Compulsory revision for GCSEs

[Kobione]

Are schools allowed to run compulsory revision sessions for Y11 students on the weekends or in school holidays?

I've no idea whether or not they can force kids to go, but the teachers are putting themselves out to provide these revision sessions, so unless your kid is super smart I would certainly be encouraging them to attend.

Of course they're allowed to run them; why wouldn't they be?

I assume what you actually mean is 'are they allowed to insist my child attends?'

As the pp said such sessions are for your child's benefit and they should attend. The consequences if they don't - not much. Same as the consequences if they don't turn up to their exams.

Wish our school did them. I would be insisting my dd goes to them. Surely they will be beneficial for everyone not just high achievers.

I'm not sure how they can force a child to attend but for the majority of students they're probably useful. I had one student I taught who was very advanced and needed to concentrate on other courses she was doing (she would get 100% on the GCSE course without help). Her mum emailed the school and they happily let her off. She was an exception though and most students I would encourage to attend.

Thanks for your replies, yes of course I appreciate that these sessions are being run for the kids, although I don't feel it's solely for them - it seems that schools are desperate to get good results statistics.
I will encourage my kids to go to the sessions but what I was getting at is that as these are being held out of school attendance days then then shouldn't be made compulsory. Ie the school can't dictate what we do in our time off. All work and no play as they say.....

Actually there’s quite good evidence that holiday revision sessions aren’t beneficial.
Some teachers will be under pressure to run them, some will think the students will do better as a result of them.
Schools can’t punish children for not going.

DD's school ran sessions last year from Feb half term onwards and after school. They weren't compulsory, but targeted at specific groups (such borderline grade 4/5, needing help with MFL speaking & listening exams etc). The school did everything they could to make them fun and DD found that the sessions are really productive because everyone actually wanted to be there. If your DC will resent attending, don't force them to go, as their attitude may have a knock on effect on others.

Sounds like a brilliant idea. It’s not easy for everyone to work independently, whether motivating themselves or even just knowing how to go about it. I’d be extremely grateful to staff willing to give up their time for my kids and they’d have welcomed the chance.
Our youngest has spent the whole Easter holiday working independently and he’s not at all confident about his methods: this sort of help would have been a godsend.

Sounds like a great idea. I wouldn’t be focusing on either

School can’t make us go

Or

The school just wants better results.

And just make the most of it. Presumably you and your DC want the best grades possible? They’ll all be over in a couple of months.

I'm new to Mumsnet, can you tell me what DD, DC stand for please?!

I'm a bit saddened by the idea that "more revision sessions" is naturally a good thing, particularly when they are on the day and time when kids are most likely going to be doing other things, maybe this is an area where the private schools get it better:
www.hmc.org.uk/blog/new-hmc-research-shows-playing-sport-beneficial-pupils-even-run-exams/
Weekend sessions are likely to take state school kids away from their sports.

If independent study is a problem for the students, get the independent study taught! They're going to need it post GCSE in any case, it's really a bit late.

sirfredfredgeorge

Yes, it is a bit late, I agree, but by the time we actually realised how bloody lamentable the revision technique sessions the supposedly professional and no doubt expensive external consultants our school brought in to obstruct this year’s GCSE students were, it was a bit late to do anything else but struggle through Easter best he could with the frankly crap advice (or lack of) they had been given and the revision guides we bought. We’d been led to believe it was all in hand at School when we enquired. It turned out to be woeful.
11 subjects, a grade conditional sixth form place: he did his very best and we were impressed and can only hope it will prove effective. Some supervised revision at School would have been very helpful indeed here.

Thankfully, sixth form (different provision) has already demonstrated much better student support and it’s easier to be motivated about fewer subjects that you really care about too.

Instruct! Predictive text: or Freudian slip 😂

I've heard of this and am against them. As SirFred says, its only likely to take state school kids away from sports.

Both of mine have other commitments out of school (music/dance/drama/sport) which I think are needed to provide balance plus over the Easter holidays my dd benefitted more from taking a few days away to go and stay with a friend than she would have done by working solidly through.

When its ds's time next year if he is available for any revision sessions he will attend but as he gets diffrent Easter holidays than dd and dh (a teacher) then we usually only have a wondow of a week to go away as a family.

I doubt they can really make them compulsory.

I can see they'd be good for some, even many children. But teachers and schools must know that children may well revise in different ways and other ways can be better for them.

They'd not really have benefitted Dd.
She had a very good system herself, and is lucky enough to have a fabulous study space at home. The odd session she had at school she got far less effective study done. Luckily her school acknowledged this and allowed pupils some choice.

How can you drop French for ( GCSE )?
Some children are able to drop and I know it is nothing wrong with them just because they don’t like it.
Many Thanks
My son is swimming at the National level 16 hours training plus 6 hours traveling to the pool.
At the moment he is going to fail French nobody try to support him in school. The school is telling me now that he will have support but I think it is to late. He should concentrate on subjects that he is not so good.

I think you need to start a separate thread French but the issue will be what will your child do instead in that timetabled slot. The children who dropped it at dd's school had extra numeracy/literacy support instead.

Aragog
“...... and is lucky enough to have a fabulous study space at home.”

Ours does, bespoke, two desks for computer and writing. Just spent 3 weeks over Easter with no dining table, covered in books and materials, because he felt lonely on the 2nd floor 😁

Right, off to measure the desk for the drawing board in “my” new study, whoohoo!

Thanks, yes I agree he will be happy to do extra lesson in subjects that he is not so good and push the grades up.
This will be more beneficial for him as he has competitions at the weekend every 4-6 weeks.

Thats not always possible timetable wise French. At dd's school it was a set thing. Students struggling academically were timetabled numeracy/literacy support in Option Column A which was the languages column.

My dd was doing elite training througout her GCSe's but it had to be scaled down for a bit between Easter and the end of June.

I don't think they can be made compulsory and I question the logic of any school who is trying to do that.

As a teacher I would wonder what's been going on in the last 2 years if a school was doing compulsory weekend/holiday revision sessions.