What would happen if DD takes GCSE study leave without consent?

[MrsAird]

DD is about to start GCSE exams. School have said there will be no study leave, even after half term.

DD says, and I agree with her, that she can work much better at home and will get more revision done. She is well motivated and organised at home, but chatty at school.

Does anyone know what the consequences might be if I allowed her to stay at home for the two week exam period after half term in June?

Nothing. But tell them she's ill. Makes life easier.

I too suspect nothing.

It will depend on the school and her previous attendance.
If high (97-100%) all year, probably nothing.
If 96% or less, school might have somethinh to say depending on their procedure.

Worth considering if DC will miss final revision sessions etc. (Only say because I know my y11s would probably work well at home but the last minute reminders, refreshers on technique etc are quite useful).

I agree with titchy, tell them she's ill but remember to make it something that's not contagious- you don't want them being awkward when she goes in to sit her exams.

Agree with others - say she's sick...migraine is a good one.Or just say she's exhausted. I think two full weeks might be difficult to pull off so look at the calendar and make a decision about what days work best. As Maisy points out some revision sessions might be useful.

My only concern would be if she forfeits her right to attend prom/ leaving events.

Surely though she will have to go into school most days for exams anyway? It's quite hard to throw a sickie if she is attending exams themselves.

DD had a week before half term before study leave actually started. I phoned in with headaches on the 2 days she didn't' have exams. DD was known to be a worker, I don't know if it helped but there were no queries.

I did the same last year when her AS leave ended before her AS exams finished .

We requested study leave on medical grounds and had to provide supporting documentation from our GP in order for them to code the absence as ‘medically authorised’.

If they’d refused to grant study leave, we’d already decided to report her sick and our GP had agreed to provide written support of this.

But our situation is different because our daughter is struggling with debilitating health issues.

In your situation, I too would ask what the school can actually do other than record a decline in attendance.

Thanks all.

As stickerrocks says, she will have to go in nearly every day anyway for exams, so it will be hard to pull a sickie. Her attendance is high for the year. Presumably, if the school hasn't authorised mass absence, any pupils revising at home will affect their overall attendance rates and have a knock-on effect for Ofsted etc?

I think I will discuss with DD whether some of the class sessions would be useful and worth attending, then I might mutter something about 'stress' and give her a note so she can come home after each exam.

DD has her first exam tomorrow & asked in a couple of classes with much later exams if she could swap subjects. She finds it helpful having staff on hand. I'm a professional exams tutor at post grad level and I know that if students come to class I can make them do things they wouldn't do at home. They tend to be less disciplined at home, starting a question, then looking up the answer and devidi g they would gave written that anyway! I recommend question practice with support on hand is your best bet. (DD has no study leave until 11th June for for final week & a half of exams).

Deciding, not devidi g!

My daughter was aware a few parents had written to her school last year giving good reasons why they're kids were better off at home studying, so I wrote to the school and said DD and myself felt she'd concentrate better without the distractions of friends around. Also, I pointed out what she personally had to gain by good exam results and the onus was on her to get the revision done. I pointed out I would be around every day, except for a couple of hours - we know some applied and we refused as there was no parental supervision. The school accepted it.

It surprises me that any school would not allow an individual student to stay home if the school believed that the student would get better results that way.
Why would they refuse in those circumstances? Surely its in the school's interest too for the student to optimise their results?

If the student wouldn't do as much work at home, or was better off attending the school-led revision sessions than independently studying quietly at home, then I can see why they would refuse. But not otherwise.

My guess will be for consistency mmzz.
That's why schools seem to have limited no proper study leave anymore. It's because some students weren't working, many schools are keeping y11 in lessons until exams are over.

In terms of running a school, it's a can ot worms it you start saying everyone has to be in school... well except you lot because home have requested you cam work from home. Then you will inevitably get some parents (usually the ones who never support school and have made almost no attempt to work with us to help their child achieve) deciding that their DC would work better at home despite the previous 5 years suggesting they have hardly done any homework let alone actual work.

I think it's madness keeping year 11 in school once exams start for what it's worth.

Our school day kids can apply to work at home but not all will be given permission- it is decided on an individual basis as some pupils are clearly better at home and some really need to be lessons. I think it is worth asking.