Page 2 | No study leave

PrincessOfPreschool · 2024-05-18T16:39:31+00:00

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.

Countrylife2002 · 18/05/2024 20:38

And access to a parent who can do 121 flash card revision if possible is ideal as well

MrsHamlet · 18/05/2024 20:40

Countrylife2002 · 18/05/2024 20:37

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

And for many of my students, those things are only a dream.

Countrylife2002 · 18/05/2024 21:04

@MrsHamlet I get that, I work with many families in that situation. But it can’t be a one size fits all solution. It’s great classes are offered, but they shouldn’t be compulsory.

MrsHamlet · 18/05/2024 21:06

Attendance is compulsory until the last Friday in June, though.

SpongeBobSquarePantaloons · 18/05/2024 21:36

In Scotland, you move up to the next year of Secondary a month before the summer holiday. I imagine that's what PP means by 3 weeks between exams and starting 6th year.

Wrennie4 · 18/05/2024 23:43

Scotland. They have finished exams by end of May and go into the next academic year at the start of June. They then start the next years courses before the summer holiday starts at the end of June.

RampantIvy · 19/05/2024 05:12

SpongeBobSquarePantaloons · 18/05/2024 21:36

In Scotland, you move up to the next year of Secondary a month before the summer holiday. I imagine that's what PP means by 3 weeks between exams and starting 6th year.

DD's school used to do that up to year 10. They used to start the next academic year at the end of June. Obviously, they can't do that in year 11 because not all students stay at school for A levels, and they can't confirm their A level subjects until they get their GCSE grades.

webuiltthiscityonrockandwheat · 19/05/2024 05:43

I did my GCSEs 20 years ago and we didn't get study leave. We thought we were really hard done by at the time but I think my results were better for it. I wouldn't have done anything like as much revision at home on my own

bluefineliner · 19/05/2024 06:34

Countrylife2002 · 18/05/2024 20:37

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

There are logical arguments for both sides.

I am very glad DD has study leave whilst she is sitting her GCSEs. She finished for SL 8 May and is self motivated so has revised well at home. She has been quite stressed after some exams (more than I expected tbh) and it has been such a relief that she is able to come home straight after, especially as DH wfh so can chat through her worries with her, allowing her to move on to concentrate on the next days subject.

She is at a selective school and the after exam post mortems with her peers do not help in the slightest, so sitting in a classroom for revision would not benefit her. Obvs it does for other students though.

WhereAreWeNow · 19/05/2024 07:28

No study leave in most of the schools round here either. The rationale is that a lot of kids simply don't have great learning environments at home and they don't have parents who are going to nag/encourage them to revise. For some kids I imagine being in school for these weeks makes the difference between failing and passing.
I've come round to the idea of no study leave. I can see for DD that the structure of the school day is helpful. I'd be happy for her to be at home on the days I'm working from home but I would worry about her either not revising if she was home alone or doing too much and getting stressed and upset.

Jifmicroliquid · 19/05/2024 07:30

I loved study leave. Can’t say much (any!) studying happened though.
Quite a few schools here have scrapped it now.

TeenDivided · 19/05/2024 07:39

DD1 a few years back we got an agreement with school for her to mainly stay at home. They knew I was an engaged parent and I did revision 1-1 with her for science and maths, she went in for English.

For DD2, who ended up not doing y11, we would have kept her at school, as she struggles to work at home either independently or with me.

TeenDivided · 19/05/2024 07:40

Edited to remove duplicate post.

Notellinganyone · 19/05/2024 08:44

We still have old school exam leave. GCSE students finished on 7th May and A level on 10th. Then they only come in for exams. The gained time is brilliant.

Original poster

PrincessOfPreschool · 19/05/2024 09:12

NeverDropYourMooncup · 18/05/2024 20:05

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.

Thank you so much for the detail. This sounds like DC's school! So it makes a lot of sense not to have study leave. Mine would be fine with leave, might even benefit them, but many of the them would benefit from being at school.

OP posts:

Original poster

PrincessOfPreschool · 19/05/2024 09:16

Wrennie4 · 18/05/2024 23:43

Scotland. They have finished exams by end of May and go into the next academic year at the start of June. They then start the next years courses before the summer holiday starts at the end of June.

OK. But does everyone stay into 6th form? Do they all end up getting the necessary grade for each subject the want? (Eg. DS1 needed a 7 in Maths and it was dicey). If not, is it just a wasted month experimenting with school and sixth form? What if you know you're leaving school and have the college course all set up? Don't these kids just misbehave at school or do they go into college for a month?

OP posts:

Wrennie4 · 19/05/2024 09:20

Some leave after 4th year and generally go to college( have to be 16), some leave after 5th year if their predicted grades are high enough to get a conditional for University (not as common as it used to be) or go to college, and some stay onto 6th year to do more Highers or Advanced Highers and then would generally go to University or higher level courses at college.

RampantIvy · 19/05/2024 09:22

DD revised better at home. I worked part time and helped her when she requested it. She went into school every day before half term, but afterwards I just took her in for the exams. The school turned a blind eye because DD wasn't the type of pupil who needed to be at school full time.

Wrennie4 · 19/05/2024 09:27

You have to make a decision and choose your subjects for the next year way in advance of sitting exams. All the year groups move up at the start of June ( except P7 will big move yo Secondary at that point, they wait until August) Most kids just get on with it. Those that are waiting for results will join the next year group and if they get the secured results for college/ Uni, will inform the school after exam result day and then not return in August and go on their merry way.

Original poster

PrincessOfPreschool · 19/05/2024 09:43

Wrennie4 · 19/05/2024 09:27

You have to make a decision and choose your subjects for the next year way in advance of sitting exams. All the year groups move up at the start of June ( except P7 will big move yo Secondary at that point, they wait until August) Most kids just get on with it. Those that are waiting for results will join the next year group and if they get the secured results for college/ Uni, will inform the school after exam result day and then not return in August and go on their merry way.

Wow, it's so different!

OP posts:

Tiredalwaystired · 19/05/2024 14:31

My child’s school has study leave. It suits my kid SO MUCH more than sitting at a school desk as they have timelines and notes all over their room and like to learn through video clips. Revision tends to start at 8.30 on a school morning for them and they work through until about five or six on a non exam day.

Jaffapaffa · 19/05/2024 14:40

MarchingFrogs · 18/05/2024 19:47

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).

Show quote history

No, I'm in England.

Y6 students start so they can used to being in a much larger school environment, and Y12 start their new courses.

Of course, not all Y12 attend, especially those who are external applicants, so some staff, including my self, do a bridging course between GCSE and A Level rather than start the full A Level content.

bluecomputerscreen · 19/05/2024 14:52

no study leave at dc school in forreign. however they do half days the week before exams with focus on exam subjects are are expected/encouraged to study the other half day at school.
but as it's an ib school they have exams in each subjects.