Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..to think that the school is wrong about study leave?

222 replies

gov · 04/05/2018 15:54

I have twins doing GCSEs starting on the 14th May. I fully expected them to go onto study leave next Friday, and only be required in school when they have exams (as was the case with their older brother) but it turns out that they are expected to be in school every day, and in lessons if they are not in exams right until half term starting Friday 25th. DS has 14 exams in these 2 weeks - and he needs peace & quiet between the exams to prep for the next ones (DD less exams, and probably better prepared). AIBU thinking that the school is wrong to not give them study leave? What are other schools doing? Two other local schools that I have heard of - one starts study leave today, one next Friday.

I'm thinking that our school is doing it to keep their attendance stats higher - and that it isn't in the kids best interest.

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 06/05/2018 02:10

I'm in Scotland, our exams have been running for a week. My DSs broke up on study leave the Friday before and they are off for 5 weeks. DS2s exams finish next Friday and he'll have a further three weeks off before going back for 4 weeks and then breaking up for the summer. So he has more leave after his exams than before. DS1 has now finished school apart from his exams so that's him free until uni in September.

PyongyangKipperbang · 06/05/2018 02:12

I did bog all with my study leave and my results showed that, thankfully DD is far more sensible than I was at the same age and as a result should do what every parent wants, and be more successful than me. But I suspect more kids are like I was than she is, and you cant differentiate and give some leave and others not for fear of being accused of favourtism etc.

PyongyangKipperbang · 06/05/2018 02:16

Oh and DD's school runs revision sessions during the week and on a Saturday morning. They are completely voluntary but every student who attends all the sessions gets their Y11 Prom ticket for free, which I think is inspired.

MillicentF · 06/05/2018 06:05

"I suspect that fully independent study was easier in the days before social medial and smartphones"

Oh, I don't know. My friends and I managed to not revise entirely satisfactorily with no social media 40 years ago!

HerSymphonyAndSong · 06/05/2018 06:17

I had a conversation with H (teacher) about this the other day. Study leave worked well for me but I had all the advantages

Saying that 16yo should be learning to self-motivate and work independently etc is all very well, but as others have said they may not have the maturity or home situation that allows this.

And of course, if you have a system where schools are judged on their results absolutely, and failure is not allowed and is blamed on the teachers, then this is what is going to happen

PlumsGalore · 06/05/2018 06:32

Neither of mine could revise at home, one would have made no attempt to revise and the other procrastinated for days.

The first graduated with a First from a modern uni, the second on target to graduate with a RG 2:1 in June.

They did ok, maybe they would have done better not having study leave? I would have been happier with them being in school to be honest. They both studied better as adults in an academic situation rather than their uni bedrooms, because the draw of Netflix or the Xbox prevailed.

Mummyoflittledragon · 06/05/2018 06:32

We didn’t have study leave when I was at school at 16 (or 18). I came from a very mc background and on the surface, I should have done well with it. However, my home life was very difficult and this wouldn’t have worked for me. I was depressed and scared. All I managed to do was shift pieces of paper around. It’s far better to continue school imo. It levels the playing field.

nursy1 · 06/05/2018 06:36

My older kids went to two different schools. One had the policy you talk about op and 5he other traditional study Leave. Having to go in was much better imo. Stopped me having to have so much involvement making them get down to it rather than slobbing about for half the day.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 06:43

Personally I would have a system where study leave is 'earned' by your work ethic during the year. If teachers believe you deserve it and there is no particular issue with either behaviour or attainment, so, you look likely to achieve your targets for most subjects, I think you should get it. That would incentivise students to work hard and it would give teachers a few weeks to concentrate on those students who haven't earned it.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 06:44

Ooh free prom for attendance at revision sessions! That's going straight to my boss, that one Grin

JustMarriedBecca · 06/05/2018 06:48

I'm against this. I used to like having a mind map based on the rooms in my house. I'd revise a different topic in every room then imagine myself in there to recall information. Sitting in a classroom wouldn't work for me.

VladPutin · 06/05/2018 06:55

As well as doing more work in school etc i think there’s been a ruling on attendance tbh from the government too. Schools can’t just decide education is over when they think

VladPutin · 06/05/2018 06:56

Lol at earning study leave. Imagining having to decide for each of say 200 kids. And the parents 😀

AuntieStella · 06/05/2018 06:58

Ours start study leave at half term. There really aren't many exams before that (mainly language orals and some of the other of the multitude of language papers, isn't it?)

Candidates doing those could have 1 day study leave the day before those, if they wanted it.

Then study leave from half term, all back in for one day of hand your books and whole year assembly, farewell to leavers and then 'see you in September' for the rest.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 06:58

VladPutin

Happy to do it. Simple matter of setting up a shared spreadsheet to collect teacher views, then the Head putting a tick or a cross in a box. It's the work of a day, but it would have a massive impact on the preceding year.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 06/05/2018 06:58

VladPutin No this isn’t about attendance

JustMarriedBecca At H’s school parents can request that their child has study leave and it may be granted if it works for them. Just because it worked for you doesn’t mean that every pupil would manage what you did

VladPutin · 06/05/2018 07:00

Yes. Then parents moaning that johns got it and peter hadn’t
I think there was a change two years ago - from on high - saying kids had to stay longer

Devilishpyjamas · 06/05/2018 07:00

Study leave from next Friday for ds2’s. Thank goodness.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 07:01

VladPutin

I would give no fucks about that. Grin

Devilishpyjamas · 06/05/2018 07:03

There really aren't many exams before that (mainly language orals and some of the other of the multitude of language papers, isn't it?)

Not for ds2’s. He has more exams before half term than after. He’s done the orals etc already (this week). Written papers start with a pretty full on two weeks on 14th. Then half term. Then another two weeks - but fewer exams and more spread out.

meditrina · 06/05/2018 07:03

"As well as doing more work in school etc i think there’s been a ruling on attendance tbh from the government too. Schools can’t just decide education is over when they think"

I don't think that relevant. It's unauthorised absence that exercises the government. Study leave can be authorised by the school (code S in the register). It's meant to be used sparingly ie in the exam season only, and the school has to remain available for those who want to revise there.

VladPutin · 06/05/2018 07:04

But peng parental complaints occupy hours. And you have to hear. It’s a chore

VladPutin · 06/05/2018 07:05

Think half term is now universally accepted. Exams like history though can often be late and are very content heavy so teachers still going over the last bits

LokiBear · 06/05/2018 07:06

I'm a secondary school teacher. Kids are still being taught, supported and coached right through until they leave. After the first few exams there wi be a number of kids who have meltdowns. By keeping them in school, we look after them rather than send them on their way. Ours don't leave until mid June and it absolutely the right thing for them.

Pengggwn · 06/05/2018 07:08

VladPutin

I would say at the start of the year: we are doing X, study leave is a privilege and the Head's decision is final; no discussion will be entered into. By the middle of the year you will have an idea of grades from mocks and you will be able to see whether your child is on track to be invited to take study leave. The end. And I wouldn't engage.

Swipe left for the next trending thread