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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Can my child be put on study leave?

101 replies

robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:35

School called Friday, said because of two incidents at school of my child being rude to a teacher, following what my child said (no excuse I know) was a very stressful maths exam, that they would be put on study leave. This means that they cannot go in to school for anything other than their exams. Neither myself or my child want this.

Everything I have searched on the internet doesn't help explain the position. As far as I can see the school are under an obligation to provide my child an education until the last Friday before June following their 16th birthday. Where a child does want to go on study leave, they must receive permission from the school. I guess they have an option to suspend my child but there is no indication that they are doing this at this stage.

Seems to me then that they cannot put my child on study leave but anybody know where I stand on this point?

OP posts:
usernother · 20/05/2023 13:38

No idea re the legalities, but I'd rather have the study leave than exclusions on my child's school record.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 20/05/2023 13:39

They are giving you a better option than a formal suspension. Take it.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:40

Thanks for your reply. I don't even understand where the exclusions on the record go at this point either. My child will be returning to sixth form at the same school - we haven't applied anywhere else - so who will actually read any exclusions?

OP posts:
Fannieannie63 · 20/05/2023 13:44

Th short answer is yes and it’s better than exclusion! It’s better he learns now

CaptainMum · 20/05/2023 13:46

Has you child apologised? In person or in writing? Have you apologised and are you working with the school to ensure they treat adults- teachers with authority with respect? Is this their first offence?

mynameiscalypso · 20/05/2023 13:46

Well presumably if they are excluded at this stage, the school may not let them continue to sixth form?

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:47

OK thanks all, a responding yes here. Thing is I'm worried he won't be motivated to learn at home and will miss out on a lot of lessons prior to his exams. on a day where he has two exams he will travel in sit an exam, travel back at lunchtime stay here for all of 20 minutes and then travel back to school for second exam. yes i understand he should learn etc but is right in the middle of his gcses the best time to teach him?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 20/05/2023 13:49

On the other hand, when he was in school he was rude to teachers which doesn't demonstrate that he is willing to sit and study while he's in school either. And that's taking time away from the Y11s who do want to take advantage of being in school.

SweetChilliGirl · 20/05/2023 13:50

He was rude. He deserves a consequence.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 20/05/2023 13:51

The school may not admit him to sixth form if he has a fixed term exclusion (the proper name for a suspension these days). If he applied for college it could be a problem too.

Study leave is what everyone used to have. He'll have to just grow up and get on with it.

FlickyCrumble · 20/05/2023 13:51

Has your child not told you it’s revision lessons now? No formal learning. They only come to class to revise and provide babysitting service as they’re under 18.

if he’s excluded now he’s unlikely to be allowed back in to do a levels.

id be mortified. Children are rude to me everyday but not put on study leave.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:54

Yes this is what doesn't make sense to me also. They called me on Friday and then said we really want your child back for sixth form. This makes no sense.. if they are so bad they need to be put on study leave during their GCSEs why would they be invited back to sixth form?

Yes I apologised during the call on Friday and always engage with the school with any issues. Yes he is currently writing an apology. No this isn't the first incident so fair in the all the circumstances I guess. Just disappointed that he has to learn his lesson in the middle of his GCSEs and don't understand on what basis they can just say he cannot go to school anymore

OP posts:
SheilaFentiman · 20/05/2023 13:55

Can he go into town on the two exam days and sit in a coffee shop, rather than coming home?

Do they otherwise have lessons up to the 16th or only next week before half term?

AtomicBlondeRose · 20/05/2023 13:56

In the “old days” (up to about 10/15 years ago) it was very common for anyone who was a pain in the arse to be sent for what we called “an early bath” ie extended study leave as soon as humanly possible, usually after Easter of Y11, on the grounds that they didn’t want to be there and we didn’t want them either. They were often surprisingly annoyed as it meant missing social tone with friends but they would only have hung about getting on everyone’s nerves and disrupting the students who actually wanted to work. Any Y11 still being rude to teachers at this point in their school career is not an asset to the school and will probably disrupt revision lessons rather than engage with them meaningfully. Take on board what this means.

LolaSmiles · 20/05/2023 13:56

Two instances of being a bit rude don't generally lead to being told you're on study leave. Either what was said was more than being rude or it's the final part of a long line of issues.

WheelsUp · 20/05/2023 13:57

I think he's lucky to be on study leave tbh. I can see why the school are doing this and I think that your son needs to suck it up - especially as he wants to go to Sixth Form. Is the teacher he was rude to teaching his A-level subject?

I stead of doing a morning exam and coming home for 20 minutes, wouldn't it be better to eat lunch somewhere near school or ask for him to be allowed lunch at school on days where he has a morning and afternoon exam ?

I'm not judging as my son got a suspension in year 11 too but in his case I told him to suck it up because he was definitely in the wrong. Punishments should be inconvenient or something that isn't preferred for it to have an effect.

MarjorieMoss · 20/05/2023 13:57

robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:47

OK thanks all, a responding yes here. Thing is I'm worried he won't be motivated to learn at home and will miss out on a lot of lessons prior to his exams. on a day where he has two exams he will travel in sit an exam, travel back at lunchtime stay here for all of 20 minutes and then travel back to school for second exam. yes i understand he should learn etc but is right in the middle of his gcses the best time to teach him?

Are you sure that is the case? My dc has been on study leave for two weeks now and attending for exams only. Where there are two exams in a day, they remain in school during that time.

Also finding he's motivated and studying hard on the areas he knows he needs to work on.

AtomicBlondeRose · 20/05/2023 13:57

Also if he starts sixth form and attends until a certain date they get funding for him. Students usually behave well at the start of Y12 so they’ll be happy to have him for a whole but if he gets up to his old tricks they’ll turf him once they’ve got the money so I’d watch out for that.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:59

Unsure what other schools do, but at this school they have exam warm up sessions, pre-exam lessons and timetabled lessons up to 14 June. After 14 June to 19 June they have pre-exam lessons and warm up sessions only.

To go to a coffee shop they would need to pass our house and then travel another half an hour.

i am going to email the school today to get clarity about what happens going forward re attendance and sixth form so alot of helpful opinions here, thank you

OP posts:
LadyMacbethssweetArabianhand · 20/05/2023 14:01

By the sound of it, the school are being kind by giving your son an extended study leave rather than suspension. He's been rude, two specific incidents and you've said there have been other incidents. Too bad if he won't study at home. It's up to you to make sure he does or accepts that he won't do well. By the sound of it, you are looking to blame the school anyway.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:01

going to email and get clarity on this point

OP posts:
Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:02

no, not looking to blame the school. Just trying to find a solution that works for everybody. Taking on board all of the points here, majority that he needs to suck it up

OP posts:
SheilaFentiman · 20/05/2023 14:05

You may be able to get them to agree he can stay in for lunch on the two exam day

marcopront · 20/05/2023 14:05

@robotchez

No this isn't the first incident so fair in the all the circumstances I guess. Just disappointed that he has to learn his lesson in the middle of his GCSEs

He didn't learn his lesson earlier.
How many chances do you think he should be given before he is suspended?

I am a coordinator and have just run the IB DP (A level equivalent) for 68 students.
They do 6 subjects but may not have exams in all, some subjects have 3 papers. So the average student has about 15 papers.

Do you know how many of them were rude to me or another member of staff?
None.

LIZS · 20/05/2023 14:08

robotchez · 20/05/2023 13:47

OK thanks all, a responding yes here. Thing is I'm worried he won't be motivated to learn at home and will miss out on a lot of lessons prior to his exams. on a day where he has two exams he will travel in sit an exam, travel back at lunchtime stay here for all of 20 minutes and then travel back to school for second exam. yes i understand he should learn etc but is right in the middle of his gcses the best time to teach him?

Or he goes to a public library in between. Sounds like he has pushed his luck too far but if they are suspending him they need to be honest about t.