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Original poster

GCSE day off

127 replies

Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:11

Ds is into last week of gcse. Thurs will be the day before a science exam on Fri. Last exam on Mon is also science. He has no exam Thurs but the school have kept them in throughout the exam period to "revise". However the revision is not structured it's just revise what subject you like. No he probably won't revise if at home and I'm at work, but I kind of feel like letting him stay home anyway. The school have given them no study leave and they've had to stay in school after every exam. I feel like this late, he isn't going to learn much more anyway and what will be will be. What's everyone else doing in this situation as I know it's not just our school who has adopted this view of study leave? On the other hand he finishes altogether Monday so maybe I just make him go Thurs. Apparently no one else is going in.

OP posts:
ColinOfficeTrolley · 09/06/2025 06:13

Same. DD has no exams Tuesday and detests school. I'll probably let her stay off.

Spies · 09/06/2025 06:14

Send him in. His no one else is going in line works against him here as if there's no one else in he is more likely to revise than if he's left at home where he is likely to spend all day watching TV or gaming.

Cosyblankets · 09/06/2025 06:14

What are they going to do if the kids don't go in at this stage?

Festivfrenzy · 09/06/2025 06:15

Last minute revision worked wonders for me - I think lots of boys are the same. Can you incentivise him with a big dinner of his choice on Thursday night? He’s losing motivation so needs something but a day off just at the crucial time isn’t a great idea.

Original poster
Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:15

ColinOfficeTrolley · 09/06/2025 06:13

Same. DD has no exams Tuesday and detests school. I'll probably let her stay off.

Ds also has none Tues but it's maths the next day and he really needs that revision day.

OP posts:
Zanatdy · 09/06/2025 06:16

Yeah i’d just let him have the day off, but depends how much you think he needs that extra day of revision. I pulled DD out of school a month before the exams. She has some ongoing health issues and hated revising in school. She got 11 x grade 9’s so it didn’t make any difference missing a month at school. But she did so much revision at home, way more structured than in school so I had no issues doing this. Seems mean the school didn’t let them finish Friday before half term like most schools.

Original poster
Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:17

Festivfrenzy · 09/06/2025 06:15

Last minute revision worked wonders for me - I think lots of boys are the same. Can you incentivise him with a big dinner of his choice on Thursday night? He’s losing motivation so needs something but a day off just at the crucial time isn’t a great idea.

At the moment he thinks he is going. I just feel a bit mean. But he will be off altogether soon enough so what's another day in school I guess.

OP posts:
ColinOfficeTrolley · 09/06/2025 06:18

Not sure why you're asking then. You seem to want him to go so just send him

BookArt55 · 09/06/2025 06:19

If he goes in, he will do something to support himself.
If he stays at home, he will do nothing.
I don't really understand why you're considering that he stays home then. The school are supporting you and your son to do his best. It takes a lot of effort and staff to facilitate this, and it is done to support. Your son has shown you that his strength is not independently working at home and instead he will use the time to do nothing. He has the longest summer of roughly ten weeks to do absolutely nothing.
Also, there are many kids who work better at home, in that case I would agree to them not going to school.
Less kids in school, more work your son will do as fewer distractions.

WhereHasMyPlanetGone · 09/06/2025 06:21

Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:15

Ds also has none Tues but it's maths the next day and he really needs that revision day.

Show quote history

Why do you think a last minute revision day will be useful for maths but not science? Is he confident he already knows everything he needs to know for science?

Sideorderofchips · 09/06/2025 06:21

Our year 11s are coming in if they want to even though they are supposed to be in

BookArt55 · 09/06/2025 06:22

Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:15

Ds also has none Tues but it's maths the next day and he really needs that revision day.

Show quote history

Then he can revise Thursday and Tuesday for Maths with last minute revision and do even better!
Sorry, your logic doesn't make sense. Last minute revision isn't the best way, but it does help.

BlueMum16 · 09/06/2025 06:25

My DC is in school until last exam next Tuesday. If school allow them home then so will I. Until that point they are in school doing revision. I know absolutely none would be done at home so better off there.

Almost finished. What's a few more days.

Good luck with his exams.

Neemie · 09/06/2025 06:26

He is about to have loads of time off. Send him in.

GRex · 09/06/2025 06:26

Why is he not revising when it's got this late? That's a much bigger issue. Where he is doesn't matter, he ought to be pushing himself at this point if he's going to succeed.

I always found last minute cramming creating summaries from the revision books and then re-reading key points extremely helpful. Have you taught him revision techniques and does he have the resources he needs? Does he understand what exams involve?

Original poster
Mardymaryyou · 09/06/2025 06:30

He's going in tomorrow as he has maths Wed. After Monday next, he will be free. I'll send him Thurs even though I feel mean. It's one day after all. Thanks for the input everyone

OP posts:
jeaux90 · 09/06/2025 06:33

Weird!! My DD is on study leave in between and they get to come and go as they want. They have the option to stay and use the library of course. I don’t see a point in disrupting DS now though. I would send him in, he’s probably in a routine at school about revising so I wouldn’t change it at this point.

Dominicus · 09/06/2025 06:34

A whole day to revise some science? No way would my dc not be revising. It could really help.

HeyWiggle · 09/06/2025 06:35

Last minute revision is great for boosting grades. I’d send him in.

WhereHasMyPlanetGone · 09/06/2025 06:37

I don’t understand why you’d feel ‘mean’. It’s the same as any other revision day that he’s been in to school surely, unless he’s such a whizz at science that he doesn’t need the revision time?
If a last minute revision day is useful for maths, it’ll be useful for science too.

Spies · 09/06/2025 06:39

Not sure why you feel mean. Even if he's amazing at science and extra day at school to revise isn't going to do him any harm.

justgoandgetpizza · 09/06/2025 06:43

Ours are in. It’s a nightmare. They are wandering around the corridors bored, unstructured lessons where they sit around chatting at best and are bored and disruptive at worst, they are fed up and want to revise on their own. Let him stay off!

WhereHasMyPlanetGone · 09/06/2025 06:44

justgoandgetpizza · 09/06/2025 06:43

Ours are in. It’s a nightmare. They are wandering around the corridors bored, unstructured lessons where they sit around chatting at best and are bored and disruptive at worst, they are fed up and want to revise on their own. Let him stay off!

The OP said he won’t revise at home on his own.

Tumbleweed101 · 09/06/2025 06:46

Ours have to go in still and my daughter has been going in but a lot of students have been off. I did let her take a day off the second week of exams as she was burning out a
little as they’d had exams every day but this is the last week now and I think she’s better going as she lost a bit of momentum over half term.

In a couple weeks they’ll be wondering what to do with themselves home and finished with school.

Heylittlesongbird · 09/06/2025 06:47

Ours are on study leave. They can be in school or at home and their teachers are available for them during their normal lesson time.

DD has stayed at home as she thinks she studies better here and will just chat and get distracted at school. I personally like the idea of her being in school and having access to her teachers. However, she is a very independent learner, every time I pop in her room she is clearly working.

If you think your son will study better and get more done at home I’d let him stay at home. Otherwise, I’d just send him in. He’s got months off ahead of him so definitely don’t feel guilty.

Edit, sorry, just reread and seen you said he probably won’t revise at home. You could have the discussion with him that he can stay at home if he’ll revise and if you then trust him to. Otherwise I’d just send him in.