Does anyone else’s DC not really have any GCSE study leave? Ours is finishing so late!

[FedUpOfThisGCSEmalarkey]

My DC’s school made the decision this year that they’re keeping them in school until 12th June!! Their last exam is 15th!

I can see pros and cons of this approach tbh, so I’m not necessarily adverse to it, but I’ve yet to hear of another school doing this?

I don’t think we get any either. Our HOY did tell me that at some point they announce the kids only need to come in for exams but not expecting that until half term at the earliest. Today we’ve been sent a v confusing revision session timetable basically showing a session the day before each exam for that subject. So as DS’s exams start with a clash this Thursday and he has revision sessions for both subjects Wednesday I guess Tuesday is his last day of normal timetable! Eek!

School expects all kids to be in full time until half term. After that only for exams, though they have study space and support available for those who need it.

Honestly I'm not mad about it because DS is a lazy so and so, and I tear my hair out at home trying to get him off YouTube and focus. School claims this strategy adds one grade to all their results - who knows!

DD didn't have study leave for GCSEs. It made sense to me. School said it was because a lot of kids just didn't have suitable study environment at home, had a lot of distractions like caring for siblings, etc. Far better for them to be in school with support and space to revise. I was happier knowing DD had supervised revision. If she'd been at home she would have been alone all day, probably not working!

It's been like this for a fair few years to be honest (secondary school teacher).
But I'm shocked at how many schools from friends on my social media feeds seem to have finished yr11 today. This is definitely not the norm so I'm guessing some schools are re-introducing study leave?

Personally, I'd rather it was a choice once we get to half term. I'd always plan to be available for yr11 right to the end. But I could do without any idiotic behaviour ruining it for kids who really want support. And once we get a week or so into exams it starts getting frustrating. Having said that, leaving today seems totally ludicrous to me! One extreme to the other! Be interesting to see if it impacts results as I'm sure some of the local schools who have done this didn't do it this early last year.

Having watched some of my form do their first exam today, massive reality check for them. Letting them go home today on study leave (for them) would be a disaster 🫣. They need the emotional support if nothing else!

Yep same OP. At my DD’s school, they don’t get study leave! Which I don’t think really I agree with. My DD would be much happier revising at home, but it isn’t an option…

It's been moving this way for years.
My eldest is 30 and had to be in for subject where they hadn't finished doing the exams until the exams, so, in effect, it was much simpler to just be in 'school hours' each day.
In all my dcs' school I think staff were generally sensible enough to allow some flexibility - they knew the dc well enough by then - and people they accepted would be working independently were not chased for attendance. In dd's school people were able to go off and use the library for example.

DS school has no study leave whatsoever. They have timetabled lessons between exams. Actually not sure what happens when they finish all their exams, I must check! I would have absolutely hated this, being scheduled to do, say, history when I wanted to revise biology, and unable to walk up and down declaiming facts which was my preferred method of revision but DS says he is OK with it

My DS's school has just said nothing about it! Despite my asking (four times now). They mentioned study leave on the prom letter and have said nothing else about it since.

My son thinks they're going to be asked to be in lessons revising between exams but is unsure if they'll be allowed home if they have, say an exam in the morning and none in the afternoon.

I don't have any concerns if they decide kids will do better if they're asked to come to school every day and revise in school. Honestly, even my bright child will probably do more with that structure. What bothers me is the lack of communication, despite asking.

No study leave at all in my DC's school for GCSE. They have supervised and structured revision sessions for their subjects instead. It works very well and they get excellent results.

There is also the inequalities side. By not having leave there is no change to the school day and therefore no transport issues so every child can access school and not struggle, be late or miss exams. Plus they are in school for lunch so if on fsm they get fed.

I understand that most schools do this now. I kept my dc home anyway. They won’t let them go to prom if they don’t attend though, but my child wasn’t fussed about going anyway and we prioritised the gcse grades. It paid off, my child did well. We did have an issue with school trying to stop them leaving after a morning exam. I picked them up.

Well that can’t be right. Lots of schools have study leave from this week, including my own year 11 DD.

My DS is doing A levels and does not have any study leave and this was the same for GCSEs. Let's see if he actually sticks to that.

Honestly, in my experience in schools, the majority don’t do much at home. There are obviously a small % who work well at home. Ideally they would be given the choice but it’s tricky because it’s perceived as unfair.

A large number of schools do this these days. They have realised that it improves outcomes considerably. DD sat her GCSEs 10 years ago and they didn't have study leave until the last week of the exams. It wasn't a new thing even then.

Our school has never done study leave, honestly I’m happy with that and think structure would be better for mine.

I’m sure if you felt so strongly about it if it didn’t suit your child you could just remove them for some days study leave, what’s the worse that could happen?

We’ve pushed study leave back this year as results have suffered from letting pupils break up earlier.

A few year 11s have begun their study leave early - parental request - and they are children who will work by themselves and be self motivated. The rest are still in and now directing their teachers for what they want to revise.
I have 3 lessons with mine next week and they’ve told me what to go over so they are getting something meaningful to them.

when I was at school (did my GCSEs in 2001) weeks were given 2 weeks of study leave. Our last afternoon of school was spent writing ourselves a timetable for the next 2 weeks, building in breaks and rest too.
What actually happened was that myself and friends spent 2 weeks going to the beach, going into London, picnics in parks, having a 2 week holiday 😂 it was absolutely brilliant and I passed all my exams with excellent grades despite the fact that I hadn’t picked up a single book in 2 weeks.
When DDs did their GCSE’s (actually first one was the first year of Covid but they had switched to this format a few years before), they didn’t get ‘study leave’, instead they just had to go to school every day, officially off timetable but with targeted booster groups. I suppose it did mean they were forced to study!

Why put them in a school then? You signed up for the rules?

If she behaves really badly for the next few days she'll probably get put on 'study leave' ..................

Yes this! Being in school added to my daughter’s stress. She saw it as a waste of time as she couldn’t concentrate with all the kids who mess about, and spent all her spare time at home doing the work. If my son hadn’t been in school, I don’t think he’d have passed a single one, because he’s bone idle.

I think that's fair enough. It's not about school "making" children into certain types of "thinkers", or learners, but there's a variety within not just within every year group, but every family.
We alllow early study leave on parental request.

This feels a sensible approach. Mine will def need to be in school!

Absolutely! Definitely the right approach.

DD went on study leave yesterday - her first exam is next Wednesday. She's pretty self-motivated though so this should work for her. There aren't actually that many days she doesn't have exams though (they have so many!) so I think she plans to be in school a fair bit around exams.

DS is at a different school (GCSEs in a couple of years) and I have heard that they are not getting study leave this year - I think that will work well for him. I need to find out whether they have timetabled revision sessions or not though as I don't think they are great if they don't dovetail well with the exam timetable.

My youngest’s school only offered study leave to students who were on track for all their subjects….(so no study leave here!). For GCSEs the timetable ran until the last exam for each subject and revision was being done in the lessons - apart from Geography where they were still covering the content! For A levels, they ran a revised timetable and focussed on exam questions. I think this was fair as those on track were clearly studying well on their own and my DC benefited from more support and structure.