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?

DS1 and DD1 had no study leave (different schools)

DD2 at the same school as DD1, but a few years later, some students were given the option for study leave after the may half term, largely based around attendance at any compulsory interventions (which they'd brought in between my two DDs) and behaviour, I presume as an incentive for both of those.

Mine finishes on Wednesday, we know children at probably 4 other schools who either don't finish/get study leave until after half term or not at all. One friend will still be going to school after my daughter has had her prom.

School are running study sessions and you can go in if you need to.

It can't be though as my child's school aren't pushing it back.

My DC's study leave starts on 1 June (after half term). It was the same for his older sister 2 years ago.

In Wales they do some GCSE exams at the end of yr 10. We have English paper 1 on 15th May, maths paper 2 on June 4, and papers 1, 2 and 3 of double science. No study leave around those exams. As far as I am aware they are doing revision in the relevant lessons, but carrying on with new syllabus in other lessons.

Part of me feels it is good because They get to do some exams out of the way so 5 less for next year.

They also get practice at real exams ( they have done mocks in exam conditions, but they know the results are part of the funal grade).
Part of me feels the pressure is on for even longer.

Our school have said it us a council wide policy that year 11 stay in school until their final exam is done. They will revise in lessons, and if that exam has been taken, they take revision for something else. Mock timetable for next year shows a maths paper is towards the end, so they will all be in until that one.

They certainly are, and some also invoice parents directly for the exam entry costs rather than factoring these into fees.

Yes, I’d heard that about exam fees. I guess that’s swings and roundabouts, either pay for them separately or have higher fees in exam years. Charging full fees when they’re on study leave though is dreadful!

I was shocked when a friend of mine told me that she had to pay exam fees on top of school fees as well. State school parents don't have to do this.

I feel for you. My university is teaching me my last lecture this Thursday and my first exam is the Monday after 🙃 I think it’s all gone a bit weird this year due to when Easter and the bank hols have fallen (possibly).

My DC has been told after half term, once they have taken their exams in each subject they can drop those lessons. They have leavers assembly and are signing shirts this week.

The Welsh education system is notoriously bad

absolutely agree with you.
My DS1 is now 19 so took his GCSE's in 2023 and he finished at the start of May and only went into school for exams. I thought it was rubbish at the time but nothing I could do. I felt like they really washed their hands with them, whereas other local schools had all the children in, studying and having teacher help.

Teacher here. It's not unusual for no exam leave until half term. Many students are unlikely to revise properly at home. My own son hasn't been given permission for his school's exam leave and to be honest I'm quite relieved as he's very good a distracting himself as evidenced by his poor mock results. If your child doesn't think they'll work properly in school it's very unlikely you'll get fined at this point. When I'm teaching Y11 students at the moment it is revision for their exams and when my subject has been sat it's open revision for other subjects.

We are moving to keeping them all in until half term. My school has also said it is government pushed. The neighbouring education authority has kept them all in for years, apparently at least partly due to a police request!

The school has just confirmed although not officially yet, only through my DS that they're also keeping them in till half term.

I suspect for some kids that will be helpful, as long as there are sensible amounts of self study in the lessons they do have. My son's fine about it to be fair.

To be honest I really don't mind them staying in so late, what I mind is the complete lack of information about it and very late communication. I've been asking for weeks and the day before the first GCSE they finally but unofficially confirm it.

From a school POV communicating it too early can lead to kids switching off and thinking they're done. I know it's horrible for parents left in tenterhooks though!

It's not really tenterhooks, it's practicalities. I share custody, some days he walks, some days he gets a bus. I contacted again today (and finally got an answer) because I needed to know whether to put money on his card for buying food at school. His head of year didn't even know what was happening till today!

I think there's an element of "come on...." we all finished for study leave before our exams in the 90s and 00s. So what harm would it really have done to tell us it's pushed to the half term mid way through the exams? Would that really have caused kids to switch off? Seems unlikely.

Kids are different now.

We also have responsibility for safeguarding some children, keeping them in the building as long as possible is important.

The longer students know, the more likely they are to make plans for silly disruptive pranks too. Also policing means schools want to stagger their leaving dates because of anti social behaviour. SLT deliberately don't share the decision early, staff find out ime a week before if that.

In the nicest possible way, it's not just about you. Money can go on his card in an instant, if he can walk there and back, does it matter when he needs to be there?

So glad our school is on study leave from tomorrow (DD put herself on study leave as of last Friday anyway), and that this date was locked in in good time. I see the local girls’ grammar (state school) finished today and look to have had a lovely day per their Instagram post. I dare say having to come to school works for some, but it seems infantilising for those who don’t want to.

@Happytaytos you've completely misunderstood what I'm saying. He can only walk to and from school at one of our houses and we share custody. On days when he's with his Dad, he can't walk.

His school are often very thoughtless about this. And often it's me that ends up picking up the slack because I live closer but I also work for myself as a consultant and need to know if I'll be needed to support.

So yes, I very much realise "it's not all about us" but also a bit of consideration on practicalities would be really helpful. But often his school has been completely thoughtless about things like this. Not all of us can just drop stuff. Some days during his exams when he should be with his Dad I'll be working overseas for example.

But if he gets a bus, there will be a supervised room at school he can wait in until the bus comes, or from when the bus arrives.

At 15/16 he's really old enough to be home alone if no SEND and dad can collect later or he can get an uber.

Finishing now feels very early, I feel like I still really need my classes in. I’ve got important exam preparation to do with them that is very beneficial, and they do need my input. It’s all revision now which is past papers/example questions. My school lets them go from May half-term which feels like a good compromise.

That does assume it's a school bus in fairness. If a public bus surely it runs more than twice a day at school times so affords some flexibility.

Sigh...

But nobody has shared this information. He's been told they won't be allowed on site when days they don't have exams or when exams finish after half term. That's what I've been asking. Just please communicate with parents! Tell us what's happening!

And yes he can come to my house even if I'm not here but there are more practicalities on that. Not least one that his Dad often works quite late and my ex's wife never will collect him. So often he'd be at my house until late. To which I'll then need to ensure before travelling there is food in the house for him to cook for himself etc before eating.

I really don't think it's much of an ask to actually inform parents what's happening! REALLY???

No it's only a school bus.