'private study periods' for year 10 & 11?

[3076Worb]

Our school (fee paying) has 2 full periods each week, when they are not receiving tuition, instead it's in the timetable as "private study". I've raised it with school and have been told it's very common .
I know it common practice for Year 12/13, but I can't find any other school locally (private or state) that has them for Yrs 10/11. Most teachers I've asked have laughed at the suggestion!!

Would love to hear what happens in your schools please?

None in my DC's fee paying school and have not heard of it in any of the other local school. The only free study periods are normally in Y12/13 when they're obviously studying fewer subjects than at GCSE.

Having said that if the did have them at DC's school it would mean less time spent on homework in the evenings!

I've never heard of it either ... dd (now year 11) does get an hour a week but only because she's withdrawn from RE.

My DS (private) gets 3 hours a week. Partly because they've reduced from 11 GCSEs to 10 due to the increased content - but I had hoped the reduction in GCSE s would give them more teaching time not private study. It is supervised but often falls when he has no homework

DS1 Y11(private) has this as well, not sure how many hours. I think it is the result of reduced subjects after they did their RE GCSE in year 10 . So some time left on the timetable. Students are supposed to do the homework and revision. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the school has a good record of GCSE results.

I had this from age 12 at my boarding school.
But then we also had lessons on Saturday mornings and possibly until 6pm of a week day.

What teaching hours does the school have?
Longer teaching hours may mean more flexibility for private study sessions.

What is the length of the school day - our lessons are from 8.50am until 4pm. My friend's son goes to a school that finishes at 4.45 and therefore they do have free study periods.

My son is doing an HPQ this year in year 10 which has scheduled lessons but next year when he is in year 11 I believe they will be scheduled as private study

I presume you're talking about a day school? IF so, no, I've not come across study periods at that age. Not until the summer of y11 anyway.

DD1 is in year 10. No private study periods until year 12. State comprehensive.

My son is in yr 9 and when planning his options for next yr there is a 'guided study' weekly lesson that can be private study or specific guided study supervised by subject teacher .
This is state comp.

In a school I taught in, fee paying, long school day, there were supervised study periods yes. Probably about 2 x 40 minutes per week for an average year 10 or 11, although they were often used to schedule extra-curricular lessons such as music lessons.

Ds has two half periods (30 mins) study time in year 11 at his fee paying school. There's still over 3 hours more teaching time per week than state schools... I think it's good and gets them used to it for sixth form.

We have it in my (_independent) school. I think it's outrageous, to be honest. You wouldn't get it in the state comprehensive next to us, so how parents who are effectively paying money for that non-contact time accept it, I don't know. And yes, ours often waste it too.

Yes, 3 single lessons a week for DD1 in year 11. They aren't allowed to have music lessons at any other times but these in years 10 and 11 so 2 of hers are filled with those - she'd have to miss academic lessons each week for those otherwise as their lunch breaks aren't long enough.
It works well at her school.

At my state grammar school we had a study period last thing every friday from year 7. The school council had asked for it the year i joined. It was a massive success, allowed us to get abit of our homework done before the weekend. The supervising staff also helped us with independent study skills.

DD has free periods now that she is in year 12 (state comprehensive), but had a full timetable until the end of year 11.