Silverdale school study leave 2015

[123sheffield 10]

I am interested to know what other parents/people's views are on Silverdale School not giving the current Year 11's study leave until two weeks into their exams.

 

It's totally insane in my opinion - kids are expected to go in as normal and attend 'revision' sessions. If they have an exam they do the exam and are then expected to carry on with 'revision' sessions. No break, no thought for the poor child:confused:

 

I'm guessing they have come to this decision for those pupils who will take study leave as a holiday but I think most children do need it to concentrate and learn in the comfort of their own homes without disruptions that they will have at school.

 

I know the Headteacher is regretting her decision but obviously can't be seen to back down:huh: but it's our kids who have to suffer her wrath

 

I am so annoyed

[wateronsnow 10]

I'm a secondary school teacher and we do exactly this. Think it is common in most schools these days...

[Bludragonfly 10]

I've never understood 'study leave'. it might suit a few children who like quiet, keep focussed and don't need any help.

 

However, it doesn't suit all children so a targeted approach to revision, support, encouragement in school is much better for most children

[SALLY18 10]

Yes many schools do this now. Students will be given personalised revision timetables.

[Binster 10]

Yep, I have also worked in over a dozen schools in recent years and this is common practice now. Results are far too important to schools now for them to take any risks.

[123sheffield 10]

Thankyou for your replies it has helped me to see things differently as I only had the schools view and the kids view. It helps that it is in most schools. It is very tricky to get the balance right but unfortunately its not good for my child who works better on her own and can be more productive in her revision by herself. She feels that she is losing valuable time by having to go into school.

[segafodder 10]

How do you "Know" the headteacher is regretting it?

[Binster 10]

It is very tricky to get the balance right but unfortunately its not good for my child who works better on her own and can be more productive in her revision by herself. She feels that she is losing valuable time by having to go into school.

 

If that is the case, and you are both totally sure of it, and you feel that being at home at this time will maximise her chances, then you may choose to exercise your prerogative and keep her off school until the exams.

 

As teachers we are always reminding students that they only get one chance at this, and it is wholly true. Just do what works best for her. This is a pivotal time in her life and you have to get her priorities right.

[ShefStealth 10]

If that is the case, and you are both totally sure of it, and you feel that being at home at this time will maximise her chances, then you may choose to exercise your prerogative and keep her off school until the exams.

And if the kid doesn't then subsequently do well in the exams, the school gets on to social services etc. and blames the parents for keeping the kid off school? There has been a massive clampdown on school attendance and absentee-ism in recent years with some parents attending court and getting fined, and I'd have thought that this would be a time where the school would clamp down on attendance even more because their league tables and subsequently their funding depends on the quality of the exam results. Much better for the kid to attend so as not to be marked absent, then tell the teacher that they're going to study in the library. They're still attending and can be seen to be revising but in a quieter environment at their own pace.

 

As teachers we are always reminding students that they only get one chance at this, and it is wholly true.

 

Really? Or is it just that you drum this into the kids so that they knuckle down and hopefully get the decent grades first time around thus subsequently making you teachers/the school look good and not 'coasting' so you get off easier in Ofstead inspections? Lets be honest, most teachers really do not have the vested interests of the pupils at heart. They see the students as transient in their environment, that they will be there for just a few years and then move on and there'll always be a fresh intake of new people. There will always be favouritism shown towards certain pupils even though everyone should be treated the same. It's one of the many practices that teachers use to try and help exert control. How many teachers keep in touch with their ex-students each year and if so, what percentage of each years students? zero? Yes, I thought so and goes to prove my point about no vested interest, even in the favourites.

 

Have they outlawed exam resits or something? oh yes I remember, the schools don't like resits because it's only the first time around exam's marks that count towards the school rankings and league tables, and thus their funding and Ofstead inspection status. If teachers were actually honest with the students about all this, there'd be less pressure at exam time and the pupils would probably end up doing better with less stress.

[gordius 10]

Lets be honest, most teachers really do not have the vested interests of the pupils at heart. .

 

Really? I think you're way off the mark here. I think this is quite insulting to the vast majority of teachers.

 

How many teachers keep in touch with their ex-students each year and if so, what percentage of each years students? zero? Yes, I thought so and goes to prove my point about no vested interest, even in the favourites.

 

Even if this was true, I don't think its a very good measure of teachers vested interest in their pupils. Honestly, It would be nice to have time after all the admin, planning and marking to be able to do this.....

[ShefStealth 10]

Really? I think you're way off the mark here. I think this is quite insulting to the vast majority of teachers.

I have friends and relatives who work/have worked in the teaching profession, and I've heard a recurring thing from all of them at one time or another, and that being that they've moaned about a certain pupil in the class then shrugged it off and gone 'oh well, at least I won't have to deal with them in x amount of time'. Yes, usually this is directly after a hard days work. Whilst I understand their frustrations and know that sometimes this will just be personality clashes, the sentiment is still there and reinforces my opinion about their vested interests. A teacher will know that a difficult student will hit either end of a spectrum with that teacher, the student will try their damnedest to be great at that subject and get good marks in order to stick it to the teacher (Good authority from the opinion of other friends in class when I was at school) or that the student just won't bother to engage and will nose-dive the class especially if they feel that the subject holds no worth for them anyway (again, first hand experience - the subject was Religious studies)

 

 

Even if this was true, I don't think its a very good measure of teachers vested interest in their pupils. Honestly, It would be nice to have time after all the admin, planning and marking to be able to do this.....

Well the conservatives put in their manifesto that they're going to try and cut the teacher admin workload so you may get more time to, in future.

[stifflersmom 11]

I have friends and relatives who work/have worked in the teaching profession, and I've heard a recurring thing from all of them at one time or another, and that being that they've moaned about a certain pupil in the class then shrugged it off and gone 'oh well, at least I won't have to deal with them in x amount of time'. Yes, usually this is directly after a hard days work. Whilst I understand their frustrations and know that sometimes this will just be personality clashes, the sentiment is still there and reinforces my opinion about their vested interests. A teacher will know that a difficult student will hit either end of a spectrum with that teacher, the student will try their damnedest to be great at that subject and get good marks in order to stick it to the teacher (Good authority from the opinion of other friends in class when I was at school) or that the student just won't bother to engage and will nose-dive the class especially if they feel that the subject holds no worth for them anyway (again, first hand experience - the subject was Religious studies)

 

 

 

So what you appear to be saying is that actually the teachers DO have a vested interest in their pupils, because they recognise that a single individual can potentially disrupt the entire group. My experience of discussion with teachers across the spectrum of education from primary to 6th Form is that teachers care passionately about how their pupils do, and not just because of how that will be reflected in an Ofsted report. As has been mentioned previously, your comments about teacher attitude are way off beam.