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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:
Maddy70 · 20/05/2023 15:08

Yes. It's a common thing if a child is disruptive ao they study at home for their exams ) like the old days) rather than Study in school

SeasonFinale · 20/05/2023 15:09

Schools with better grades records still have study leave. It tends to be schools with less good records that still have supervised revision lessons because they believe the students won't revise as well or at all at home. For the school to have decided yijr son should only present for exams means his behaviour must have been disruptive to the school and other students to the point that he would distract others from their revision.

He had earlier poor behaviour and hadn't managed to moderate it himself. It is certainly not the time to trust him to do so now based ok his record where he is disrupting others from their revision for their exams.

ShimmeringShirts · 20/05/2023 15:19

So your son was abusive enough to staff members that they’ve told you he’s not welcome on school grounds and you’re wondering whether it’s fair? Yes I would say so, especially since this isn’t the first time and he’s expecting to go back for 6th form. He’s clearly not learned a lesson before and maybe this will make him think about how he acts towards others.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:24

No my question wasn’t whether it was fair @ShimmeringShirts my question was to understand the position on this. It is not a suspension but my child must stay in education until last Friday in June so what is the actual position? I’ve searched and cannot find the answer. Similarly what happens if a child wants to go on study leave but is refused?

OP posts:
CabernetSauvignon · 20/05/2023 15:26

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

The school is massively breaking the law. It can only exclude children by going through the required formal procedures, which include thorough examinations of the circumstances, and considering whether problems are caused by SEND and other factors such as home circumstances and putting in extra support to counteract this and, where appropriate, applying for EHC Plans or amendments to existing EHC Plans. Governors should be informed and parents should be offered the chance to ask for a governors' review; over a certain length of time the governors have to review.

What is particularly concerning about a regular practice of excluding the naughty children by sending them on fictional study leave is that there is a significant danger that a disproportionate number of children with SEND are excluded - so the school is additionally likely to be breaching its Equality Act duties.

The school may claim to be doing children a favour by not imposing suspensions or permanent exclusions, but it's pretty obvious that the reality is that they don't want do this officially because otherwise Ofsted, the council and the Department for Education would be asking some very awkward questions about why their exclusion statistics shoot up every summer as exams approach, and why only exam year groups are affected.

Frankly, this situation stinks and needs to be reported to the authorities ASAP. It really is not impressive that a school that is supposed to be setting some sort of example is regularly showing the children that it doesn't believe the law applies to it.

whynotwhatknot · 20/05/2023 15:30

my nephew still has to go in everyday whilst doing gcses

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:39

Thank you for your reply @CabernetSauvignon , this is how I feel about the situation. Yes i hear everybody saying that he should take the study leave as opposed to a suspension but my question is on what basis are they sending these children on study leave I don't get it? I thought they were obliged to provide an education until last friday of june before 16th birthday.

OK so if he is being suspended, fine I get that and if that is the case then they must provide and mark work for him to complete if it is under five days or arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth school day, eg at a pupil referral unit for anything over. They have said this is not the case here.

Makes a mockery of the last five years making sure that my child is in every day - what was the point of that when I can just say, he's not coming in today he's on study leave.

OP posts:
JulieHoney · 20/05/2023 15:44

yes i understand he should learn etc but is right in the middle of his gcses the best time to teach him?

Right in the middle of his GCSEs is when he chose to act up. You teach them the lesson when they need to learn the lesson.

To be put on study leave isn't the first port of call, and you've accepted your son's behaviour has been a problem in the past. Study leave is far better than temporary exclusion. He needs to knuckle down for the next few weeks and hopefully start fresh in September.

They can exclude a student temporarily for up to around 45 days (also called a suspension) I believe, so I can't see why they can't put him on study leave for less than that.

BCBird · 20/05/2023 15:44

As a teacher who battled to teach due to one disruptive child,who lied about me,prevented others from learning,was rude to me and his peers, study leave for the said pupil should have happened earlier. Yes he has rights as do the others. I really don't think people appreciate the negative impact ine person can have on others' learning.

JulieHoney · 20/05/2023 15:46

robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:39

Thank you for your reply @CabernetSauvignon , this is how I feel about the situation. Yes i hear everybody saying that he should take the study leave as opposed to a suspension but my question is on what basis are they sending these children on study leave I don't get it? I thought they were obliged to provide an education until last friday of june before 16th birthday.

OK so if he is being suspended, fine I get that and if that is the case then they must provide and mark work for him to complete if it is under five days or arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth school day, eg at a pupil referral unit for anything over. They have said this is not the case here.

Makes a mockery of the last five years making sure that my child is in every day - what was the point of that when I can just say, he's not coming in today he's on study leave.

I think you are conflating temporary exclusion (suspension) and permanent exclusion (being expelled), OP.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:48

Unsure how I am @JulieHoney - could you explain (not being difficult)

OP posts:
BCBird · 20/05/2023 15:48

It not babysitting service at my school. We teach them.up until they have done the exam in a particular subject. The subject I teach has last exam on 5th June so on we go.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:50

from gov.uk website:

There are 2 kinds of exclusion - fixed period (suspended) and permanent (expelled).
Fixed period exclusion
A fixed period exclusion is where your child is temporarily removed from school. They can only be removed for up to 45 school days in one school year, even if they’ve changed school.
If a child has been excluded for a fixed period, schools should set and mark work for the first 5 school days.
If the exclusion is longer than 5 school days, the school must arrange suitable full-time education from the sixth school day, eg at a pupil referral unit.

Permanent exclusion
Permanent exclusion means your child is expelled. Your local council must arrange full-time education from the sixth school day.

neither apply here

OP posts:
Tallulasdancingshoes · 20/05/2023 15:51

This happens pretty much every year at my school. An early bath is definitely a better option than the alternative - formal suspension. Your child will still have access to all the relevant revision materials so they are providing what’s needed.

kezziecakes · 20/05/2023 15:51

I tutor secondary students from several schools and most are on study leave now or mixed study leave (come in for optional revision sessions). I think if they don't know the material now they won't before the exam and would benefit most of all from revision independently. I personally wouldn't fight it but would try to ensure my ds really used the time well, maybe made a revision timetable and really tried to focus for two more weeks.

Connect3 · 20/05/2023 15:54

I'd saybthianis a backdoor exclusion. An official exclusion on the record matters far more to the school than it does to DS. They're not avoiding it to help him!

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 15:55

i agree @Connect3

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 20/05/2023 15:55

I thought they were obliged to provide an education until last friday of june before 16th birthday.

Schools don't though. Kids don't come into school after their exams are finished. Study leave exists and kids can be put on it. Some schools already have all their kids on study leave. Some give study leave to 'good' kids who can be trusted to study and require others to be in school.

MrMucker · 20/05/2023 16:00

Study Leave is still providing education. Your kid still has eg a school email account to contact teachers, a platform online to issue and submit work, and the option to arrange to speak to teachers by arranging a meeting. He remains "on roll" as a school member and he will be included in the exam sessions and feature in the results lists in August or whenever they are. That's the provision. School staff are still investing their specialist time and effort into his learning, possibly even more time this way, (as any teacher who delivered distance learning in lockdown will understand).
You appear to think educational provision is equal to being physically allowed into school. But it isn't. That's babysitting.
The school have not done anything wrong-stop looking out there to blame and look at your son. He was rude more than once, they are still providing an education for him.
You ought to be thanking them profusely rather than questioning if they are allowed to do that.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 16:00

I agree @noblegiraffe that this is what happens in practice. But my question is what is the legal basis? I have read that pupils can be request and be put on study leave if the school give permission but nothing for the other way round ie this situation, school wants to put my child on study leave but they don't want to

OP posts:
SwedishDeathClearance · 20/05/2023 16:02

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?

Look for other options
You may find that they are not returning

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 16:03

Thank you for your reply @MrMucker that is really helpful. I'm not looking to blame here, I am looking to learn and understand what the position is which has been very helpfully explained to me by many, including yourself

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 20/05/2023 16:04

The rules say "If schools do decide to grant study leave, provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise."

That means if you kick up a fuss they would have to let him into school to revise. But that doesn't necessarily mean they would have to let him into the lessons....they could offer him revision space in the isolation room and still meet that requirement.

Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 16:04

They have a conditional offer @SwedishDeathClearance

OP posts:
Original poster
robotchez · 20/05/2023 16:05

noblegiraffe · 20/05/2023 16:04

The rules say "If schools do decide to grant study leave, provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise."

That means if you kick up a fuss they would have to let him into school to revise. But that doesn't necessarily mean they would have to let him into the lessons....they could offer him revision space in the isolation room and still meet that requirement.

where are these rules @noblegiraffe ?

OP posts: