Y11 students expected to come to school during Christmas break

[Abangersrash]

My 16 year old in y11 due to sit GCSEs in spring brought home a letter stating it is now compulsory for all students to stay an hour after school to study and to come into school during the Christmas holidays for extra studying.
Dd is doing very well and already spends most evenings going over things and doing work that couldn’t be completed during lesson. (All students are expected to do this too)
Now I know it’s hard being a teacher and there just isn’t enough time to get through everything, but I’m shocked and angry that they are expected to use their free time to do work that the teachers cannot fit in during school hours.
my dd is anxious she will fail as many teachers are driving it into students that they can do better even if they’re predicted high scores. She gets nervous that her work isn’t good enough when it’s fantastic by my standards. She is predicted to pass all subjects and in my opinion doesn’t need extra help in her own time.
These students are entitled to a school holiday and a break from learning, when are they supposed to have down time or socialise with friends and family?
Does anyone here have children who have had to do this? Is it common? What can they actually do if you refuse, surely it cannot be compulsory after school hours? It’s good they offer this for students who need it, but it should be something you request and not something that is expected. What do you all think?

As a teacher I'm thinking it must be a really toxic school if their staff are required to bring children in over the holidays. God help the teachers and the students.

Yes this was my DD, but a good student. Studied independently, didn't want to go to prom anyway and ND. Going to additional holiday in-person study sessions as an often school refuser would have sent her over the edge. She got straight 9s. This is not an inclusive approach from the school. However,they also did this at DDs school. I just said no.

Me too. I was on my knees by the end of term.

Is it even legal to make it compulsory to come into school during the school holidays?

The school I taught at until July always did voluntary after school drop ins for core GCSE subjects which started after Feb half term. No way unions would have allowed teachers in during holidays. Sounds very off to me.

It won't be the teachers, it'll be SLT, totally toxic, expect a mass exodus of staff in the summer

Some teachers did this (voluntarily) when I was at school 25 years ago. Was for A levels though and in a private setting. I thought it was very kind of them to give up their spare time over the holidays (Christmas and Easter). It wasn't compulsory, but most people attended. We all came out with top grades, so it must have worked!

I'm still on my knees and it's not the end of term yet! I have worked in schools which offered revision sessions during the Easter holidays, but they were very much optional, both for students and teachers, and teachers were paid to run them (if they wanted to).

It is outrageous that anyone is suggesting that the teaching staff are made to work in the holidays like this.
If some loon even suggested it, the HT / SLT should have given a firm "no" long before it got to any actual communication to pupils.

Are you sure you/your daughter have read the letter properly?

Schools have no power to mandate that students stay beyond the timings of the school day or attend in holidays, and they legally cannot make any demands of this nature. They also can't mandate teachers to do this as it would take them beyond their directed time hours, so making it compulsory would make them in breach of contract as employers. As such, there has to be some misunderstanding here.

I say this as a teacher. I've certainly come in during the Easter holidays as an act of kindness to my students to do some optional extra revision sessions, but no one made me and I was paid extra for them. Students were not 'made' to attend as we can't make them do anything when they're not legally required to be in school.

I’ve only recently had this was a nightmare and couldn’t do anything as a family all summer holidays , Easter, Xmas etc and Saturdays

mine where told if their attendance dropped below 90% they could not attend prom !

she was doing random hours one day would be an hour in the morning one in the last afternoon , other days could be 9-3 some days a random midday hour

I'm so old that I taught when kids were expected to revise in their own time, and parents would step up if the students needed supervision. There were always some students who would ask for extra help or catch up teaching if they'd missed a lot.Then it became an expectation that 'intervention' classes would be offered to C/D borderlines and then to them and Pupil premium children ... and then to any child falling short of their (however unrealistic) target grade.

I used to do these for the sake of the department, and I remember a colleague warning that what is offered soon becomes expected, and that's what happens. There is enormous pressure on some teachers to do the work that students won't do to get them over the line. Saturday lessons, after school intervention, lunchtime catch-ups and holiday sessions. It's relentless, and often when one school offers something, others in the area will fall in too.

This is a long and hard term, usually with mocks, a raft of assessments and reports - and that's before numerous meetings, data drops and observations. I'd be surprised if any teachers chose to teach over Christmas unless pressured. Hoefully, most parents will think and do as OP intends.

Usually I’d also express pity for the teachers who are expected to do this, however it’s the teachers who have set this up and arranged it voluntarily!

I would bet a million pounds that they haven't.

I'm away at Christmas, a lot of people are away at Christmas. It's unfortunate that your DD is away at Christmas and can't make these sessions, isn't it?

My twins' school is quite intense. They have extra classes nearly every day either at lunch or after school. Some evenings on zoom occasionally. Not sure how they get the teachers to do this but my kids are excelling and I'm delighted at the school's attitude.

They are encouraged to push themselves so not to think, "I can get a 6 without much work, that's a great grade anyway." But to think, "If I work hard I could get an 8 or 9." I like that attitude! I rested on my laurels too much, and wish I'd been better trained but my parents also didn't push me (there is a fine line, not to push too much but to show belief). Your DD can pass everything but a grade higher in each subject could make a difference in getting a good apprenticeship, going to a better uni etc etc. She should aim as high as she can and not just be happy to pass.

My don't have anything actually during holidays though. Some kids (art!) need to go in on inset day (6th) to do a mock.

What days is your DD expected in? I'm sure it's not throughout the Christmas period.

I’d say they’ve been ‘voluntold’, in fact.

Our old head used to do this a lot. He’d tell us how important a work life balance was and the bext week have us department heads in meetings signing agreements that we could get x child an 8 and y child a 9. Spoiler: these grades were ridiculously aspirational and usually pushed on the kids who couldn’t care less or simply weren’t able enough to achieve them.

Then he’d say ‘if you hold revision pizza parties we’ll pay for the pizza’ and of course they’d end up being on weekends and in the holidays.

I’d have questions about the pressure the staff are under to ‘get’ your kids those grades.

They cannot make it compulsory, however if they’re definitely happening and your dd is free to go it might be worth doing at least some of the sessions on offer.

She might be working hard, but is she working effectively and targeting the bits of the curriculum that she’s not so good at or keeping busy reassuring herself about the parts that she’s already good at? Ds2 was the latter and attending as many extra sessions as he could definitely helped him to work out how to use his time more effectively and focus on filling in the gaps. It obviously worked well as he got 9 A* last summer.

I half suspect it's a badly worded ' school will be open on x for those children who would like Maths revision time' . It's there for those who are worried, can't have quiet time at home studying or feel they need a bit more support to enhance their learning. At this stage, there are many who will be putting in and able to do some studying at home, even during the Xmas hols, but it's not right for everyone.

Wow! No wonder there are so many teenagers struggling with resilience. It's relentless.
I'm never leaving my school!!!

Even if it is after the start of the new term in January, write formally to complain, and perhaps ask for evidence as to why they felt it was compulsory. There is probably an Education Act which specifies the number of days a state school should provide schooling, refer to that.

If you were only told this month, you could point out a number of valid reasons why this is insufficient notice, even to consider it were it voluntary.

Also ask them how they square this with religious observance, remember it is not just Christians who have one of their major festivals at this time of year.

Our school does voluntary revision sessions at Easter but never at Christmas.

It's a long term we all need a break, as pp have said a lot of people are away. Because of where the bank holidays are I think my school is physically shut for at least the first week

I place a big emphasis on education and generally think that most year 11s should be working a lot harder. However, I wouldn’t be happy with a school dictating that students must attend outwith school hours.

Christmas is a chance for those who are working hard to have some downtime before what will be an intense period from January. Many DC also have their own way of revising and may not find the school sessions as useful as studying at home.

This ridiculous for so many reasons.

There will be even more of a teacher shortage and child mental health issues if schools start this nonsense.

My DC were offered optional days during Feb half term. Optional. One DS chose to attend, the other didn't. Both made the right decisions form themselves.

And those who can't attend for what ever reason may become anxious that they are mission out. Like I said, ridiculous for so many reasons.

As a former teacher who used to get outstanding results from my exam classes and a lifelong high achiever, I disagree with this so strongly.

If you didn't have a relaxing Christmas holiday between GCSEs and finishing your degree, you did yourself a huge disservice. Downtime and family time are hugely important to mental health, resilience and attainment. Everyone does better when they incorporate true, genuine, restful breaks into their schedule. This time of year is tiring, there are germs flying everywhere, it's dark and our bodies and minds need rest, conviviality, sleep and nourishment. Students and teachers need to come back in January as energised and revived as possible. I never used to set work over the Christmas break. Everyone needs to recharge their batteries before this final lead in to the exams.

My year 10s have a GCSE exam two days after we return to school. We are not going in to school during the holidays. Wild horses couldn't drag me there...

I’m shocked and angry that they are expected to use their free time to do work that the teachers cannot fit in during school hours.

I'm shocked and angry that teachers are expected to use their free, unpaid time to support the work that the pupils won't do during school hours.

And that (what should be) independent revision has to be supported by qualified staff because parents think 'going over' or 'finishing off' classwork is effective and sufficient.