Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Exam dates

23 replies

petal2008 · 10/09/2011 16:39

It's my 50th next year Sad so DH and I plan to go away for a few days. My DS is year 11 and obviously will be taking his finals in the summer. Can anyone give me a rough idea when they break up for study leave and when the exams start and finish as we don't want to leave him during this time. He would be staying with my parents but want to be there to support him.

OP posts:
webwiz · 10/09/2011 17:05

The provisional exam timetable is here for June 2012

www.modernisationonline.org.uk/comptimetable/

but you need to know which board the exams are to check the relevant dates.

Usually it has the dates of study leave and exam start and end dates on schools annual calendars - does your school have one of these? Our isn't out yet but will probably be out some time over the next week or so.

Talker2010 · 10/09/2011 17:30

study leave should no longer exist

if you wait until July you should be safe in terms of being after the exams

Original poster
petal2008 · 10/09/2011 18:06

Thanks both

OP posts:
EvilTwins · 10/09/2011 18:20

Talker - why do you say that?

Talker2010 · 10/09/2011 18:48

because the exams finish in June

EvilTwins · 10/09/2011 22:23

And therefore study leave should no longer exist? I don't follow.

Talker2010 · 10/09/2011 22:31

Oh, sorry I thought you meant ... Why did I say July

Study Leave has been removed from the list of absence options ... it was removed some years ago ... it is no longer legal for schools to give study leave and any time given as such is deemed unauthorised absence

chickydoo · 10/09/2011 22:33

As long as you know the exam board, you can find out the exam dates, I have just looked them up for my eldest.

JellicleCat · 10/09/2011 22:48

Well, it may be illegal in England, but here in Scotland study leave is alive and well for 4th, 5th and 6th years, and also for anyone taking any exams in 3rd year. My DD did general level standard grade French and maths in 3rd year and then Int 2 in 4th year, so they gave them 2 days of study leave in 3rd year, one for each exam.

Talker2010 · 10/09/2011 23:00

I had not realised that the OP was in Scotland ... the exams could be any dates in that case ... I would not know

MaureenMLove · 10/09/2011 23:01

I've just looked at my schools calendar and GCSE exams run from 21st May - 22nd June. We do AQA and EdExcel.

MaureenMLove · 10/09/2011 23:03

Oh and OCR and WJEC! I think that covers most of them!

JellicleCat · 10/09/2011 23:06

Don't think OP is in Scotland, as she talked about Y11. Just wanted to let people know it may be different north of the border.

cat64 · 10/09/2011 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

EvilTwins · 11/09/2011 10:52

Every school I've ever taught in has given study leave to Yr 11 and to Yrs 12 & 13. It's one of the codes for authorised absence on our electronic registration system.

noblegiraffe · 11/09/2011 13:13

A few years back the government realised that some schools were saying 'these Y11s are a disruptive pain in the arse, lets stick them out on study leave' earlier and earlier and street corners were filled with kids who definitely weren't revising.

So in order to discourage this, they put out documents saying how study leave lowered results and was only really suitable for a few motivated workers and that study arrangements should be made in school instead.

And as a stick, study leave, although an authorised absence, counts negatively towards school and LA attendance data, so pressure is being put on to hold onto Y11s as long as possible.

cat64 · 11/09/2011 14:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mumeeee · 11/09/2011 15:14

We still have study leave in Wales.

mumeeee · 11/09/2011 15:17

Cat64 DD1 and 2 actually worked better at home when they were on study leave. They could study in school if they wanted to but they said most of the students just chatted to friends and it wasn't quiet enough to study.

mummytime · 11/09/2011 15:37

We still have study leave here! It tends to last from half-term onwards. When it is too late to do anything but revision, as some subjects have even finished their exams by then. The school also runs revision sessions for those who want them, and the library can be used.

Talker2010 · 11/09/2011 16:35

Once the exam period has begun "study leave" becomes the norm

I am referring to the type of study leave that used to occur from Easter onwards!

That is now unauthorised

The school will have any absences counted against them until the end of June

cat64 · 11/09/2011 16:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cricketballs · 11/09/2011 21:01

the study leave issue depends on who rigid the school are taking the 'suggestion' about withholding study leave!

My previous school took it to the extreme and made every yr 11 student to attend full time in their normal timetabled lessons until their final exam, expecting them to being in revision. it was no big shock to the staff (especially those who taught 100% coursework subjects) that this was a nightmare to control!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page