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Secondary education

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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:
LolaSmiles · 20/05/2023 14:10

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.
That sounds like the same as most schools I've worked in.
Students attend the lessons of any subjects they still have exams for and have some revision sessions for any exams that day/the next day

E.g. It's Monday afternoon so lessons will be technology and MFL. Tuesday morning is a geography exam so most students will be in their tech or MFL lesson, but those sitting geography will have a revision session for geography.

The course content has been covered. It's all revision with different names.

By this stage in the year staff and peer willingness to entertain terrible attitude from a minority of students has gone.

Ronaldo2004 · 20/05/2023 14:21

Totally missing the point but I had study leave when I did my GCSEs as we finished school before the start of exams and much preferred being able to schedule my own revision than having to attend revision lessons

Manicpixidreamgirl · 20/05/2023 14:30

This will be a compromise so that he doesn’t have an exclusion on his record at the stage.
I’d think he’s probably a significant disruption, as school wouldn’t exclude for rudeness, and that he won’t gain anything by being in school until the end of June. In fact, it will probably be worse for him and for others.
If it were my son, I’d suck it up, help him revise at home and look forward to a fresh start in September. It’s way preferable to an exclusion.
Agree it’s not the best time to learn a lesson, but as you say it’s not a first offence, he’s not learned his lesson previously. Drastic measures are sometimes needed. Better now than just before A Levels.

Piggywaspushed · 20/05/2023 14:31

How is your belief that he will only study at school when forced to, can't study at home , even in the midst of exams - and your desire to facilitate all this despite his behaviour- conducive to sixth form study? You realise he'll have unsupervised free lessons then?

Piggywaspushed · 20/05/2023 14:32

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.

Actually, it's back to being called suspension now!

clpsmum · 20/05/2023 14:34

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 20/05/2023 13:39

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

This

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:35

Manicpixidreamgirl · 20/05/2023 14:30

This will be a compromise so that he doesn’t have an exclusion on his record at the stage.
I’d think he’s probably a significant disruption, as school wouldn’t exclude for rudeness, and that he won’t gain anything by being in school until the end of June. In fact, it will probably be worse for him and for others.
If it were my son, I’d suck it up, help him revise at home and look forward to a fresh start in September. It’s way preferable to an exclusion.
Agree it’s not the best time to learn a lesson, but as you say it’s not a first offence, he’s not learned his lesson previously. Drastic measures are sometimes needed. Better now than just before A Levels.

yes I agree I think you’re right along with many others. He’s upset but he’ll have to learn I guess. Looks like we will focus on setting a revision plan for the next four weeks.

yes maybe I shouldn’t assume @Piggywaspushed because he revised with no reminder last night and this morning so maybe I should give him more credit

OP posts:
Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:39

I think if I’m being honest with myself I’m confusing the issue with my own. Living in a very chaotic house I left school at 15 never sat at GCSEs (despite wanting to) and started working. No support from school or family I was left to my own devices. I think I am mistakenly believing this study leave is some sort of similar rejection! It’s clearly not.

thank you for all your replies it’s been very helpful.

OP posts:
MarjorieMoss · 20/05/2023 14:39

There are exams almost each day now until half term and same after half term... This week, my dc has been revising for the next day exam, then when that is complete, coming home to revise for the next day (with possibly other bits thrown in, but basically that!) I think he's getting more done than he would at school. He puts his phone in a different room and we had app limits to limit distraction.

ohtowinthelottery · 20/05/2023 14:41

Maybe he's just finding it all too stressful to be at school atm where the talk is constantly about exams so perhaps he's better off out of that environment anyway- as long as he'll revise at home.

All those who say it's better than an exclusion on school records, can you explain what consequences this would have? My DS had multiple fixed term exclusions during his school career and it did not stop him getting offers at the Unis of his choice nor affect his employment opportunities during Uni nor since graduation.

WheelsUp · 20/05/2023 14:43

A lot of schools only allow prom attendance based on behaviour l.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:45

Thank you @MarjorieMoss and @ohtowinthelottery I agree it may be best for him actually. I may be projecting my own worries on the whole situation. I had a long talk with him this morning and he says that he doesn’t feel stressed I said your behaviour is saying otherwise

I don’t understand the exclusion thing either ohtowin. I’m sure it was only permanent exclusion that stayed on the record but the advice is always conflicting depending on who I speak to at the school

OP posts:
Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:46

They don’t have prom @WheelsUp the children organised a football match on the last day although it was cut short by the head of ks4

OP posts:
woodhill · 20/05/2023 14:47

Ronaldo2004 · 20/05/2023 14:21

Totally missing the point but I had study leave when I did my GCSEs as we finished school before the start of exams and much preferred being able to schedule my own revision than having to attend revision lessons

Yes so did I and my dc in the 2010s, has it all stopped now?

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:50

Yes @woo seems to be the other way now. So everybody in school leading up to exams except for “naughty kids” who are put on study leave. Most of those who have been put on study leave in my child’s school are generally not interested in school and have started working

OP posts:
ohtowinthelottery · 20/05/2023 14:50

@robotchez It was always useful as a stick to beat DS with by the school. We even went to look at a 6th form college elsewhere as they threatened not to take him back to the school 6th form. The college offered him a place but in the end he went to the school 6th form. FWIW his behaviour was much improved in 6th form when he was treated more like an adult than a child plus he was only studying subjects he really wanted to study.

ohtowinthelottery · 20/05/2023 14:51

Sorry meant used not useful!

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:53

ohtowinthelottery · 20/05/2023 14:50

@robotchez It was always useful as a stick to beat DS with by the school. We even went to look at a 6th form college elsewhere as they threatened not to take him back to the school 6th form. The college offered him a place but in the end he went to the school 6th form. FWIW his behaviour was much improved in 6th form when he was treated more like an adult than a child plus he was only studying subjects he really wanted to study.

Thanks for your replies. I think you and others are right and I have told him we should focus on him getting a home revision plan sorted. He will be apologising on Monday. He said he’s going to ask for another chance and I’ve told him it’s u likely he will get it.

OP posts:
Shinyandnew1 · 20/05/2023 14:54

woodhill · 20/05/2023 14:47

Yes so did I and my dc in the 2010s, has it all stopped now?

Show quote history

Lots of schools seem to have abandoned it and want the kids in lessons around the exams right up to mid June. All the grammar schools round here still do study leave though.

Flopsythebunny · 20/05/2023 14:55

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MarjorieMoss · 20/05/2023 14:57

robotchez · 20/05/2023 14:50

Yes @woo seems to be the other way now. So everybody in school leading up to exams except for “naughty kids” who are put on study leave. Most of those who have been put on study leave in my child’s school are generally not interested in school and have started working

All the grammar schools around here (ours included) have been on study leave for a week or two. Many of the non grammar seem to be keeping the kids in.

If he is motivated he will be fine. My dc is mostly doing past papers / exam questions now, which is something he can definitely be getting on with himself. Anything he isn't sure about he is then spending extra time on.

woodhill · 20/05/2023 14:59

Yes this was a selective comprehensive school

I remember the local school kids didn't go on study leave.

I think it was because the more disruptive ones needed to be kept in school rather than causing grief in the community?

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:02

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Calling my child a little shit @Flopsythebunny - I’m putting you on study leave 😁

OP posts:
Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:05

You are right @MarjorieMoss this is what he has been doing in and out of school, I will make sure he is doing this at home now

OP posts:
Quveas · 20/05/2023 15:06

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

If it isn't the first incident, then he clearly didn't learn his lesson at that time. When would you like him to learn his lesson? I think he's lucky they have not formally suspended him, and I don't think it is helpful for you to be seen to be taking his side. His behaviour was unacceptable, you do recognise that, and there are consequences. He is old enough to know that there will be consequences and now he must live with them. Hopefully it will enable him to pull himself up the next time he considers acting out - if he continues, a suspension or worse in the 6th form will be very damaging.