation of their time at primary school. It could be a happy face, some words of wisdom they learned or a small scene. Once they are finished, collect the tiles and display them together as a mural. Seeing them might evoke happy thoughts and celebratory memories for the children, who can later take their tiles home as keepsakes.

3. Battle of the Bands

Name an activity Year 6 leavers will like better than pretending they are in a band! During their final week, give them time to form their own bands and write a parody of a popular song, with lyrics that describe their time at school. Then, on the last day, they can all perform their smash hit to a crowd of adoring fans!

Year 6 leavers celebrate and pretend to sing into microphones.

4. Leavers Assembly

Holding a Year 6 leavers’ assembly is one of our favourite ways to end the year on a high, championing students’ work and helping them look forward to the future. Even better if the assembly focuses on a wise theme like friendship or kindness.

Our own Leavers Celebration Assembly Pack includes four uplifting songs and a fully flexible script in Word format, to help you celebrate your Year 6 leavers’ achievements. It also contains vocal and backing tracks, sheet music and lyrics for minimal prep time and fuss.

If you’ve already got your script sorted but need a little help on the music side, browse our downloadable leavers’ song packs. They feature a range of excellent leavers’ assembly songs, written especially for KS2 students.

5. Leavers Musical

Another wonderful way to send off Year 6 leavers is to stage a show! An end-of-year production is the perfect way to fill the void between exams and the summer holiday, and allows plenty of time to rehearse. It also brings the whole school community together and serves as a heartwarming, collective goodbye to the Year 6 leavers.

Check out our award-winning primary school musicals for dozens of things to do for Year 6 leavers or our curated list of leavers’ musical ideas.

Year 6 leavers stand in a row in costume. They hold hands, about to take a bow.

Ideas for Year 6 Leavers

We hope these Year 6 leavers’ ideas have given you some inspiration on how to send your students off in style, whether you are putting on games for a Year 6 leavers’ party or belting out some tunes! If you are going down the musical route, please explore our memorable leavers’ songs and musicals, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance.