Do kids go to school until the end of term after their GCSE exams?

[UnilateralDecisions]

And what do they do if so?

No.

Many will have lessons and exams until the May half term, and then after May only come in for exams or specific revision sessions.

Nope
The go usually. There might be a leavers assembly or something.

No. They finish their last exam, go to their prom and then they have a lovely long holiday! (and then typically it starts to rain a lot)

Not usually (though can happen in more traditional grammars where most stay on until 6th form).
I know of one school where many of them went in to work on an end of year show. I know of one where they went in and planned and set up a bit Summer Fete, for example.

Some schools have some sort of 'Leavers' Assembly' or presentation one day.
If you are checking holidays dates, many dc will want to go to their prom after all the exams finish.

Most just stop going in after their las exam.

Oh my goodness, I had not realised this.

It’s a good year for a term time holiday, if you don’t have younger DC still at school.

I find this strange. In Scotland, kids do a month of their new 5th year course after exams, highers for most people. Gets them off to a good start for next academic year. Seems odd to waste a month of learning.

I’m assuming this means that the majority stay in the same school for the 5th year? I think this would be logistically difficult in England/ Wales as many go to different 6th forms and colleges from age 16.

No!

Mine have got jobs and plans for beach parties and bbqs!

In what way?

Many of them will have left school if no 6th form? What were you expecting them to do in June & July?

In England, the last Friday in June is the end of Y11.

In my LA there’s not much movement from the grammars and lots stay in the secondaries too. Many do 6th form induction and are given introductory briefings.

Really?
Did you not go to school in the UK??

It’s the best bit of any exam year.

Surely 5th year isn’t after GCSEs though?

The year after GCSEs is the 6th year of secondary and totally different subject classes doing AS levels. Some students will change their AS choices depending on how they do on their exams. How could they possibly start this the day after GCSE’s?

They need to sleep, have fun, grow up a bit after the long slog of GCSEs which I think are the worst set of exams - so many!

Lots of English schools don't have a sixth form, so the kids go to another school or a 6th form college to do A levels, or a college/job to do apprenticeships or other training.
I grew up in NI and we finished after our exams too, started A levels fresh in September.
The Scottish school system is totally different.

To answer your question OP yes they finish when their exams to, usually mid to late June. Might be a prom or leavers do early July.

Lots of schools will have a leaving assembly or equivalent just before the May half-term, others seem to do something in the final week of exams (19th June ish). Round here, schools with sixth forms tend to put on taster/induction days during the following week (which is also the final contingency day for exams) but by the time June is over, Y11s have officially finished school.

For one of mine, the post-GCSE weeks were spent camping and working on a temporary job. The other took themselves off to visit grandparents, did a sports coaching course and joined their new sixth form for various social things.

We have to move for 6th form as the local schools don't have post 16 provision. None of your applications or subject choices are secure until results day so how could you do induction and pre course work when it could all change on results day?

They work so hard building up to GCSEs and then have a month of relentless assessments - they deserve a few weeks of freedom and fun!

This. In practice there may be book return day, prom, work experience, school events such as sports day or pre sixth form days. There is also an emergency day in the exams timetable which should be kept clear.

And some find work or begin an apprenticeship.

It can depend on the school. Mine has sixth form induction and some introductory lessons but obviously this is only for pupils who are staying at the school sixth form. It’s pretty normal for the last GCSE exam date to be the last day for Y11 pupils and some may finish earlier if their subjects are not the last to be examined.

DD stopped going after her last exam which was about mid June. She had a leavers assembly end of June and the 2 6th forms she applied for had induction days beginning of July. That was it.

There will be a published “last exam” date which is spare in case anything causes an exam to be rescheduled. You need to be available up to and including that date even if they aren’t in school except for exams. Then you’re done! We took the opportunity last year to get an early holiday in before everywhere was teeming with smaller children.

In DS and DD’s (different) schools, they did an extra week or two until the end of June, for sixth form induction (although I have no idea how relevant it was for those leaving the school for different post-16 options). But yes, they were definitely finished by the end of June.

Brace yourself, @UnilateralDecisions , they are in school far less than you think.

Final classroom lessons in May, they go in only to sit their exams. They are at home most of late May and June. And then free all summer except for a leavers assembly.