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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Dungeondragon15 · 08/05/2018 08:16

As I said, I have academic motivated children. Study leave/no study leave makes no difference to them. That means that rhey should not figure in the school's decision making process.

I strongly disagree that it makes no difference. Being able to organise your own revision timetable and not be distracted by other pupils will make a lot of difference to many academic self motivated children.

InMySpareTime · 08/05/2018 08:19

DS has no study leave, to the extent that although his Computer Science exams are all finished next Thursday, he has a month more of Computer Science lessons to go to

MillicentF · 08/05/2018 08:28

"Being able to organise your own revision timetable and not be distracted by other pupils will make a lot of difference to many academic self motivated children."

What are you basing this on? I am basing my views on two children and close involvement with two schools-one that did study leave and one that didn't.

Dungeondragon15 · 08/05/2018 08:34

Yes- some people do like to keep their children away from the hoi polloi.....

Firstly, there are more PP children at DD's school than at the local comprehensive. Secondly you are being ridiculous to argue that the needs of more academic children should not figure into the decision making process at comprehensives and then suggest that anyone who is happy that their academic children went to a grammar school where their needs are taken into consideration just didn't want them mixing with the "hoi poi".

Dungeondragon15 · 08/05/2018 08:39

What are you basing this on? I am basing my views on two children and close involvement with two schools-one that did study leave and one that didn't.

I'm basing it on my DD and her friends, a poll of my family, my work colleagues (mostly academics) and friends. All did have study leave and all benefited from being able to work at home and organise their own timetable. DD occasionally tried to work at school during study leave but found it hard to get much done in the library.

MillicentF · 08/05/2018 09:12

"Firstly, there are more PP children at DD's school than at the local comprehensive."Really? It is unique amongst grammar schools then. Good for it. I wonder how it achieves this notable distinction.
"Secondly you are being ridiculous to argue that the needs of more academic children should not figure into the decision making process at comprehensives" If you notice, when I made that statement I was clearly only talking about the decision whether or not to have study leave.

Dungeondragon15 · 08/05/2018 09:30

Firstly, there are more PP children at DD's school than at the local comprehensive."Really? It is unique amongst grammar schools then. Good for it. I wonder how it achieves this notable distinction.

I said that there are more PP children at DD school compared with the local comprehensive. Considering you don't know what comprehensive I am talking about or what grammar school how can you possibly know that it is unique. Some grammar schools have quite a high proportion of children on PP and certainly higher than the proportion in some comprehensives.

Pinga · 08/05/2018 12:21

What do people mean by pp?

MillicentF · 08/05/2018 13:42

Pupil Premium

crazycatgal · 08/05/2018 13:46

My school didn't let us have study leave 8 years ago when I did my GCSE's.

This just led to poor attendance because people either didn't come in, or came in and bunked off after dinner time.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 08/05/2018 13:56

Being able to organise your own revision timetable and not be distracted by other pupils will make a lot of difference to many academic self motivated children.

I'd agree with that. I've still had to do revision as an adult and the way I've always revised involves talking to myself - either by reading through my notes aloud, answering flash card questions or by explaining topics as if I was explaining them to someone else. I get that that's probably a fairly niche way of revising but I absolutely couldn't have done that in school.

KingscoteStaff · 08/05/2018 14:26

DS’s school started study leave today. However, he plans to go in each day, study in the very comfortable library, use the super fast broadband, eat lunch (that I’ve paid for) and know that his teachers are down the corridor if he realises he doesn’t understand something. So many of his exams are at 9.15am - he doesn’t want his body clock to get used to lie ins.

MillicentF · 08/05/2018 14:52

Can’t imagine Miss Cromwell going for study leave.........

MaisyPops · 08/05/2018 16:52

Bizarre that you are arguing that study leave is not a good thing but at the same time state that you like the system of schools in your area of allowing study leave.
Hardly bizarre that I think in a system that can't be all things to all people that a good solution is meeting in the middle. (As I said, I was a student who had study leave, liked it and used it properly)

More exams are in May than June so it's also more logistically problematic keeping students in. What will a student do if they are in school for 6 days before their final exam in June (which is what some of ours will have)? Expect them to do 30 hours of revision for that one exam? Course not. Much better once most of the exams are done to drop to revision session and exam only.

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 08/05/2018 17:01

Much better once most of the exams are done to drop to revision session and exam only

I agree

Dungeondragon15 · 08/05/2018 17:17

Hardly bizarre that I think in a system that can't be all things to all people that a good solution is meeting in the middle. (As I said, I was a student who had study leave, liked it and used it properly)

I don't think having revision lessons for a couple of weeks before half term and the rest of the time study leave even counts as meeting in the middle. It is far more on the side of allowing study leave and is similar to what happens at DD's school except the revision lessons are only compulsory for those the teachers think need them. When I was at school O levels didn't even start until after the half term.

KingscoteStaff · 08/05/2018 17:48

I think you're right - I don't think my O levels started until after half term. When did they shift earlier, and why?

MillicentF Miss Cromwell is currently turning a blind eye to sixth formers revising on the roof.

Original poster

gov · 08/05/2018 21:33

Thanks for the input everyone. Irrespective of theory - I still maintain that what is available for my DC is not in their best interest, but I guess a lot of why is in the detail. My DS has exams morning and afternoon all week next week, except one afternoon and one day, so tbh there wasn't ever going to be much study leave for him even if he was allowed it. The following week is nearly as busy for him, but at least 4 whole GCSEs will be finished before half term (although he will be part way through 5 more, with only English Language completely after half term). DS has less exams than him before half term and she finishes after him. At their school physically there are very few places for quiet revision (the library is not one of them, and it is true that the music school is better), and yes the school may be trying to address this by raising funding to build a new block, but it won't be built in time to help my kids. The only revision they'll be able to do will be in lessons, which are normal timetable, and as everyone has different exam demands, no doubt it will usually only be practicable to let kids study independently against their own schedules (apart from for the booster sessions which are scheduled out of school hours anyway).

OP posts:

claraschu · 09/05/2018 06:01

OP I am one of the people who knows that not having study leave will be bad for my daughter, so we are just going to call in sick a lot. It is uncomfortable, and I wish we didn't have to do this, but (as so often happens) the system leaves me no choice. I am not going to let my daughter get extremely stressed and tired when she could be having really helpful days to work quietly at home.

Dungeondragon15 · 09/05/2018 07:40

I also think the only thing to do is call in sick on the days he doesn't have exams. I'm sure that many other people will be doing the same thing.

MillicentF · 09/05/2018 10:25

Or just send your ds to school with his mates and let him get on with it?

Idontmeanto · 09/05/2018 19:09

I’d love to call mine in sick, but she’s got an exam every day in the next two weeks😳

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