Y11 2025/26… come and join

They're spread over 3 weeks after half term, except French speaking next week.

Seems DD is lucky all exam based with only 15. The next 4 days will be tough as she has 2 exams a day. She actually just said she is looking forward to real exams as they will be spaced out.
@Littletreefrog thats really good that you get a one to one after.
@NotDarkGothicMama ouch 21 how long a period are they over ?

I've just counted and DS has 21. He had 13 in November's round so a big step up but I think it's good preparation for the real thing. Not just checking how they're doing, but helping them to get their revision strategies right for mid-exam time.

DS is doing 2 papers for maths. english language, English lit, geography. Biology. Physics and chemistry so that's 14. His other subjects are Btecs and Cambridge Technicals so isn't doing mocks for those. It's a lot but very good practice. After these mocks are marked every student with their parents gets a one to one meeting with the head of year 11 to discuss what to focus on next and what if any interventions to attend etc which I think is really good for a generally not that great state school.

@Tebheag DS2 just has an English and a maths mock in February no others - 15 seems like a lot

For those doing Feb mocks how many papers are they doing? Just found out DD has 15 mock papers seems a lot.

@Wincher yes the same one. She was quite impressed by it and by the students, especially when they talked about how good all the teachers are. I think the interview went well though there was a typical interview style question about failing that she wasn't sure how to answer! She says they stressed how competitive it is - 4,000 applicants, 2,000 interviews, 1,000 conditional offers for 400 places!

She's 75% sure she'll stay where she is though, and this schook is in a very similar area to her current school which put her off a bit. I think if she moves, she'd like to go to Camden or LaSwap to get a cooler area!

Sounds like the same college (connected to a football stadium?) my DS had an “alignment consultation” at today. He thinks it went pretty well - how about your DD? It’s DS’s top choice so he’s hopeful.

Check with the individual school before making any plans.

I didn't realise there is no study leave. DS would have definitely benefitted from revising at home. Will have to plan for it.

No study leave here either. I'm relieved as DS would definitely get distracted by devices if he was at home. Saying that, he took himself to the library to study on Thursday evening. I was so suspicious I checked his phone location and was pleasantly surprised to see he was actually there.

School is closed over the holidays but dd is going to a four day revision course elsewhere.

DD school breaks up for study leave May half term.
How many have to go to school during Easter hols? DD is there fir the 2nd week.

Grammar here and they go on study leave in first week of May. Dd is planning on going to the British library which she did before mocks too.

No study leave for DD or in the school I work in. I wholeheartedly agree with the second paragraph of @ECT22 post on this.

More lunch and after school sessions seem to be appearing, she’s gone to History and French this week. She’s having a day off today go a friends birthday and is very much ready for half term, it just seems to be flying by this term.

The kids (private school) have study leave and personally I would rather that they didn’t as would get more done in school imo

Error in my post - should have said, keeping study leave is more equitable in many schools (eg those with high social deprivation), not getting rid if it.

Dd has study leave - it’s an independent school if that makes a difference. Teachers are accessible via teams constantly if the kids need them from home and they can also come to school to revise if they prefer.

And old thread on the topic www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5024379-any-schools-not-give-study-leave-in-year-11-for-gcses

No study leave at my dd’s school or the school where I teach. I think most students benefit from being in school tbh. At GCSE level, revision supported and guided by teachers, with constant feedback and supply of resources, has got to be better than leaving them them to it, IMO.

Also, study leave is great if you have a quiet, safe, non-chaotic space to study at home, with room to organise yourself, if you have all the devices you need at home, if you have present carers to support (and nag), if you won’t be called on to look after younger siblings before/after school, if you have plentiful nutritious food in the fridge, if you don’t need SEN support. But for many young people this is not the case. So getting rid of study leave, especially in some schools, is far more equitable for the young people.

I think (tho am not sure) if carers really feel kids would be better off at home tho, eg if their particular SEN needs mean it would suit them better, the school can’t compel them to come in once exams start.

DS1 ( state school ) had study leave last year - it impacts attendance figures though which might be one reason why some schools are reluctant

i think English state schools can’t give study leave as standard anymore as government changed the guidance a few years back. I think private schools can grant study leave.

something to do with attendance reporting and catch up post COVID. Not sure what the rules are in other parts of the UK

I think it’s an interesting topic as I can see how some children will benefit from staying in school and revising where maybe they wouldn’t revise at home whilst others would prefer to revise at home during the school day and have flexibility over what they revise.

DS2 is study leave from the start of May - though they can go in if they want . He is saying he will go in a couple of days a week . He has dropped a subject so has some supervised revision time at school . He says having the teachers around for support is helps . I’ve been surprised by how much more mature he is than even a few months ago 🤞

DD’s school is keeping them in later than I’d like, their last day of school is 7 May. She has a GCSE the morning of the 7th and the afternoon of the 8th. She’s a child who’d benefit more at that stage from being at home, they’re all different though aren’t they. I suppose school is trying to land on what they think is the sweet spot for the majority of the cohort.

I think study leave is getting far less common. Schools have mainly found that keeping the kids in to do focused revision sessions with teachers gives them better results. (Though they may turn a blind eye to hard working kids choosing to stay home).
My DC's old school keeps them in until half term these days I think.