How would you feel about this new Y11 prom rule?

[DavesNotHere]

I did post this in chat but got no response so trying here instead. Just wondering how common it is for schools to do this - DCs secondary school is requiring Y11 students to attend a minimum of three exam booster sessions a week from now until the GCSEs begin in order to be eligible to go to the prom. Each session is either 1 hour after school or for the whole lunch break (which would mean eating lunch while in the booster session). It's caused a lot of dismay - most parents seem to feel that kids have been through enough over the last 3 years and the prom (if they want to go) should be a chance to celebrate 5 years of high school, completing their GCSEs, and also the last chance to all be together before they move on - a rite of passage. I would be really interested to hear people's thoughts on this!

That's a lot.
Regardless of where they are academically?

I’d be glad and grateful the teachers that are willing to put on the extra lessons. It may raise the children’s grades and it’s only for a few months. Support the school on this.

I think it’s an excellent idea: not every student is able to organise themselves properly during study leave or lives in circumstances conducive to study. The more in school sessions, the better.

I would be very unhappy about it.
Perhaps some kids will find the sessions helpful but some may not (DD would have hated it)

So some hard graft required from everyone before a lovely treat/party? Sounds like a fantastic school. Well done them.

I think if they want pupils to attend booster sessions they should be using another incentive. Like the pp mentioned, what if some are academically fine and don't need them.

I would find it unfair.

I think that's a big committment.

I'd also worry that the revision classes would be full of students that were only there to get their tick in the box for prom and therefore had no interest in the actual session - which means they will potentially be less valuable for those who do want to learn as the session is disrupted by low level bad behaviour.

It's also discriminatory - my disabled DD, for example, would have struggled to cope with extra sessions in Year 11, though I guess the school would argue that it could deal with these on a case by case basis.

I think it’s an excellent idea and would have supported the school.

If the school are the ones throwing the Prom then fair enough.

And? Your daughter would have hated it? Well it’s up to you to promote a work ethic as something to strive for, not to weasel about it alongside your child.

Meh sounds to me they are trying very hard to get the kids through their exams. The study needs done, to get the results, so why not?

Just remember the teachers will also be giving up their time to support these sessions. Also means it's gives opportunity for kids to ask the teachers questions.

It's trying to give an incentive to go. And it also means it changes the peer pressure. No longer just the swats that turn up at study sessions.

redskydelight · Today 10:41
I think that's a big committment“

They’re still in school, even if on study leave. How is actually going in a few times each week a “big commitment”?

I would hope that there would be acceptable exceptions to this rule as some kids will have obligations like medical appointments and sport training which trumps revision sessions imo.

"most parents seem to feel that kids have been through enough" - do current year 11 parents feel that their kids have caught up the missing content since Covid? My child is a year older but his GCSEs were rightly adjusted for school closures.

Personally my kids have reported that after school sessions varied wildly in quality and some were cancelled at short notice or were not of good enough quality to attend in future. Not all subject teachers offered after school sessions (as they may have had their own commitments) and my kids didn't need core subjects like maths and English where a different teacher could lead the session.

It’s blackmail, my DS was told if improved his maths by a certain date, he could go to the prom, otherwise he wouldn’t get invited. He told them he wasn’t going to go on those circumstances and he stuck by that and didn’t go.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Prom isn't a right. Most schools have behaviour conditions for attending so I guess that attendance conditions isn't unreasonable either as long as they don't penalise the obvious like someone admitted to hospital.

3 hours, wouldn't get worked up over it. If DC didn't attend I'd have no sympathy for them not being able to attend the prom.

Unless they’re predicted 9s in everything, they’ll benefit. And even then, it won’t hurt. Content, exam technique, practice papers. Be grateful.

Our school has had a mandatory extra hour of lessons for year 11 since September. Kids moaned at first. Now they’re used to it and most are feeling very confident about their exams. Some kids were clueless about how to effectively prepare for their exams and are in a good position now.

3 a week sounds like a lot. That would clash with many extra curricular clubs. Mine is doing one before school and two after, we're just about fitting it all in.

rudsy kids with mental health issues may well struggle with this no matter how well they've been parented 🙄.

As she got all 9s I’m not really worried about her work ethic to be honest
I just don’t agree with forced revision, I prefer to encourage and support.
Not sure where the weasel comes in either

A mandatory extra hour of lessons every day that is.

Because they already have other things on after school?
Because not all children can cope with an extra hour of learning straight after school?
Because not all children learn best in this type of environment?
Because some children will already have other tuition and revision schedules set up?
Because children might not need to revise the thing that's been covered in the session and want to focus on something else?

Doing 3 hours of study is not the big committment. It's enforcing it on top of whatever else the students are doing, regardless of whether it's the best thing for them that's the problem.

My DC's school insisted they had to go in for revision sessions before exams. My DD found them a total an utter waste of her time (she got good grades btw). She would rather have spent the time revising what she deemed to be the priority.

I would be very grateful for the school for putting them on and mine would be attending without the stick of prom (neither of mine bothered with year 11 prom anyway)

No I don't think that's right, kids need a break, there's no point cramming from dawn til dusk. They shouldn't be spending their lunch break working. A one off would be ok but three times a week is not reasonable.

There was a similar thread recently about a similar situation.
I said on there that the problem with this is not everyone would be interested in going to the prom. I wouldn't have been interested if we had them in my day (we had a fairly basic disco - wasn't really interested in that either).
Where's my incentive?
It would have been something along the lines of -
School : Don't come to these sessions and you can't go to the prom.
Me : Ok.
(Doesn't bother with the sessions)