Year 10 study leave for mock exams

[Loftmum]

Hi,
It has come to my attention that year 10s and 11s in my DD's school will not be required to be in school during 2 weeks of mock exams, unless they have an exam or coursework session. Is this legal and normal practice, especially for Year 10s?

It was last year for DS1 in Year 10. He only had to go in for exams.

Sorry, that's not right it was Autumn term last year so he was in Year 11.

Yes, 'twas the same for DS1 in Y11 for GCSE mocks that took place in Jan recently.

It was a bit of a PITA. DS1 goes to school 12 miles away on the school bus. He could have stayed at school all day and got the bus back after his one hour exam at 9am, but wanted to come home.

Thank you for the quick replies. I am specifically interested in the legality for Year 10s, some of whom are only 14 years old.

No. Study leave should not be granted by default once tuition of the exam syllabus is complete, and study leave should only ever be granted to pupils in year 11. If schools do decide to grant study leave, provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise.

From www.education.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/Advice%20on%20School%20Attendance%20-%20Final.docx

So no, they should not be giving study leave to Y10.

Thank you noble giraffe, that is the guidance I found too. Now I have to decide whether to say anything.
By the way, this is my first thread after lurking for years and you have all been a fantastic help.

At our school, students don't have to be in but they have to make provision for those who can't get home - ie those who get the school buses.
But the provision for those stuck in school isn't brilliant and they evidently just want them out of the way!

At DD's school the y10 exams and y11 mocks only last a week and a half. During that time we are able to sign a permission form for them to be on study leave, otherwise they have to be in school. I think that is a good compromise. It gives the kids (and parents) practice for the real thing.

For y11 GCSEs, DD's school normally only lets them go on study leave after the half term, a good 2 weeks into the exams.

Since DD gets more benefit from revising at home with me than in school 'revision lessons' or worse 'self study sessions' (when that subject has actually finished so they are being babysat not taught), I am currently debating how to persuade the school to let DD be at home.

(Before anyone jumps at me, she has some specific learning difficulties which means she manages significantly better in 1-1 situations.)

Yes DS had study leave for year 10 exams, we had to sign to say whether we wanted him to study in school or at home. In reality there was only a couple of days when he had only one exam and so could either go in late or come home early.

Thanks everyone for your help so far. I have had further discussions and found out that rooms are available for private study, with teachers to support learning. Pupils had been told this but not parents, I don't think, so obviously school would prefer pupils to go home. It is just that it is (temporarily) unsafe for dd to be home by herself and this was a situation I didn't think I'd have to deal with because I thought she'd be at school full-time.