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Original poster

What’s happened to GCSE study leave?

198 replies

Whywere · 02/05/2023 19:56

No study leave at all at DS school. Even once exams start. School say pupils grades are higher if they stay at school. Overall this is probably true but I’m thinking probably not for higher achievers.

What’s the arrangements at your school?

OP posts:
Cathpot · 02/05/2023 20:10

We don’t have it any more because the pressure on exam results means we can’t allow kids who won’t work at home to be left to their own devices. Some of our students need to be in to access a quiet supportive environment and some need to be in because they can’t self motivate.

However every year , very quietly on a case by case basis the school allows a few studious kids whose parents make a good case- to not come in on days they don’t have an exam. Often we know these kids are dealing with anxiety issues and are better off at home. I had to nip some ‘I was up at 4am doing a past paper’ nonsense in the bud last week amongst a group of very hard working but very stressed girls.

If students aren’t in an exam they are doing supervised revision. If they have an exam the next day in our subject we are allowed to lead revision for that exam . On balance I think it is the right thing to do for the majority - although it probably isn’t the right thing for my own DD who would get more done and be calmer at home. If she is getting really stressy I will keep her off.

katienana · 02/05/2023 20:11

I had no idea this was the case now, I actually loved revising and making a big timetable that I stuck on the wall, and listening to radio1 all day while I cracked on! Do the school let pupils concentrate on the subjects they need to revise or do they follow a normal timetable?

transformandriseup · 02/05/2023 20:13

I'm feeling old now as I had no idea that study leave was no longer a thing since doing my GCSE's 19 years ago.

That being said I may have achieved better grades if I had been at school as my home life was hectic and I didn't have the set up for hours of studying.

x2boys · 02/05/2023 20:13

Whywere · 02/05/2023 20:05

Yep - right up til the bitter, bloody end!! And no prom if you don’t show up .

Show quote history

Oh don't get me started on the prom my son hasn't been invited to his ( not that he wants to go ) because of the amount of time he had had off he missed the whole of he last half term not just because he couldn't be arsed,going but because he was critically ill in hospital!! He'd back at school but frankly his GCSE,s are very low down on our priorities considering he nearly died in February.

christmastreefarm · 02/05/2023 20:14

Nine at our school. The only time they are allowed home after lunch is when they don’t have an exam in the afternoon or the following morning - that’s never for my daughter.

not sure what happens at the end as she has food tech which is the last full week I think. Most of her friends will be done the previous so not sure if they will just have a handful
of y11 rattling around or they let them stay home at that point. The practical and coursework grades are already set so the exam is not a massive component.

Dweetfidilove · 02/05/2023 20:20

Hellocatshome · 02/05/2023 20:05

No study leave for DS and hour long booster sessions specific to the exam immediately before the exam starts. I think this is best for DS otherwise he probably wouldn't do much but I imagine some kids would rather be left to get on with it.

The only kids at his school that get study leave are the naughty ones as they learnt last year those ones just ran around disrupting everything in between exams because they didn't give shit. They are only allowed on school grounds for the exams and then escorted off the premises.

I know this is a good thing for the children who want to study, but imagine being escorted off school premises because you're a nuisance 😶...

FourTeaFallOut · 02/05/2023 20:21

There's no study leave here. They return to lessons between exams, with bonus lessons before and after school.

Hellocatshome · 02/05/2023 20:23

Dweetfidilove · 02/05/2023 20:20

I know this is a good thing for the children who want to study, but imagine being escorted off school premises because you're a nuisance 😶...

Show quote history

Don't get me wrong its not just your run of the mill naughty kids. They have night school at DSs school where the unruly kids go to school on the afternoon/evening rather than during the day as they are that disruptive (sometimes dangerous). It is those kind of kids I'm.talking about.

minisoksmakehardwork · 02/05/2023 20:24

Our school allows those with a proven study record to take study leave. They know the kids who don't want to be there will just continue to disrupt lessons so keep them in school where they might actually learn something and let those who are independent learners benefit from a quiet home study environment.

Tittyfilarious81 · 02/05/2023 20:24

In our School there's no study leave , boosting til 4 30 the night before some exams and the last 1 for my DS is 20 th June

Cathpot · 02/05/2023 20:26

How can they not invite him to prom when he’s been ill??

AlbaDT · 02/05/2023 20:27

No study leave here.

CeliaNorth · 02/05/2023 20:27

And 22 fucking exams

How many subjects? 2/3 papers per subject was the norm when I did O Levels, many years ago.

elliejjtiny · 02/05/2023 20:29

Ds1 had to be in school full time until the last exam at the end of June. Then they had the leavers service and then year 11 all filed out of the school hall and down the footpath while the rest of the school lined the footpath and clapped them as they left.

TattiePants · 02/05/2023 20:30

I've just checked back to last year and DS was in school until Friday 13th and his first exam was Monday 16th. He was then off for the rest of the exam period. This year for AS levels he seems to be in school every day including the day of the exams.

ShowUs · 02/05/2023 20:31

Schools are judged on their GCSE results.

The majority of students aren’t going to study at home which would have an impact on their grades and make the school look bad.

If you feel your child would genuinely do better studying at home then you could ask if he’s allowed to stay home but I doubt they’ll allow it.

My school allows students to leave once their exams are over.

WhiteCatmas · 02/05/2023 20:34

My son starts study leave next week. We’re in NI.

x2boys · 02/05/2023 20:34

Cathpot · 02/05/2023 20:26

How can they not invite him to prom when he’s been ill??

Well he's not interested tbf but he's had no invite ( the have to e invited ) and it ,goes off attendance and extra study which he's. missed a lot of but because he was critically ill!

Danielle9891 · 02/05/2023 20:43

I finished school in 2006 and didn't get study leave. I wished we did as I spent over 1.30 hours commuting to and from school a day and even had to go to lessons which I didn't have exams for.

holaholiday · 02/05/2023 20:50

Ours are in school now…the change started last year and that cohort got the schools best ever gcse results so I’m all for it.

GrassWillBeGreener · 02/05/2023 20:54

I just counted up how many papers DS has - 16. That's for A levels ...

(admittedly it includes 2 STEP papers for maths but still...)

MrsHamlet · 02/05/2023 20:56

No study leave until mid June. Most students are bussed in, so it actually helps them get in. And we're revising.

WhichSpoon · 02/05/2023 20:57

My DS starts study leave a week on Friday for GCSEs, he's at a standard comp.

OnlyYourSharpestMinds · 02/05/2023 21:03

I'm really surprised by this - DS's last normal/time-tabled day in Y11 is Friday. Then a week of study leave where the kids can choose whether or not they want to revise at home or at school. I'm quite glad as DS has a good, structured approach to revision at home and I think the more relaxed setting at home will help take the pressure off and keep his stress levels down.
I honestly thought this was the norm, so this thread has been quite an eye opener!

tourdefrance · 02/05/2023 21:03

Very glad no study leave here until after final English language exam. DS struggles to self motivate and focus when left to his own devices. I support him with planning revision at the weekend but during the week too would be very stressful.

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