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.

@FedUpOfThisGCSEmalarkey is this new for this year, as a friend of mine said her DD is at school until exams finish (her whole year is) but my DS in same borough finished on 7th May for study leave last year?

My children's school is keeping Y11 fully in until after the last science exam on 15th June. They will then have their leaver's assembly and shirt signing at 11am, but 8 of them (including my son) have Further Maths at 1pm, so they'll miss most of the shirt signing.

As a teacher, Yr11 gain time was the time of year to get ahead for next year, but it's hardly anything these days.

@VivienneDelacroixthat sounds sensible

(Tbh Ime all that shirt signing will have finished after an hour. Does the exam release start at one?)

No study leave at all here.

My daughter finished on Friday but I'm not sure if that's going to be good for her as she ends up staying up and sleeping late and feels quite isolated- shed probably revise more at school!

yeah I believe it is new for this year. But they have not long had a change of Head, so that might be something to do with it too

In my area all state schools are in school and all the expensive private grammars are on full study leave. The assumption must be that private kids have the motivation and environment to go solo now? No indication at our school yet as to when they can stop going in. First exam here is Thurs

I wonder if the private schools are still charging full fees?!

Not only does mine not have study leave but he also has to come in half an hour early and leave an hour late every day for revision sessions 😂

It's good for him though even if he doesn't appreciate it as he'd do fuck all revision if he was on study leave.

No study leave here either.
I was told it was about attendance - it really messes with the school's data if two year groups are off for a month.

Of course they are... plus longer holidays too!

I've just had a message back from the head of year and she doesn't know lol! There was a new head last year though so I suspect there are some changes coming through. Seems a bit odd though.

In all honesty I'd prefer him going in every day. I work from home a lot and he'd probably just sleep in on days he's not got exams without the routine of school. Also they'll force him into some revision in a way I won't so even though he would be fine on study leave, I have no qualms him going in. It'll probably be better for him.