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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

No study leave for GCSEs

17 replies

PossumInAPearTree · 07/05/2017 17:36

Dd has to go into school until her GCSEs have finished. Timetable continues as normal even though say by week two she will have done her geography exams she still has to go to geography lessons in week three.

She's currently finished her Art and Photography and says in those lessons she just sits and revises other subjects. But she says it's hard when other kids mess around non stop.

She wants to stay home and promises to revise but she's not doing much at weekends, etc so I'm not convinced she's motivated enough.

What do other schools do?

OP posts:

Emphasise · 07/05/2017 17:40

DSs' school is doing this for the first time this year. I'm not sure what their thinking is but it makes sense to me. DC stay in their usual routine and I don't have to worry about getting him to and from school around his exam schedule.

DS has been working quite hard (finally, after a very testing previous 4.5 years) but I don't think he'll do any less at school

NannyOggsKnickers · 07/05/2017 17:40

Our school does the same and it's linked both to educational research on the benefits of study leave and experience. Staying in school keeps them in the mind set for exams and means the really struggling kids don't get left behind. Also, the best intentions often fail if you know your mates are out there at home on their own as well. It seems to be the norm to keep them in school now. Certainly in my last three schools.

Greenandcabbagelooking · 07/05/2017 17:43

The school I work in is doing this. It's free revision time, but if they are timetabled to be in Maths in A1 with Mrs Smith, then that's where they go. They don't have to do maths, but they do have to be in the room.

LIZS · 07/05/2017 17:47

Dd is on study leave from Friday but another local school doesn't start study leave until 26th.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 07/05/2017 17:52

No study leave for mine either, this is the first time the school have done this.

I'm pleased, my two would sleep, watch movies and meet up with mates with the occasional cramming session, usually late at night when I want them to sleep!

Milliways · 07/05/2017 17:52

My DD got so upset at the class revision thing, where she couldn't concentrate as everyone was noisy and mucking around, that I phoned the school and they agreed she could do her revision at home (as she was a known swot!) so it may be worth asking?
To be fair, the stress of going in was making her ill so I could have phoned her in sick, but thought I would just ask truthfully and it paid off. They did say that most kids would do more revision at school than home though, and I think it was their first year of making them all attend.
DS was at a high performing Grammar and he was allowed to study at home too, but that was standard for everyone at his school.

Emphasise · 07/05/2017 18:04

I think there's been a change in the way OFSTED view study leave, as PP said there's no evidence that it's useful for most chikdren. I dont know what the reality is but I remember thinking as a 16yo that it was a bit of a skive on the teacher's part and I'd rather have them around to answer any queries. I was a swot and wanted my teachers, less studious children probably need to be in school to do much work at all.

DS1 has been allowed to leave noisy classrooms for the library when necessary during revision sessions.

Iwantacampervan · 07/05/2017 18:42

Study leave for both of mine (different schools) starts/started after half term. Up to then they're expected in school and if the subject's finished they'll revise another one.

Original poster

PossumInAPearTree · 07/05/2017 18:45

Good to know that the evidence says it's not much use. Will tell Dd.

OP posts:

SauvignonBlanche · 07/05/2017 18:48

DD's in the same boat, it's the first year they've done this.

She says that some students have been allowed to take early study leave, I've just emailed the HOY and asked if she can.

TheDrsDocMartens · 07/05/2017 18:51

Ours have to until English , Maths and first Svience are done. Then it's optional

DrMadelineMaxwell · 07/05/2017 18:57

DD's school has study leave, but strongly advises the children to still come in. The teachers they would have for those lessons they normally have are still available for support and advice.

But it doesn't start until after half term. By then DD will have done at least half of the remaining GCSEs that she hasn't already done and won't need to be worrying about a lot of subjects. So she's carefully choosing which ones she is going to go in for.

And which ones she will stay off for.

To be fair, although she would sleep late on her days 'off', she's a really driven and dedicated person who would benefit from time away from others (she doesn't have much time for other children who waste time in lessons or distract her) so I don't mind her staying at home.

I'm sure a lot of kids just doss about in it though. And 'strongly advising' they still turn up will mean that those that can't be bothered won't go. For them, that's not great if it means they don't revise. For DD, if the time wasters don't go in, it means more time that the teacher can spend with those who want to learn and revise the best they can.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 07/05/2017 19:00

Our year 11 have their last day on Monday. They had an exam last Thursday and over half of my class took Wednesday off to revise. It seems their parents don't think we give enough study leave.

ChairinSage · 07/05/2017 19:07

My DD is expected to stay at school until she's finished her last exam, with lessons timetabled. I don't know if it's relevant but it's a school that is deemed to require improvement and is in a tough area. She's not bothered by it as she revises better at school and likes having structure to her day. I seem to remember spending most of my "study leave" watching Wimbledon so maybe it is a good thing!

Garlicansapphire · 07/05/2017 19:11

Happened to my DD, she and her pals were up in arms about it but I thought that structured revision support was probably a good thing. Wasnt convinced my DD would really put enough effort in. But some kids blatantly ignored it - I'm not sure if they got in trouble in the end.

DakotaFanny · 07/05/2017 19:12

English maths and science in my school too. I think that it's a real shame for the (few) kids who would genuinely get more out of studying at home. However for the (many) who wouldn't really bother revising at home it's a good thing.

Apparently some subjects are still actively learning too, not just revising!

BackforGood · 07/05/2017 19:22

My dc don't have to attend that subject room once the exams are done, but, up until each exam, they have to attend the subject they are timetabled to be at. They can then go elsewhere in school to study if, for example they have finished the Geog exams, but still have maths next week, they can go to the library, or go and find a maths teacher if they are stuck with something, in Geography time.
It's FAR better than it used to be, with most dc just effectively "on holiday" from Easter or shortly afterwards.
If dc are noisily messing around, stopping study, then your dc need to take that up with the teacher who should be supervising, or the HofD or Hof Y or whoever they trust will help resolve the situation. People messing about in a revision session isn't the fault of having a revision session though.

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