What’s happened to GCSE study leave?

[Whywere]

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?

No study leave means focused revision by experienced subject teachers FOR FREE. If you think your Year 11 children are using their 'study leave' wisely, you are gullible. Obviously some do, but too many get up late, stay up late at night - and they're not revising. School gives them a structure.

my DCs school still has study leave. I think te kid knows best what as as an individual they most need to work on. State Grammar

No study leave here which is disadvantages DD. She finds studying in school hard due to processing issues and has her own proven way of revision, unfortunately not what school do. Last exam is Further maths 3 days after everyone else has finished. Not quite sure what school think they are going to do with them as exams end. I feel her ceoliacs may play up a bit on non exam days... ( there are few advantages of that but this is one) prom refused only if the have non approved not sick leave.

I am making this up as I haven’t been in school for a while, but I thought that state school funding depended partly on how many pupils were in school on a nominated date each term.

According to this the census date for this term is Thursday May 18th.

This timetable seems to show there’s English and Economics A level papers in the morning and Maths in the afternoon, which would bring in quite a number of students even if study leave had started earlier.

If your school’s study leave starts on May 19th I’d be suspicious!

Study leave counts at absence. That's one reason why lord of schools no longer have any.

Allowing her to revise at home can be a reasonable adjustment.

Even within State schools policies differ. Eg at one DNs school they base study leave on predicted grades - only students predicted the very top grades are permitted to study at home. Everyone else has to come in. Another DN’s school - they must go into school but to study in the library or various classrooms under ‘supervision’ but top students get allowed to bring in parent letters if they are getting distracted.

I'm very glad that finishing at Easter and leaving 15 and 16 year olds to it for weeks on end was stopped years ago.
Far better for the overwhelming majority of teens to be up and working by 9am and having teacher to ask when they get stuck with something.

Thanks for the links. DD's school has provided an ambiguous letter referencing study leave, which I need to re-read as it made no bloody sense whatsoever so it'll be interesting to see if/when they allow it.

For years now it's not been a thing where I worked, they have to come until half-term. Which mostly they don't so you end up with a class of like 5 and no one wants to do anything.

That is the idea.But in practise, the attendance for the last 3 weeks of May is very, very low. So it's a bit of a drag as only the students who don't need that much revision turn up, and the ones who do need it don't.

I despair we still have NO parental letter on what they are doing around study leave… I asked a month ago so did another parent it’s just bloody ridiculous this school never communicates or makes decisions…I wonder if I can get my DD out as a “reasonable adjustment” her sibling is autistic but lucky at a different school however I’ve suspected for awhile that DD is too but has developed enough coping skills to survive so far. She is starting to crack and revising at home having a quiet space between exams is the best thing for her and not Sat in lessons that are not related to the next exam! She’s had two nasty illnesses this year which both resulted in absences so is hovering at 89% which they have also complained about despite having a Drs note and even the GP said “we’ve not seen you for years but your quite poorly aren’t you!” I just can’t wait for her to leave and neither can she.

Private school teacher here - kids are now on study leave. I would have hated being in classes myself when I did my exams. I think I did far better being able to revise in my own way.

As a high achiever who went to a private school and had study leave, I can honestly say I would have worked harder in school than I did at home. I spent more time during study leave making myself lunch than revising for exams!

The pressure on schools and teachers to get results is enormous; unfortunately, many students just wouldn't revise if they were on study leave. Any teachers subjects "lucky" enough to be the last exams will be forced to provide extra study sessions in any non-contacts they have (or in some cases be pulled out of their existing classes to do so).

The problem with that is that teachers cannot just let students get on with revision and help if and where needed. No, active teaching up until the last second is required by SLT for the benefit of the few who won't work at all, but to the detriment of anyone who may have other, more niche topics they need revision for.

Some students vote with their feet and just don't turn up anymore.

The pressure on schools and teachers to get results is enormous; unfortunately, many students just wouldn't revise if they were on study leave.

^This. Of course the majority of students want to be on study leave - it's only natural. That doesn't mean it would actually benefit most of them.

You can. Provision is needs based not diagnosis base although school may want you to evidence need - GP letter should do it.

I am autistic, if that’s relevant, although didn’t know it when I was at school. Straight A’s at GCSE but without study leave I don’t know how I would even have passed. Revision in class or teacher led sessions were completely useless for me. I needed to be at home in silence, make my own notes and focus on learning them, test myself, make more notes, look at the syllabus etc etc.

For me, the real work happened at home, by myself, and school was just where I was given the info that would be in the exam.

I did use my study leave. All day I would revise 50 mins, break for ten, and an hour break for lunch and dinner. I remember my routine well. I appreciate I may have been unusual but amongst my peers I wasn’t.

There will be many young people like me who need the study leave. Including my ds, although he isn’t as organised or hard working! I kept him home before his mocks and his achievement increased at least a grade in all subjects. I’ll do it again no hesitation for GCSE’s as his actual results are more important than attendance, so I’d his well-being. School are now giving permission as a reasonable adjustment although I would still keep him off if they didn’t.

I also have adhd and hyper focused on my revision but was unable to concentrate in class, just doodled and daydreamed.

My year 11s go on study leave next week. They are allowed to come in and use study room at school and subject boosters are offered the day before the exams in most cases. Kids can also choose to stay home and study if they wish. However, it is a private school.

Both my daughters went to state schools and had study leave. My youngest left 3 years ago. They were expected to go in for some study sessions but they were able to come home once that session had taken place and there were not all day every day

My son started study leave from a state Grammar School on Thursday. He works well at home and can focus on the areas he knows he needs to work on most.

They do have the option to go into school if they prefers to work in that environment and there are a few extra sessions on during the week that they can attend.

Seems crazy to make kids go to lessons in the morning if they have an exam in the afternoon- sounds very stressful.

Definitely no study leave here, but now thinking about asking for reasonable adjustments thanks to @FatGirlSwim she's not yet keen but will we think be haveing a couple of unfortunate incidents with gluten on the two days in 4 weeks she has no exams. Waiting to see what her revision timetable looks like this week first . They change form normal timetable to talkative next Monday as the exams start.

That's not how study leave often works- if there is an exam in the afternoon, kids can usually stay at home in the morning, if there is an exam in the morning, they are offered sessions in the afternoon.
The study leave starting in June is not for benefit of kids like yours too, grammar school or independent school students often already have a lot of support in place and conditions to study.
However, there are children out there who don't have conditions at home to study/revise, don't have parents to make sure they do.
I used to teach in a schools where somes students shared rooms with 3/4 other siblings, and the lights went off then the youngest went to bed, so no time in the evenings, they never did any homework, the flats were crowded and they would revise on a kitchen table among all the noise etc. Or they would spend their days on the streets.
Sadly vurnerable students are often the first ones not to turn up.

@Pegsandsunshine I totally understand where you are coming from. Dd at normal state comp with very mixed catchment and DH is ex secondary teacher. But insisting they go in does disadvantage quite a few, especially as they can't focus on what they need just what the "herd" needs. I'm not keen on 2 hours of maths on the day of the technology exam in the pm, which did happen to my son, after I complained he was allowed to work in the library. If they keep then in then there should be a variety of options to suit ALL students.