Study leave for prelims - is this a thing now?

[SnailHouse]

I've name changed for this as I think the school might be quite identifiable.

Our school has now announced that senior school pupils are being given study leave during prelims. It's eight days in total, but as it finishes 1.5 days before the Christmas holidays, I'm guessing that many pupils simply won't go back until after Christmas.

I'm far from sure about it - it's not happened before and it seems a bit unnecessary to me. I'd prefer my DC to be in school during that time - even if classes outside the actual prelims were spent doing revision, they would at least have the teachers on hand to help with difficulties etc. I'm just interested to know if this is a general trend now?

Nope, ours get no study leave and are expected to attend their usual classes between exams. Dd's start next week

They're not supposed (at least in Glasgow) to offer it, but some schools do so - whether formally or informally.

Think ours does, I should know as this is DC2 that is sitting them! I’d prefer more guided studying but that’s not on the table. Ours start the second week after the Christmas break.

Any school I've worked in does. We need to not have the kids on classes so we can get the premium marking done.

OK, thanks. I just haven't heard of this before.

I'm 44 and study leave for Prelims was in place when I was at school. All schools I've taught in have it in place too. I've had to sign consent slips for my own When they're under 16.

No actual teaching will take place during the prelim diet as pupils are away sitting exams in various numbers. My DDs always feel they study better at home as their friends aren't there. That also observe that if they set themselves a 8.30 start then that's when they hit books not having had to bother about looking presentable.

That said I do have pupils who want to come in and revise in my classroom because they cannot get in the right mindset at home.

Teaching of courses starts again as soon as exams are over. I'll be delivering normal lessons until the last day when I crack out xmas DVDs and sweets for those who turn up.

At DDs high school those sitting prelims get study leave (as did I 30 odd years ago). Unlike when I was at school the pupils are able to go into school and access the internet and study in quiet rooms if they want

Kids here get study leave for Prelims - but ours aren't until January.

im 41 and got study leave for prelims was a week or so in the January from memory

No study leave for ours (Angus). Even for the actual exams they only get 2 weeks leave - for exams outside that time they get the day off before but that’s it.

Ours have two weeks of prelims in January and they only attend school for their exams.

There is some debate about the issue as removal of external exams at levels below SCQF level 5 means that pupils sitting Nat 4s don't need study leave but feel excluded from their cohort.

As appeals no longer exist the need for prelims is also up for debate.

Do you mean study leave before they sit the prelims or whilst the prelims are on?

The latter is what happens here. They get the entire fortnight off while sitting them and has always been the case. I'm sure it was like that when I sat mine over 30 years ago. I don't really see an issue with it in terms of teaching as long as teachers have some periods where they are available to pupils for questions and there are places available in school where DC can study if they need to.

Only the private schools near us give prelim leave.

Thanks all, it's obviously more common than I thought. It wasn't something that I remember happening when I was at school and I haven't heard of it among friends who have DC at other schools either. As I say it's new to our school - it didn't happen when DC1 was in the exam years. Still, as it's obviously quite normal and is during the exams rather than before them, I'll just get on with trying to ensure that a decent amount of revision takes place at home!

My teens get study leave for prelims just as I did at the same school in the 80's 🤷🏼‍♀️

I had it when I was at school and any school I've worked in has had it. Pupils are welcome to come in and work if they choose to though. I know Glasgow are trying to get rid of study leave altogether - not entirely sure why.

That's what I understood: Glasgow is trying to get rid of it altogether, but some schools are resisting and just "getting into trouble" for unauthorised levels of authorised absence

I wonder why they are trying to get rid of it. Is there evidence that it increases their exam scores? Are DC getting into bother while they are of school premises? Do they have higher than average levels of DC that are not doing exams at all?

I know a teacher in a Glasgow school with high deprivation levels that says he finds a lot of the pupils want to come to school, even on days where you would expect them to skive (just before Christmas etc) as they will at least get a meal and a warm building and maybe an adult who will take a bit of interest in them. He always tries to make the days before Christmas a bit fun while still teaching (Maths) by organising games, quizzes and treasure hunts with small prizes and says he generally has full classes and even the tough nuts who think they are too cool end up joining in.