Y11/Y13: why are they staying at school post-exams?

[PacificState]

NOT a teacher-bashing thread, I promise, my kids' schools have been magnificent over the past year. I'm just curious about why this is happening...

My two are Y11 and Y13. Both schools are indicating that when their assessments finish (by around mid-May), those years will be expected to continue attending school as normal for a while (time frame not specified yet).

Obviously in a 'normal' year, once the exams are finished you're off.

I just wondered if any MN teachers could shed light. Has a directive been handed down by the Department for Education? Are assessment tasks expected to continue once the exams are over? Will parents be fined for non-attendance?

We don't have any holidays lined up (deeply annoying as this is the one, precious year we could have taken a bang-up foreign break out of peak season, but hey-ho, obviously worse things have happened in the past 12 months). But I guess I am a bit baffled about why they can't at least have a lovely long lazy summer.

[ValancyRedfern]

Beats me. I feel so sorry for this years yr11. I'm sure all the teachers would rather they were leaving once assessments are over too. They will be a nightmare to manage and I imagine many will vote with their feet anyway. I think lengthening the school year was an instruction from the DfE to help them cath up. But that was prior to them setting the deadline for Tags in June, so quite what we're supposed to do with them in June and July I have no idea.

[niclw]

The school I work at has officially said the students leave on 18th June. However the headteacher has said that he is likely to say don't come back after may half term. The students needs to be available until the 18th June in case extra evidence needs collecting though.

[PacificState]

Thanks @ValancyRedfern. Yes DS2 (Y11) just said 'surely the teachers would normally be using that time to catch up on other stuff.'

Both of mine are starting to make noises about just not going in, but I'd rather not cop repeated fines from the local authority...

[MrsHamlet]

Because legally they have to be on roll until the last Thursday in June of the academic year in which they turn 16 and no one has yet done anything about that!

[PacificState]

Ahhh thanks @niclw @MrsHamlet that makes a bit more sense

[astuz]

It's also because parents have gone on and on about their children missing out on their education, so those very same parents would kick up a stink if we let them go early saying "but they need to catch up what they've missed".

Personally, I taught full live lessons through lockdown, so there is no reason for any of my pupils to catch up, apart from pupils who chose not to do any work or engage, and those pupils still won't engage if we keep them in school, but many parents don't see it that way.

[JanFebAnyMonth]

@MrsHamlet

Because legally they have to be on roll until the last Thursday in June of the academic year in which they turn 16 and no one has yet done anything about that!

But being on roll doesn’t need to equal being in school @MrsHamlet?

[MrsHamlet]

No. But "study leave" is counted as absence so schools have to be careful about when they let students go as it will affect attendance figures.

[Newrumpus]

The government has made it clear that while it does not usually endorse study leave, this year it will consider it negatively in the light of the lost classroom time and has suggested that schools use the post-assessment time to cover aspects of the non-assessed curriculum that have been missed e.g. careers, PSE and transition work

[Iwantacampervan]

My friend's son in year 13 has been told that they will 'leave' the Friday before half term, 28th May.
I tutor a Year 11 student in a different school who has not been told what's happening - I assume so that they don't give up.

[EverythingsComingUpRoses]

Our year 11s are in until the 23rd June

No idea how many will actually show up!

[lazylinguist]

At the school where my dc go and my dh works, Year 11 will do some tests, then break up a week early giving them a 2 week half term. They'll then come back for a couple of weeks of '6th form experience'. This is non-compulsory though (not least because not all of them are staying for the 6th form, but all are welcome if they want).

I think that quite apart from whether schools are allowed to let them go after half term, it would be very unpopular with most parents. It's one thing having your teenager on study leave when they've got exams to focus on. It's quite another thing to have loads of them at a total loose end for months.

[cptartapp]

I have a year 11 and 13 too. Both finishing end of May.
I'd like to see the year 11 invited in for the last six weeks of term to complete the triple science curriculum they haven't finished as going on to do science A levels.
Won't hold my breath.

[karenb40]

My son is Yr11 and finishes on the 13th May! Personally feel that's far too early, he's not 16 until August so will struggle to get a job. He emailed our local museum to volunteer they said yes but then realised he only be 15