my rights

[loveME]

can i leave school without doing my gcse's?

[Ethel]

Yes, as long as you are old enough.

Prove to everyone you are a fool.

[busta233]

Yes - but you try and get a job. You will be living with your mate on benefits all your life. Do you really want that for yourself. Think about this seriously before you do it. You will live to regret the wrong decision - honest.

[loveME]

i want to leave school at the moment because im going through a ruff patch. but i would go back in a year or 2 years to 6 form and re-do maths and english.

[redcrx]

why would you want to leave before taking them? do you have a full time job lined up that doesnt require any qualifications? or have you the funds to support yourself as you wont get benefits?

[4getmenot]

If you are going through a ruff patch stick it out try your hardest at them this time and if you dont get the grades you want retake them at 6th form

[loveME]

i just cant do it any more, i am suffering with depression at the moment and i dont know what the cause is, but i know that i am sick of school, i will try to find every excuse to get of school. yes i can have a full time job if i leave now.

[redcrx]

do you not think that having no money and no job will make a rough patch even worse?

Take them and retake at 6th form next year if needs be. You can get financial help i beleive if going on to college or 6th form.

[Reverandfunk]

Ah the innoncence of youth.

Yes leave school with no qualifications and see what sort of jobs you can get.

Sick of school? School is the easiest part of your life wait til you start work then you'll get really depressed.

I'm going to sound patronising but this is an adult site so try growing up a bit.

[Pippa68]

Suffering with depression and you are about to look after someone elses baby all day?

You are gonna need a serious amount of prozac!

[mrs_overall]

First of all you CAN'T have a full time job if you leave school now because the law states you have to remain in full time education until the last Friday in June following your 16th birthday.
If you do leave, you will NOT be eligible for any benefits. Do you think you can live on fresh air?
Also, if you stop going to school, your parent or legal guardian will end up in court and will either be fined or imprisoned for not ensuring you attend school.
You have a lot of growing up to do.

[gina32]

do you have a full time job lined up or were you just hoping that youd have one?

[scoobydooby]

mrs-overall......has it changed now then? My daughter's birthday is at the very end of August. She stayed on at school to do A-levels (currently in her second year) but if she had chosen to leave school at the end of year 11, she would have officially finished after she'd taken her exams in May and would have only been 15. Even if she'd waited until school broke up for the Summer in July, she'd stil have only been 15.

[froggequene]

GCSEs may not be for you but there are alternatives available, go and speak to the careers counsellor in your school if you have one or speak to Connexions in your local area
http://www.connexions.gov.uk/


If you are suffering from depression, go to your GP and seek medical help

Having read your previous question about leaving home & living with your mate - you're proposing taking on a lot, leaving school, leaving home, taking on your mate's problems - everything is ifs, buts & maybes. It seems exciting & you may feel you're ready to take it on but I'm an adult I would think twice about setting up home with a friend & her child, I have so many questions I want to put to you and so many I could put to your friend but like everyone else, what I have to say is, stay home & stay at school.

[ojread2]

scooby

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolattendance/faq/#f aq19

loveME: You could leave school before your exams but it would not be an official leave, I think they call it study leave. You can then go in and do just your exams. Is there any way you could learn at home until your exams? Ask your parenst to see about home schooling for the last few months although it may be to late for this

What ever you decide to do, I would encourage you to finish school. If you leave now you will never go back even if you plan to. You will find it hard to get a job as even a cleaner (no disrespect) need experience.

Best of luck
xx

[Hermia]

Please don't leave school yet! We take on a lot of school leavers where I work and although the jobs are fairly menial we wouldn't even consider someone who hasn't got a GSCE. Any decent job will require a GSCE in English and Maths. And are you sure you would really go back and resit in a couple of years bearing in mind you will be out of the education loop and presumably won't know anyone as all your friends will have moved on?

Also seriously think about future job hunting. Even if you do resit your GCSEs your peer group will have A-levels and will much more attractive to employers. How will you explain not sitting GCSEs (and any subsequent gap in employment) on your CV? You are only going to be able to put depression down as a reason if it has been diagnosed by a doctor (or if there is an understandable reason e.g. bereavement) or there is a danger they will think you are someone who is flakey. Also bear in mind that some employers will be concerned will any health problems listed on a CV.

[scoobydooby]

Ahh, I see. it's not the June following your 16th birthday, it's the year in which your 16th birthday falls.