Invitations for the graduation ball

The prom, or leavers' ball, marks the end of a chapter — the end of school, sixth form or a university course. In Britain it usually falls in early summer, after the exams, before everyone scatters for the holidays. The format leans formal: a sit-down meal at a venue, a few words from the head or year leader, the photographs, the meal and a night of dancing. It is the chance to celebrate together before the year group goes its separate ways. An online invitation helps the organising committee gather everyone.

Numbers depend on the scale. A single year group: 60 to 150 students, plus partners and a handful of staff. A larger event might run to 200 or 300. In our experience a leavers' ball is often better attended than an ordinary student night, because the tickets are bought well in advance and the date is locked in early. That said, turnout depends on how quickly people disperse after results — some have already gone travelling.

The invitation should carry the name of the school or course, the date, the time, the venue, the dress code (generally formal), the running order (speeches, meal, dancing), the ticket price, an RSVP form with a box for a guest, transport, accommodation (for those who live further afield) and the committee's contact. A few farewell words from the head or year leader add a lovely touch.

The digital format lightens the committee's load. The link goes out via the year group WhatsApp chats, the school mailing list and Instagram DMs. Replies count themselves, and a Google map guides everyone to the venue. A Spotify playlist crowd-sourced from the whole year group is a sentimental detail people remember.