Is your school running GCSE revision sessions this holiday?

Coconutty I am not saying you should and I would also feel the need for my DC if everybody else was doing it. However those who endorse these holiday revision sessions should n't be surprised by parents who also want the best for their children by providing tutoring or paying for holiday revision classes. Where does it all end?

I wouldn't stop my DS going because DCs at schools who don't offer revision sessions will be disadvantaged because I live in the real world and want the best for my DCs.

Our students are not disadvantaged, they learn the importance of getting things done when they are supposed to. We also have a very low turnover off staff, largely connected to the fact that we don't have to jump through the hoops that other staff do.

Talkin is n't your daughter an A* student in a very bright class? The teachers must already have had time to cover the material and do past papers. Not sure why she should be tearing her hair out. I would have thought like many others she and her classmates would be saturated and rather bored with the subject material and exam technique.

Depends on the quality of the revision sessions, it isn't magic and doesn't always improve grades.

I am on maternity leave right now, but we actively discourage staff from running Easter sessions. This is not because we are a sink school or don 't care but because we want our staff to have a balance in their work and home lives.

Great, then maths don't need to run the sessions as the 'best way to answer a question' is always 'with the right answer'

Of course the DC will find it useful and should be grateful to the teachers but does that mean that those DC who attend schools without revision classes then become at a disadvantage just like those who don't get tutored? Why is it different to extra tutoring except that it is from the already hard working school teachers?

Dh has been in two days marking this week (he has another two days to do). I am leading a 5 hour revision session this week and have done 5 hours marking today. I have about another 3 days marking to do.

Holiday???!!!

DD is year 10 so nothing for her but my friends' Year 11 children are going in which surprised me as I didn't realise schools did this. The School has just gone from Good to Indequate after Ofsted this year so maybe it's a new thing.

They lose more children to Grammars than the other local uppers because geographically they are between 4 (2 boy, 2 girls). Also have a higher than average intake of children with SEN as they have excellent pastoral care and all factors considered they have more borderline C/D grades.

Feel a bit sad now that the teachers may have been under pressure to do this however the Head is lovely so I suspect they aren't . They've picked themselves up after the Ofsted and the mood has been very positive about moving forward whilst having a long wait to hear about their Ofsted appeal.

Oddly enough I've just logged onto Facebook & seem the following post from a friend.

Poor dh leaves the house every morning at 6.45 and gets home at 5 has tea, does some marking, reads with ds and puts him to bed then does more marking. Roll on Easter Holidays...no....wait he's going in to work during the holidays. What a load of rubbish

We don't run them except in practical subjects, and rarely they are run for a group that has got very behind for some reason.

The kids need a break and need a chance to revise. 30 kids siting in a room 'revising' doesn't work for the majority and in most subjects it is too late for controlled assessment to be done as the boards are beginning to request marks and samples.

Students have been on revision timetables since Christmas, with individual advice on techniques and lots of help and extra resources. All subjects have been running after-school sessions. I don't think it is fair that some people on here suggesting that only 'sink' schools don't put on extra sessions.

As a teacher I will be using most of Easter to plan personalised revision sessions for small groups (for after Easter) and get everything up to date ready for the new term

Threads like this make me so pleased dh works at & dd goes to a boarding school.

Easter is the one time we can go away on a family holiday

What do you mean 'become the norm'? They've been the norm here for 30 years at least, and the pupils who attend them at my DCs school (which is a very socially diverse Scottish comp) are a mixed bag.

These revision classes are similar to the tutoring mentality for exams. They will become the norm. That's fine for disadvantaged children but somehow I foresee that it will be middle class DC who attend them to improve their higher end grades. As I said they will expect the same for A level and then complain that they are not told exactly what to learn for exams at university.

Absolutely word - and that's why they can and should do both.

The pupils here sit 5 Highers each. DS has four masterclass days spread over the holidays, which leaves ample opportunity to sit down and learn stuff as you say, as well as benefiting tremendously from the additional classes which can help to fill in any knowledge gaps, give them an opportunity to ask any questions which they have as a result of their revision, remind them of effective study techniques etc. I know I certainly benefited from similar classes 30 years ago, and I'm delighted that the teens' High School also recognises their value.

Yes but sir revision is a very different beast to yet more teaching sessions.

At some point there is no replacement for students sitting down and learning stuff.

Be it vocabulary, a scientific definition, a set of historical dates, a quote from Shakespeare. At some point you have to commit it to memory and the best way to do that is to quietly read it, re read,, write it, re write it, say it aloud etc

You're right, SirC - not just providing a room. I've worked with the group who came in today. It was a pretty solid couple of hours.

You could get more done in the quiet of home in an hour, and three hours with all your mates

Quite the opposite - the sessions are structured teaching sessions, not an opportunity to fanny about with your mates for 3 hours. Once the sessions are finished the pupils go home and study on their own, consolidating what they've learned that day in addition to the work already done during term time.

A teacher who turns up and does their job, teaches lessons, marks and assesses etc etc, should not be accused of 'slacking off' because they don't offer extra sessions after school or in holiday time.

Since when was doing your job not enough? I have great admiration for teachers who do offer extra sessions and as a primary school teacher, have run booster groups and plenty of after school clubs. However, saying there is no expectation for staff to run extra sessions is laughable.

Teachers want the best for their students. Who's there making sure the teachers have a break?

The teacher offering that course is charging £800! I'd tell parents whatever they wanted to hear if I thought they'd part with £800 into my bank account!