Study leave for GCSE students

[Northernlurker]

I've heard on the grapevine that dd's school is not granting study leave to GCSE students. They will have to continue attending school every day whether they have exams or not. This won't affect dd this year as she is Yr 9 but I am concerned that the school are taking what is in my view an unduly paternalistic attitude. At 16 or nearly that age, students should be able to motivate themselves and work to their own rhythm not have to be ordered to revise etc. What do others think?
Dh and I are a bit grumpy with the school in general atm. Communication and consultation with parents is a joke tbh. Last year they reduced the school day to a 2.30 finish on Mondays every other week. This is to allow for training and meetings and was opposed by the parents. They did it anyway. This week we've had the most patronising (circular) letter saying that we really must make an effort to attend the forthcoming Parents Evening as we missed the Year 8 one - except we didn't miss it! Dd's options evening was widely advertised as being at 7.30 pm and then was changed at less than a weeks notice to 4.30 pm. I'm a bit uneasy about the whole thing really.

[honisoit]

The school is probably doing this in order to raise achievement.

[MigratingCoconuts]

My understanding is that the Government is generally opposed to study leave and this puts pressure on schools to reduce it to the bare minimum.

I agree, the aim will be to try to raise standards and revising in lessons in school can benefit a lot of students who find it really hard to revise at home. So I think this phrase:
At 16 or nearly that age, students should be able to motivate themselves and work to their own rhythm not have to be ordered to revise etc is a tad optimistic tbh.

If you are one of the lucky ones who has a child that can organise their own revision then and enjoy!

[Northernlurker]

Yes that's what I suspect - but it effectively penalises the kids who would work anyway and I think it creates false results actually. Not a great preparation for a-levels - or life in fact.

It seems like it's all about the school as an organisation not the actual students they're supposed to support.

[MigratingCoconuts]

That last post is a bit left-of-field

Anyway, as a teacher, Northern lurker, I would suggest that year 11 students who do work better off at home would be best served getting a 'bit of a sniffle' on key days when their revision time might be interrupted by having to go into lessons. I can't see what the school could actually do at such a late stage in the year

[MigratingCoconuts]

oh good, they deleted the blatant advert

[Northernlurker]

I missed the advert. Sneaky buggers.

Hmm yes migrating cocomunts - there's a thought. I remember revising for my exams - such a boon to be able to work to your own timetable and finish things properly not move on to the next thing because the rest of your class is doing so. Not our problem this year fortunately but I think it's really unfair on the able and committed kids who would get a lot out of study leave.

[honisoit]

The goal of the exam system is for there to be a level playing field and for all students to have the opportunity to do their very best.

Having study leave in school is fair to everyone. They have the same amount of time to study and have access to resources. I would imagine that the school will be very flexible in how study leave takes place, for example, free study in the library or in the classroom that they should have been in according to the timetable.

A small number of Y11 students have the self-discipline and motivation to make the most of study leave.

A larger proportion use much of the time to socialise.

Some students will not be served well at home, for example if they have pre-school siblings and parents who might have ideas about free babysitting.

Should only self-motivated students who live in quiet households with supportive parents be the only ones who get to do their best?

[Northernlurker]

But what about a-level? What about degree level? It's already a problem that kids are getting on to degree courses without the ability to motivate themselves or study independantly. If we do this at GCSE - where does it stop? If the school can't teach pupils to paddle their own canoe in 5 years I really don't think that's good enough. I just hate this temptation to expect the lowest possible from the students and therefore legislate to beat them in to line rather than teaching them to aspire in the first place.

[honisoit]

Sharp elbows, I see.

[Northernlurker]

I think that's an unpleasant and unfair comment.

I have three bright and motivated daughters, I see no reason why they should be held back in a schooling system that is supposed to cater for all. You are arguing that study leave is unfair on children who do not share their advantages. I do see where you're coming from but the capacity to do something about that rests with those students and their parents. It shouldn't be necessary to hold some students back from developing independant study habits.

[honisoit]

It's hardly holding them back to do their revision in school.

The exams are assessing knowledge and skills, not who has the best homelife and most supportive parents.

I don't think being self-motivated and organised is a particular skill to assess.

I am fairly intelligent but know that I could never do a job that included working from home. I would be putting on a load of laundry, doing some sneaky preparation for supper, a quick '10 minutes' on social networking, popping out to the bank. No matter how many years I had at school, university and the workplace has equipped me for working from home.

[ravenAK]

We do study leave, but are expected to be available to teach any year 11s who turn up looking for revision sessions, when their timetabled lessons would normally be.

Generally you get 5 or 6 motivated kids, it's a pleasure to work with them. The others are either working independently at home, or doing sweet FA - & frankly, I'm with NL that 16 is old enough to decide which you're going to be...

Also, if a subject is taken early, say mid June, it seems somewhat nuts to expect the kids to rock up to lessons for which they've already sat the exam.

So what DO you do with them? Yes, I suppose I could babysit a roomful of kids as they revise for other subjects, but they'd be distracting each other less at home.

[ravenAK]

...& I agree with Migrating Coconuts that if it were my child, & the school insisted on their presence, diplomatic lurgies would be contracted!

[Milliways]

DD's school stopped all study leave and DD had a meltdown as she could not revise in the way she wanted in large classes - with disruptive influences.

I phoned the school and they agreed that she would be best at home and let her stay. She went in for the revision classes that appealed to her. It worked out very well. However, for the school as a whole results dramatically improved when they stopped study leave.

DS is at a Grammar and they were allowed home study leave - again, classes were run for those that wanted to revise specific areas.

[noblegiraffe]

Research has found that not having study leave but having the kids in school for targeted revision boosts results substantially. It would be a brave school that completely ignored that evidence and tipped its students onto the streets after Easter as used to happen.

The government were also keep to cut down on study leave because of complaints about Y11s on study leave causing problems on the streets. Some schools were starting study leave earlier and earlier in order to get problem kids off their hands.

So, schools are strongly encouraged to limit study leave. My school only offers study leave after the exams have started to students who have shown themselves to be motivated learners. The others have to come into school for supervised study.

[Northernlurker]

'My school only offers study leave after the exams have started to students who have shown themselves to be motivated learners' - I would have no problem with that. That isn't what is being offered at the moment at dd's school. Anyway - I've two years till I have to get uppity about it

[SecretSquirrels]

My son is in Y11 and his school tried having no study leave a couple of years ago but brought it right back the next year. So you may not have a problem.
Even when study leave is on they are expected to attend for certain revision classes.