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

[gov]

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.

At dd's school it is a choice. Study leave at home or at school. Parents have to sign a form to say which they will allow their children to do.

Dd studies far better at home, and she is time conscious and organised, so study leave at home works far better for her. It certainly did for me too.

Dd would do far less study in school that's for sure.

It's a shame that some schools feel they need to do this as it doesn't benefit those who need quiet and calm to revise best, and to prepare for their next exam.

I don't have teenage children so it's not relevant to me yet but work I do in schools is law based and trying to work on that stuff in a school context over the last few weeks has been incredibly difficult due to the constant noise- shouting from pupils and teachers, slamming doors, fire alarms going off intermittently due to hairspray in the toilets, singing, punching of doors, kicking of things, jostling and very loud conversations in the corridor. I am not sure how that is conducive to learning, especially revision!

BoneyBackJefferson

I wouldn't mind dealing with the shit if it meant the students who clearly are capable of working independently were able to do so and those who clearly aren't, weren't. When results went up people would back it, I'm sure!

incredibly difficult due to the constant noise- shouting from pupils and teachers, slamming doors, fire alarms going off intermittently due to hairspray in the toilets, singing, punching of doors, kicking of things, jostling and very loud conversations in the corridor. I am not sure how that is conducive to learning, especially revision!
You do realise that's not typical? Only 1 school I've worked in was that seen and even then it wasn't a all day every day thing.

Walk around our y11 lessons and you'll see teachers recapping concepts, students doing mock questions, teachers doing 1-1, pairs of children quizzing each other from flashcards, teachers going through mock answers, lessons where teachers quiz students, lessons where students do silent independent study for an hour.

Sure, it's not going to be 100% everyone's preference all the time but I'd seriously question how prepared someone is for life (assuming NT) if they can't possibly manage to work in a situation which doesn't suit their preferences all the time.

Exactly the same scenario as the op but disagree. Im happy that my dts will still be expected to go in. Ds1 had study leave 4yrs ago and I can’t say that it was hugely beneficial.

Even dts would admit that they revise better under a school environment with teachers there to help and answer questions. I think the teachers go to a lot of trouble to be available and helpful though and only have praise for their interest and input.

Studies show that where schools do not have study leave the exam results are higher than those schools where kids go on study leavein May. From next week our school is running a collapsed timetable so all kids are due in but their timetable changes. They focus on the exams they have coming up and lessons are focused on different types of revision tasks.

Teachers lose their planning periods to offer more sessions and they have breakfast revision sessions as well for the exams which begun in the morning.

Unless the school is really rowdy and kids don’t work or behave I’d say most kids are better off in school doing focused revision with their teachers.

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.
Hmm. My dd1 had similar for her ASs. In school, dd1 was a perfect pupil, so she had study leave. She'd cruised through her GCSEs without putting much effort in, and nothing we said could convince her it would be different for A levels. Until she failed. Now, I'm erring on the side of that not being a totally bad thing at that stage - she needed to learn that. However, I don't think GCSEs is the right time to learn that. Point being, being a lovely pupil at school doesn't automatically translate as someone who will get up early, switch off all social media, and study for 6 hours of the school day, without anyone at home to enforce that.

I am a solitary learner and do well learning things on my own- reading and reflecting on what I have learnt so there is no way I would have done well having to attend study leave with others.

You can do all of that in school. Being on the premises doesn't have to equate to all sitting chatting about things in a group. Many of the teachers will sit in the room to 'be available' to anyone who needs them, and ensure there is a quiet environment for those who don't, to get on with their study.

My point is, learning in a classroom, revising with others and having a teacher instruct you, is a particularly learning style, needed by some but would be detrimental to others- hence enforcing this does not make it a level playing field!

See above. Being in school doesn't mean the staff are teaching whole class lessons. It means you are up, out of bed, and away from social media. If you want to even stick some earphones in and get on with your favoured revision method, that isn't going to be an issue for most schools / teachers. The teachers are available if needed, not forcing you to stop revising.

As Maisypops said, Walk around our y11 lessons and you'll see teachers recapping concepts, students doing mock questions, teachers doing 1-1, pairs of children quizzing each other from flashcards, teachers going through mock answers, lessons where teachers quiz students, lessons where students do silent independent study for an hour. If a teacher were doing a quiz or explaining a mock answer, and a well behaved pupil explained they were OK on that and wanted to work on something else instead, they would be able to go and work in the library, or just settle down with their earphones in, instead.

BackforGood

It would be a choice, of course. Nobody would have to take study leave.

My children's school go on study leave in year 11 from next week. I'm quite surprised that some schools don't. I would have hated having to go to lessons between exams and not being able to revise what I wanted when I wanted and I know my children would feel the same. I think that it will adversely affect some students results and whilst it may benefit those who wouldn't normally work it doesn't say much for comprehensives it everyone is forced to do the same thing regardless of how academic or how hard they work.

Yes Dungeon, I agree. This^

MaisyPops, conversely, how prepared for 'life' are you if you don't know how to take on a task (revision in this case) and work on it from planning to completion stage, using your initiative without having it micromanaged at every stage. In the real world that's much more of a problem for employers. Schools 'are' noisy places, I work in a few as I work for a centralised service. I think that you may have become immune to it as I have only ever worked with adults in offices prior to this job and the day to day level of noise would never be tolerated in those work settings. Environments where you can concentrate and people don't have a general volume level of loud or very loud!

My school expects students in unless you write in to the head in advance requesting study leave from home. I did the latter - but then I am at home with dd and closely involved in her revision. It suits her because she is motivated and a grafter - plus she can focus better at home than with her ansty peers

My dd's school, not my school!

Goldenbear
Well the thing is we teach children how to revise. But at 15/16 they're still children who need help and guidance. We can give independence within school.

The problem with study leave is that the people going on about how awesome it is are often the ones with the comfy home lives, who have a nice study area, supportive parents etc. Those students can still revise in school. There's quiet space.

So we go to a parental request for study leave system. How many parents of otherwise disaffected students would sign to grant study leave knowing fine well their DC wouldn't revise?
Plus, if a student doesn't understand something, having a subject specialist on hand means they can get additional input.

One of my classes this year (post 16) has actually requested some additional revision lessons once they're on study leave. They're going to come in, revise quietly and ask me to go through things 1-1.

I think that you may have become immune to it as I have only ever worked with adults in offices prior to this job and the day to day level of noise would never be tolerated in those work settings.
I career changed to teaching. Thanks for the 'you must know nothing about the real world' implication.
I haven't become immune to it at all. We don't have students roaming the corridors. We don't have lots of noise. Our block during y11 lesson time is quiet because every class is doing quiet work. Some classrooms are silent.
Anyone would think we created learning environments to help children learn.

In contrast to my pre teaching career where people would nip to their friend's desk, go for a wander to the bathroom and chat to people along the way etc. My classroom during quiet working is quieter than many other settings I've worked.

I think study leave is fine and dandy if the DC are motivated and have 'aced' revision technique themselves. However, staying in school doing revision sessions probably helps a greater number of children than being left to their own devices at home. It would be interesting to look at how this is altering school league table results - I suspect it is.

It seems to be part of a trend of 'spoon-feeding' DC every which way. At DN's school it looks as if this policy of being in school to revise continues into sixth form too. How will young people learn to revise effectively for uni if they've never had the chance to master the techniques themselves?

And should parents be "closely involved in revision" either?

“how prepared for 'life' are you if you don't know how to take on a task (revision in this case) and work on it from planning to completion stage, using your initiative without having it micromanaged at every stage”

Goldenbear as long as schools are judged and ranked in a particular way schools are only going to have to micromanage more and more. I work in a university and see the results of this too. But what gets measured gets done, and schools can’t take the risk of pupils failing

Fascinating how all the "oh, they should be able to revise independently by 15/wrong to spoon feed/doing them no favours" rhetoric is for the benefit of well supported privileged children......

Given that it may take up to the age of 25 for the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain that deals with planning ahead and self-discipline) to mature, I think a bit of spoon-feeding may well be required at 15.

I know I found it very hard to grasp the differences between O-level and A-level study and would have welcomed a more graded approach to study skills and managing one's time.

Well the thing is we teach children how to revise. But at 15/16 they're still children who need help and guidance. We can give independence within school.

Some do but certainly not all. My DD just got on with it as did the great majority of her friends and peers. They are not necessarily typical (grammar school) and I appreciate some children might not revise without guidance but they aren't all the same. For some having to see in on a revision class and go over things they already know in a less than relaxing environment would not be the best way for them to revise.

The problem with study leave is that the people going on about how awesome it is are often the ones with the comfy home lives, who have a nice study area, supportive parents etc. Those students can still revise in school. There's quiet space.

That might depend on the school. There certainly wouldn't be enough "quiet space" and DDs school. The library isn't big enough. The school state that those who want to revise in the library can but they have the choice to go home and I know that DD found home to be more productive.

So we go to a parental request for study leave system. How many parents of otherwise disaffected students would sign to grant study leave knowing fine well their DC wouldn't revise?

I don't know. Certainly very few, perhaps none at DDs' school would do that. It is a grammar school so perhaps demographics are different but I can't imagine many parents at the nearest comprehensive would do that either.

One of my classes this year (post 16) has actually requested some additional revision lessons once they're on study leave. They're going to come in, revise quietly and ask me to go through things 1-1

They do revision lessons at DDs' school and some children are told to go to them. Others are given the choice.

“They are not necessarily typical (grammar school)”

Oh, ffs-of course they aren’t bloody typical!!!!!

And should parents be "closely involved in revision" either?

As you are quoting me, I will answer. Yes I should be closely involved in dd's revision because she has a spLD - i.e. dyslexia, and suffers with anxiety. She finds my input helpful - both in helping her organise and target her revision, and in keeping her calm and preventing her from spiralling into panic - both of which she will get better at doing for herself as she matures

Surely you understand that every child has differing needs

That was for Newmodelarmy

Oh, ffs-of course they aren’t bloody typical!!!!!

Okay, they are not typical. However, the fact that grammar schools get the best results while letting children have study leave at home suggests that it is the best way to revise for the more able and motivated students.

“However, the fact that grammar schools get the best results while letting children have study leave at home suggests that it is the best way to revise for the more able and motivated students.”

No it doesn’t. All it suggests is that more able and motivated students get the best results. Which is hardly rocket science!

No it doesn’t. All it suggests is that more able and motivated students get the best results. Which is hardly rocket science!

The grammar schools themselves obviously believe that it is the best way for the more able/motivated students to revise though or they would stop study leave.