Doncaster school sets up free prom shop for students

Almost one hundred prom dresses, suits, shoes and jewellery has been donated to Astrea Academy Woodfields, in Doncaster.

The Year 11 Prom is a rite of passage for students right across the country, but it can come at a cost for families, especially this year as the cost-of-living bites.

To make sure that all students had the chance to wear a special outfit for the occasion, English teacher Chrissy Andrews reached out to the community and asked for donations.

The response was overwhelming, and the school quickly set up the Woodfields Prom Shop to allow students to browse the huge number of items available.

Freya Winter and Emily Reed, members of the student council at Woodfields, said: "The prom shop was an amazing idea from Mrs Andrews and truly highlights the amount of generosity and care amongst our school community, which is super reassuring as a student.”

Chrissy Andrews, English teacher, at Woodfields said: “Most of us have got special outfits in the wardrobe that we’ve worn once and can’t bear to throw away. It seemed like such a shame for these dresses to go to waste when prom can be so expensive for families. When I reached out to the community to ask for donations, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was completely overwhelmed with the response.

“We had several boot loads of donations, and it has been so lovely to see our Year 11s visit the prom shop in school and choose their outfits. There’s already a buzz among Year 10 who are excited to see what’s up for grabs next year.”

David Scales, Principal of Woodfields, said: “We are so thankful to everyone who has donated to our prom shop: we’ve been blown away by the number of dresses, in particular, that we’ve received. The excitement among the students has been palpable, and for many of them, it’s made the night that bit more special. We can’t wait to see all of our Year 11s dressed up for prom, and to celebrate their time at secondary school and their hard work over the years.”