No study leave

[PrincessOfPreschool]

My children are Y10 but for the last couple of years their school has had no study leave for GCSEs. Is this common? What's the rationale? I'm not sure if I think it's good or bad. My other DS went to a different school and he had study leave, which he really needed (struggled to do anything after an exam). This way, they go in at 8.30 as usual and exams start at 9. If it's a pm exam I think they need to be at school in the morning revising.

It's encouraged against these days, as it counts as absence. We don't give it any more - students are in every day, revising in their lessons and then on a special timetable just before each exam. They seem to think it's working.

I was a HoD in a Scottish secondary. Our local council asked schools to stop study leave in order to cut back on anti-social behaviour in town centres.

Schools vary IME (tere was another thread I think) but more and more they are not offering study leave, as so many students do not study,

My DC and also the school I worked in did this:
In school every day until half term - obvs do exams but if no exam, in lesson
If that lesson is an exam that is done, do personal study (or teacher may do a revision quiz with you if they are nice)
If exam is still to come, directed revision

After half term - only come in for lessons in unsat exams - so no need to go to (for example) Eng lit lessons.

tbh in the end I was a bit flexible even about this - DD had a physics lesson on her birthday and we agreed she would not go it (the exam was the next day and it was the last one).

It often helps DC to be somewhere where there is quiet space for study (library, communal areas as well as classrooms) and expert staff to answer questions. For some DC I do agree it is not helpful - in that case I think it is worth discussing directly with the school (for example, an ND or anxious child may be better at home)

If you read the current y11 thread on this board you will see different schools take different approaches. Also what they say versus what the enforce may be different.

My DS is on full study leave for Nat 5s (Scottish equivalent).

The school also offers optional immersive study days and mentoring during leave.

He also gets a week off after exams before returning to school to start S5 and Highers

A huge proportion of our students come on the school bus, so we also have to consider that.

At my dc school their study leave start on Thursday after the English exam finishes. They have to be in an hour before each exam for a quick intervention.

But they are also running interventions before and after school so they are in from 8am to at least 4pm, some until 6pm.

They have had interventions on the last two Saturdays and are in everyday during half term as well as the two Sundays before the Maths exams.

We have no study leave but dd has been coming home anyway - as have most students. What are they going to do ! She’s not had an issue apart from a bit of passive aggression from the dep head

She also had not gone to any revision sessions. Issue with them is they cater to all levels and she’s much better doing her own revision as in the mocks.

Wow, that's a lot of interventions. Poor teachers! I think my DC school do Period 7s at some point and half term revision. All that to come 😅. DS1 doing A levels and most definitely on study leave 🎮.

Thanks for all the info. I didn't realise it was so common as I've only ever known study leave for exams.

Incidentally I did ask for an exemption for various reasons which I laid out , and didn’t get a reply. So I took that as a ‘we’ll turn a blind eye’

My (secondary) school has no study leave - we expect year 11 and year 13 in until their exams end.

The way my child's exams have fallen means that he has a full three weeks between his last exam and when he returns for 6th year. Far too long xx

Weeks or Months?

Weeks

I don't understand @Wrennie4 . How can a three week break between finishing exams and starting the next academic year be too long? It doesn't seem nearly long enough to me. What am I missing?

Where are you? Summer holidays between years are usually at least 6 weeks!

Not for those schools who start the new academic year before September, as we do.

Utter nightmare.

Are you on Scotland? I don't see how that can work with external applicants for year 12 if it's a school in England, unless they make everyone come in, but accept that some won't be returning in September, if they haven't met the required grades? (Or with internal applicants, ditto, for that matter).

Yes it is, the teachers at me DC school are amazing.

They put in so much effort for what ever level the children are at. As in my DC is projected to get 7 - 9 grades in all subjects.

They have done these interventions on all breaks.

It really shows as the school is one of the most over subscribe school in the area we live in.

My DD's study leave starts next Thursday. Up till then she's going to lessons when not in an exam, but most (all?) teachers are letting them revise whatever they want, not the lesson it's supposed to be. So it is really supervised revision sessions. I guess it works well for the students who get distracted easily at home and less well for the ones who are very productive at home.

That was the case at DD's school. If they didn't come on the school bus they wouldn't have got there as the school was on a market town in a rural area.

The school justified the no study leave until the third week of the exams by showing evidence of how much the exam results had improved since banning study leave.

Where are you? England or Wales? Scotland? Elsewhere?

Pupils can't confirm their final A level choices until results day in August. The last A level exam is at the end of June.

Schools differ in policy for different reasons.

Possible disadvantages of study leave;

The ones that need the most help won't be doing any work at all.
The students with SEND would benefit more from targeted intensive support to help them do their best and not panic/freeze/refuse/forget how to operate reading pens and other assistive devices.
Some who always struggled with transitions might be unable to go back for exams.
The most vulnerable aren't in a safe environment.
The most vulnerable aren't necessarily getting fed.
Some might not see a single teenager/talk to anybody for weeks because of various factors (eg, parents who won't allow it, anxiety, caring responsibilities, expectation to work, lack of online facilities).
Kids vote with their feet and don't turn up for exams or arrive late.
Rampaging teenagers in town centres.
Rampaging Y11s across the school site.
Lack of staff to supervise due to the ongoing shortages and budgetary constraints, meaning that it would require taking experienced staff away from the younger year groups to maintain control, leaving the 7s-10s with expensive supply/cover supervisors.
The period from now until the last Friday in June is still compulsory school age.
Coding S is an authorised absence, so causes the official attendance figures to drop significantly. Y11 attendance data isn't taken into account in the second half term, but 3+ weeks of study leave before that point makes a significant dent.
Ordinarily compliant students can go a bit demob happy and suddenly start doing absolutely ridiculous things because they see it as they've left school and can be absolute bloody idiots both outside the gates and when back for examinations.

Possible advantages of study leave;

Kids who can work at home will.
Not having to wrangle the aforementioned rampaging Y11s.
Being able to start putting the most experienced teachers with lower years.
Having staffing capacity to come down hard on Y9 who are very aware that they're not doing X subjects in September and will make sure that everybody knows it.
Being able to do more intensive/interesting/fun things with lower year groups.
Capacity for trips and events supervision.
Staffing for Sports Day.
Capacity to potentially start Y9s on the KS4 curriculum early.

Depending upon the particular cohort and policies, local picture, etc, YMMV with either approach.

Would add that for many students study leave is of significant benefit to mental health and stress reduction.

also for some, so much easier to work at home with peace, and suitable desk/chair, computer for quizlet etc etc