Study leave: Guidance on effective practice
The DCSF advises schools to tailor their approach to preparing pupils for tests
and examinations to the needs and capacity of individual pupils, many of whom
cannot use or benefit from unsupervised study leave.
Personalised approaches improve pupils' results from the tests and examinations. They also help prevent absenteeism from tests and examinations by helping to identify and support pupils who are fearful of them.
Schools must record revision time and attendance at tests and examinations in accordance with the 2006 Pupil Registration Regulations. Study leave is unsupervised time away from school to revise and cannot be treated as 'present' or 'present at approved educational activity' and is therefore 'absence'. Marking attendance at tests and examinations in the same way as any other sessions can help identify pupils at risk of missing future tests and examinations.
The guidance document Study leave, tests, examinations and school attendance (2008) gives further information and advice on the alternatives to study leave.
Last updated: 25 August 2009
