The majority of our Year 11s, aka the Class of 2024, joined us in September 2019 as eager Year 7s. Almost five years have passed and they are now approaching their written GCSE exams. Study Leave will start on Monday 13 May, which this year is after the start of the written exams on Thursday 9 May 2024. Pupils are required to wear their school uniform when on site for their exams (see below).

It is vital that pupils check their exam timetables carefully, particularly the start times of afternoon exams, and ensure that they arrive in school suitably prepared and with enough time before the start of each exam. Go to Exams. Pupils will not be able to sit a scheduled exam at a later date if they fail to turn up. Regrettably, if a pupil fails to attend one or more of their exams, the cost of the entry will be passed on to the parent/carer, unless we have medical evidence that they are unwell.

All Year 11s should have brought home details regarding the Year 11 Leavers’ Events and Study Leave, along with the Year 11 Leavers' Ball Guide - (see Letters) - and you can read a summary below.

1. Leavers' Hoodies need to be ordered direct from the Prints & Threads dedicated website. The order deadline is Sunday 7 April and hoodies will be delivered to school before the start of Study Leave. Pupils can wear their optional Leavers' Hoodie in school, as part of their uniform, from Tuesday 7 May.

2. Whole Year Group Photograph: An official photograph of the whole year group will be taken on the morning of Wednesday 10 April. Pupils should wear correct uniform, minimal jewellery (to avoid glare) and minimal makeup. Parents will be able to order a copy of the photograph direct from the company - pupils will bring details home on the day.

3. 'Leavers' Day Events' will take place on Friday 3 May. Pupils are expected to be in school as normal in correct school uniform. The first two periods will be in lessons. At break, they will have the opportunity to change into a plain white shirt if they wish to take part in the shirt signing; due to pupils needing to wear school uniform when on site during study leave (see below), pupils should NOT sign their school shirt unless they have spare school shirts. Alternatively, they can purchase a Deer Park Autograph Book (see below) in advance. Following the Year 11 shirt signing on the front field, pupils are invited to join staff for a BBQ. We will then reflect on their time at Deer Park and celebrate their achievements in a final Leavers’ Assembly before dismissing them at 1.45pm.

4. Autograph Books are on sale via MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) for £3. Once purchased online, the Deer Park Autograph Books can be collected from Reception, where a range of colours are available to choose from. Autograph Books will be on sale whilst stocks last.

5. First Written Exams: The first written exams are on Thursday 9 May and this year there are two days of written exams - on Thursday 9 May and Friday 10 May - before Study Leave starts the following Monday 13 May (see below).

6. Leavers' Lockers: If your child has a locker, it needs to be emptied by Friday 10 May at the latest. The key should be returned to the Administration Office, and on receipt of this, the deposit of £5 will be returned directly to the pupil.

7. Study Leave will start on Monday 13 May. In a change from previous years, all Year 11 pupils will be required to continue to wear normal school uniform throughout study leave and the written exams, up to and including their last exam. This change is to ensure that pupils are focused on their exams and not spending unnecessary time and energy worrying about what they are wearing each day.
   
   Pupils are welcome to work in school during study leave. In order for us to provide the appropriate supervision, they will be required to register in advance - a link will be sent to all pupils after the Easter holiday. Pupils who wish to work in school will have to be present for the whole day – it is not appropriate for them to come into school for a short time, leave and then return.

8. Leavers' Booklet: As a souvenir of their time at Deer Park, our in-house team are putting together a special Leavers’ Booklet. The cost of these is £3. The deadline for purchasing a Leavers’ Booklet via MyChildAtSchool (MCAS) is Friday 24 May. The booklets will be available for collection during the Celebration of Achievement Evening in November.

9. Last Exams: The last scheduled exam for our pupils is Wednesday 19 June. However, in addition to the entries on your child's exam timetable, please be aware that as part of the awarding bodies' standard contingency planning for exams, Wednesday 26 June has been set aside as Contingency Day. This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams in the event of national or significant local disruption to exams in the United Kingdom.

10. Used Uniform: Once exams are complete, if you have any good quality items of school uniform that are no longer required in your household, the Friends of Deer Park would welcome your uniform donations. Please bag up, marked FAO Friends of Deer Park, and drop them at Reception. Donations can then be sorted by the Friends and sold at the next Used Uniform Sale. 

11. The Leavers' Ball, when we will be welcoming our Class of 2024 back to school, dressed in all their finery, will take place on Friday 28 June from 7pm. The Main Hall will be transformed. Tickets cost £12 (inclusive of VAT) and are available via MyChildAtSchool (MCAS), ideally no later than Friday 24 May. The cost includes non-alcoholic drinks, a buffet/nibbles, music/entertainment and a photo booth where pupils can take their own photographs. This is an occasion for celebration. See Letters for Leavers' Ball Guide.

12. Results Day: GCSE exam results will be available on Thursday 22 August from 9.15am. We look forward to congratulating our Class of 2024 on their achievements when they come to school to collect their results.

13. Celebration of Achievement Evening: There will be an opportunity to formally celebrate the Class of 2024's success at our Celebration of Achievement event in November. Further details will follow in due course.

There is a copy of the latest Revision Timetable below, which can help Year 11s keep on track regarding their revision and will take them from the start of the Easter holidays to the end of the exams. There are a number of useful revision resources on 'Year 11 Revision Support'.