Senior students at Epsom Girls Grammar in Auckland, one of our better-known schools, are upset at the cancellation of their end-of-year 'prank day'

Senior students at an upmarket Auckland school say they are being treated "like prisoners" after their 'prank day' was cancelled.

In a heated email, a group of year 13 Epsom Girls Grammar students said the school's senior leadership team had put the kibosh on their "one day of fun" before they leave the school for good next week.

Previous pranks pulled by senior students at the decile 9 school include 'glitter bombing' other students and tying them to trees with cling film.

BEVAN READ / FAIRFAX NZ Epsom Girls Grammar School students said prank day was considered a reward for working "incredibly hard".

Last year's seniors listed the school, including junior students, for sale on the Auckland Craiglist website for $2015.

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In the email, the students said they had been looking forward to prank day since primary school.

Alastair Lynn/Fairfax NZ Epsom Girls Grammar School principal Lorraine Pound said prank day had been cancelled as it had gone "too far" in previous years.

"We have been working incredibly hard for the past three to four years and this is considered our reward before we leave the school next Thursday forever, and sit our final exams."

The cancellation was especially galling as they were expected to buy an $825 leavers' ring, they said.

They claimed the leadership team, including the principal, had given a raft of reasons for prank day being cancelled.

Those included a girl choking on cling film and extra pressure on caretakers who have to clean up the mess.

The students have offered alternatives, such as a 'bring your dog to school day' or wearing a different school's uniform for a day.

However, they said every idea proposed was denied because it would "distract from academics".

On a Facebook page for year 13 pupils, students expressed outrage that a proposal for an icecream truck at lunchtime was refused by the leadership team.

"Did I miss the memo that the Bolsheviks now run our school?" one wrote.

"Perhaps they're trying to prepare us for a world run by Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin," said another.

The students staged a "passive protest" by not turning up to prizegiving singing rehearsals and are now contemplating a "more aggressive" protest.

"We as a year group feel we are being unfairly punished," they said.

"It's created a horrible atmosphere within our year, as we have spent five years at EGGS working so hard to live up to [the teachers'] excellence expectations, only to have our one day of fun taken away.

"Please stop treating high school students like prisoners rather than the human beings that we are."

Epsom Girls Grammar School principal Lorraine Pound said prank day had been cancelled this year because the pranks went "too far" in previous years.

"When it's good natured and witty it's fine but when things go too far or become offensive or plainly not safe it doesn't serve a good purpose.

"We'd rather see year 13 being able to celebrate. They did a Random Act of Kindness week at the beginning of term which was great.

"Their energy is best directed in positive directions."

Pound said it can take grounds staff a long time to clean up when property is damaged during pranks.

"It's certainly not the majority [of] students who would react in a offensive way. The vast majority are really good."