To book a family day out during GCSEs

[sophandbridge]

It'd just be for me and the dc doing GCSEs and would be their Xmas present but is a fixed day two weeks into the exams. My view is book it as a day to relax would do them good but would you ? I can't decide, they may say they want to stay home and revise.

@TeenPlusTwenties

How would people feel about a day off school early May?

No idea but I am talking about a Saturday in June!

To the people saying arrange it for after the exams, RTFT! I can't as it's event that is on a specific day.

I'd do it. Exams on a Saturday? There'd be an outcry, that's not going to happen. Worst case scenario it gets cancelled because of COVID, but you're getting insurance for that. I took both of mine away for the whole of the Bank Holiday weekend in their GCSE and A level years, three days out without revision. They came out rested and refreshed and did very well, because they had been revising thoroughly and steadily since winter mocks. You know your DC best, if you think this will work you should do it.

@SaltyF that's my view.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince if that happens then we won't go. They will know I won't make them go, when we were on holiday one year in an area we know very well they were booked to do a specific activity, something unexpected happened which worried them and so I agreed that they didn't have to do it. The same would happen with this though I know there absolutely will not be a repeat of the events that stopped them doing their activity last time. As it happens they take exams in their stride and cope well with a mix of revision and relaxing, they've just finished a fortnight of mock gcses in exam hall conditions.

I don't believe for a minute that there will be exams on a Saturday but the insurance we have will cover that, the T&C are very detailed and it's less than £5. Even if it didn't then they'd miss the day out to do the exam if absolutely necessary.

I’ve never known exams on a Saturday either. In 25 years of teaching.

The only way it might conceivably happen is if a student has an exam clash on a Friday. They have to be isolated so they don’t know what’s on the paper they aren’t doing. But they usually do it on a Friday after school when all the rest of gone.

You know your child best. Personally I'd go for the day out and change of scene. But if you've the sort of child likely to spend the day stressing them no.

And no teacher/invigilator/exams officer is ever going to be in on a Saturday. Unions would go mad, and they would have to be paid.

So that ain’t ever happening!

And l doubt the exam boards would comply either. They already get it in the neck from schools.

You know your own kid best. My 17 year old would have been fine with a break.

Some kids would be stressing at missing a whole day revising.

You'd be amazed what some people do - I know of a kid whose mum had booked a family holiday which overlapped her GCSEs. Mum's response, when she realised was that it was a real pity, because her daughter had wanted to do a particular college course and now she wouldn't be able to get the grades for it!
A couple of years ago I had a parent ring up to say her daughter would miss the first English exam as they would be on holiday, and when could she resit it? I had to explain it didn't work like that!

@Nomorepies

No this is insanity OP. To miss a crucial day studying in exam period- that would send my anxiety rocketing. Surely this could mean the difference between a good or bad performance on the day.

Lovely idea but save any treats for when they have finished. Suspect there will be extra stress and pressure this year anyway. Not worth the risk!

Oh that’s such a sad attitude. I’m a teacher and we all know a well deserved rest now and then actually improves performance. Not all the time but if you start studying early and are consistent with your planning one day won’t hurt.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

And no teacher/invigilator/exams officer is ever going to be in on a Saturday. Unions would go mad, and they would have to be paid.

So that ain’t ever happening!

Teachers often go in on holidays and weekends in exam season and get paid. I’ve done this myself countless times.

I wouldn't even think twice about booking it, but then my kids are young.

Do you mean mocks in December or January, or the real Gcses?
It's not helpful at all to your child or the subject teacher. It's difficult to make accurate predictions if a child misses mocks. Also, if exams were cancelled and teacher assessments were used, the subject teacher for the missed mocks would have no evidence of your child's most recent attainment so you might find a lower grade was awarded than you felt was deserved. Not very relaxing for your child.

Maybe everyone else should just take their kids out on random days. Or teachers could do this too.

Why not, we are all stressed.

@Maryjane3227 have you even read the thread? The OP wants to take them out for a day on a Saturday in half term during current proposed dates of GCSEs. What are you rambling on about?

They've already been cancelled here in Wales anyway, maybe England will follow suit soon.

What’s the event? I feel you should share it for us to decide if we want to come too

Having read the full thread, I have to say that some of the responses make me a bit sad. Yes of course GCSEs are important when it comes to securing the desired further education path, and should be taken seriously, but they are not a matter of life and death.

So many PPs seem convinced that a single second away from revision during year 11 will spell complete failure and piling that amount of pressure on kids of 15 & 16 is really worrying.

It's proven that we are more productive and able to take things in after rest and headspace, I'm really shocked that so many people are opposed to the OPs kids (who she knows best after all) having one single pre-planned day away from their studies to refresh themselves and think about something else.

Makes me very glad that all the many years ago I did mine that my parents were very much 'you can only do your best and whatever the results are we'll go from there'. For the record I worked all day Saturday and Sunday throughout and came away with respectable results.

@Nomorepies Insanity? How is having a break from revision insanity? Whether it's a day out or a day off at home I can't see how it's insane, if they work all day every day they are going to burn out.

@Whatsonmymindgrapes we've had revision days for my older DCs during half term and Easter holidays before now but always on a week day, I've always said that my DCs will go to them as if the teachers are working on a day off then the pupils must go for that reason alone (and obviously because it helps them!). DCs school does them on weekdays and after school not on Saturdays though.

@Maryjane3227 Have you even read my OP let alone anything else on the thread?

@Newnamenewopenme Haha, no! I might need to book a couple more tickets before the discounted ones are sold out.

@DuzzyFuck love the username.

@sophandbridge
Oh sorry I hope you didn’t take that as me saying you shouldn’t go on this day out, I think you should. I was just replying to a poster who said that teachers don’t work Saturdays.

I think go, one day won’t hurt. Enjoy Op

[quote Whatsonmymindgrapes]@sophandbridge
Oh sorry I hope you didn’t take that as me saying you shouldn’t go on this day out, I think you should. I was just replying to a poster who said that teachers don’t work Saturdays.

I think go, one day won’t hurt. Enjoy Op[/quote]
@Whatsonmymindgrapes No, not at all, I was just sharing my view on teachers and revision sessions in their holidays, my older DC greatly appreciated them when she was doing A levels. Hopefully her younger sister will benefit too!

No no no. We have worked Saturdays. I’ve gone in for stuff. But it’s voluntary.

What will not happen is the exam boards will permit exams to take place on a Saturday. They are high security documents and are kept under lock and key. If they took place then the exams office would have to come in.

And the invigilators who work on ad hoc basis.

And if this level of staffing was required it couldn’t just be voluntary. Exams are a formal very high security process.
It couldn’t be done with volunteers. And the government isn’t going to pay people to do it.

So the exam boards won’t allow it.

Most days students have to sit 2 exams on one day. It is important students take regular breaks during revision but I would not advocate a whole day. I know my child would be worried the whole day and not enjoy it as much as he normally would. Why can't you wait until last exam is over. My dd decided not to have her 18th birthday until the last A Level exam was over. She said she didn't want to be responsible for stopping her friends revising.

If it's half term week then he's, I would. Dd had time out during GCSEs at half term and really benefitted form it.

Many children don't do well with studying all day every day throughout the holidays.

Dd didn't do revision weeks at school and they aren't compulsory anyway.

I would, but no exams to without a doubt, id book it

Given the uncertainty at the moment I wouldn’t be surprised if some exams are on weekends/ half term to cope with contingencies.

They won't be!
The logistics of organising weekend and half term exams would be too much. They'd be more likely to cancel than have them at weekends.