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?

Ours stayed until the last exam with various options available as they finished including a TEFL course, getting the CREST certificate, a short Prue Leith course type thing. Then a trip to a theme park and whole year fancy dinner the day before they finished.

This is what I would do if either of my two seem to be independently motivated by then. I’m a Secondary teacher and ours stay on until first week of June. While it’s right for lots of kids, it’s not for all. Especially those who work super hard and are exhausted by the last couple of weeks. The number of exams they sit has increased a lot in the last ten years.

We - and she - is fine with being in, she’s pretty self motivated anyway though. She was a bit disgruntled at first, mainly because I think she saw it as a rite of passage!

But she’s easy going.

Last year my DD study leave started late for A-levels. I got the daily texts that she was not in and I just replied that she was sick. Was mortified doing it but she she lost two hours a day travelling there and back and worked better at home. 2 A’s and an A star in August results made me not regret it!
Other child will be going to school as is rubbish at motivating himself. So to conclude it depends on the child.

schools have quite rightly tightened up on this - partly because of attendance waning off when kids know this is coming up and partly because of their legal obligations

IMO no one should leave before the end of the big exams - which this year is about the teens of June

I have had a look and can't find anything other than Ofsted having a general stance about study leave being used sparingly if at all - maybe that's it, as they're due an inspection any time.
Realistically many children are likely to do more work if in school, and it supports anyone with a more challenging home life, but some kids will get more done at home.

I understand, I remember that period of my life very well! It was a beautiful summer.

school expects kids to be at schook SHOCK
even the most middle class kid is liable to do more pissing about or conversely stressing at home IM considerable E

My DC are now in their mid and late 20s but when they did GCSEs (local comprehensive) they had to be in school until May half term break. The schools rationale was that, if they were at home, they would spend all day messing around/gaming/on social media which is exactly what DS1 would have done.

In reality, even on exam days they had to be in school for the whole day as we lived rurally and they could only get there and back on the school bus.

No study leave for my dc, or at the school where I teach. Kids do revision in lessons guided by teachers. Having said that, I don’t think schools would penalise if families opted to put their child on study leave. Most don’t want to though.

This is very normal and has been for some time. DfE guidance explicitly states that study leave 'should not be granted by default once tuition of the exam syllabus is complete and should be used sparingly.' It's the norm in state schools to keep students in as normal until at least the big core exams of English Lit, English Lang, and Maths are finished (which this year is 10 June).

The big exception is the independent sector. I have to admire the chutzpah of charging parents a full year of fees when teaching stops shortly after Easter .

In reality, even on exam days they had to be in school for the whole day as we lived rurally and they could only get there and back on the school bus.

This is the case here as well.

I was relaxed about DD studying at home during the second half of her GCSEs because she managed to get more revision done at home than at school. Also, as I work part time I was able to take her in outside of the school bus times.

I know, so much nostalgia!

DD is busy planning a summer of activities with her friends and I’m so excited for her. And envious too 😂. Was a heady time.