To expect my Yr 9 DD to do 2hrs homework a night.

[sunshield]

My year 9 daughter is at present only doing about 45 minutes a night homework (she refuses to do anymore). she is getting away doing so little at the moment. The school expects year 9 girls to do between 8-10 hours homework a week DD is spending less than half of that time on homework.

The school sent a letter out to parents asking 'how much time does your daughter spend on her homework' I sent the letter back saying less than 4 hours per week DD was sent to the year head for a dressing down. DD is no calling me every name under the sun (being very rude). She is saying all her friends spend the same amount of time on their homework and that being dressed down by the year head was unfair. The school expects pupils to achieve A /* or level8/9 grades for GCSE so she was told in no uncertain terms by the year head that 45 minutes a night on homework was unacceptable. This is in contrast to her elder year 10 sister who always does/did over 2 hours a night homework (both are at the same school) even her year 7 brother does 1 hour a night .

Am I correct to ban her from using her computer (except for school work) until she can prove she has spent two hours on her homework that night.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Why does she have to do 2 hours a night?
What is she supposed to do if she has finished before then, invent some more.
unless her grades/levels aren't up to scratch or she is handing in less than her best what's the problem?

[finnbarrcar]

2 hours seems ridiculous and excessive for both the school and you to expect. Back off, your poor dd must be demented with the pressure

[80sMum]

Personally, I thin homework is a terrible idea! When are youngsters supposed to get any down time? Two hours of homework a night? After a full day at school? I think home should be a place of relaxation.

[thisisnow]

Blimey I never did 2 hours a night more like 2 hours a week!

[noblegiraffe]

If she gets her homework done in 45 minutes and to a good standard, then what more do you want her to do?

If her homework is rushed or incomplete then you may have a valid complaint.

[80sMum]

It's no wonder that so many youngsters in this country have poor mental health. There is just too much pressure on them from every angle.

[thisisnow]

Mind you I didn't get A stars but I did okay!

[wineandpopcorn]

2 hours a night!!!!! Ridiculous!!!

[patterkiller]

[Marmiteandjamislush]

YABU, if she's producing work of a standard that is high enough for her ability. YANBU, if she is coasting along and wasting her education (which is despicable for any young person in this country to do voluntarily, when you see what young people around the world are prepared to go through/give up to get one)

[Boutonneux]

2 hours a night is bonkers.

YABU.

[PurpleSwift]

That's way too much homework

[Roobo]

I'd be looking for a new school, your's seems batshit crazy

[sunshield]

2 hours a night is what the school says on its website and in documents relating to year 9 homework. The school is a high achieving grammar school and expects nearly 3 hours a night homework in year 11.

The school sets 3 pieces of homework a night , which is expected to take 35-40 minutes each . Meaning 110 minutes on work and 10 minutes a night planning .

[pointythings]

My DD does about the same as your DD and is well on track to get A and A in all her subjects - she is working ahead of expectations in all her subjects. She is also in Yr 9. Why should any child have to do a particular minimum amount? How much you do should be dependent on how much you need* to do to get the grades.

You and the school are being VU, it is results that matter. Your DD is 14, she needs to learn to manage her workload and her results independently. Neither you nor the school are doing her any favours with this helicopter approach. OK, so maybe the school is worried about league tables - but that should not impact negatively on your DD. Unless she is manifestly underachieving, you and the school need to butt out.

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

That's a lot of homework! Every night

My eldest is only in Y7 but he wouldn't cope with that amount of homework. He works so hard at school and achieves very good results, but he puts a lot of pressure on himself to do well. To do that as well as 2 hours after school each night.....he would fall apart mentally.

Children need time to unwind. Homework should be done obviously but a relentless timetable of homework will lead to burn out imo.

[parsnipbob]

Lol, my DB aged 14 does about 20 minutes hw a week :)

[VelvetRose]

Crumbs, my first thought was how disloyal that was to your dd! Poor kid! I think as a very square, studious A level student I worked for around 2 hours every night. Before that,no way!
Is she getting the work done to a standard that is acceptable to her teachers?

[holeinmyheart]

I think the use of an iPhone or IPad during the school week should be severely restricted as they are addictive and time wasting.
Your Year nine DD needs her sleep. They can be on their phones for hours.


A friend of mine has taken the iPhone of her year nine because he wasn't get up early enough for school. She now restricts his use of the house iPad and computers. What a dramatic difference it has made.

He has been ranting and raving at her but his work at school has improved and so has his general behaviour.

Be firm and stick to your guns. Wheedling is their modus operandi.
YANBU

[Ragwort]

What sort of school is it?

My Y9 DS doesn't even get two hours a week - but seems to get everything done and I have never heard from the school that he isn't doing enough.

Personally I would like him to do a bit more and am constantly complaining to the school that he isn't given enough - but it never seems to change.

We've just done a questionnaire too - wonder if it is the same school?

[christinarossetti]

Are your children at a private and/or selective school by any chance?

Did the school inform you that the consequences of any answer less than 'two hours a night' would result in a dressing down by the head of year? If not, then I think it's really horrible and underhand of them to do this. Of course it will cause tension between you and your dd.

If they did inform you, then I think you were out of order facilitating them approaching homework monitoring in this way.

Did you dd know what you were putting in you response to the letter by the way?

If either you or the school were concerned about your dd's level of work/attainment/effort etc there are many much more constructive ways of going about it.

[worridmum]

serously when do the children get downtime? finish school 3.45 travel home (dont know distance) 4.15 arrive at home 2 hours home work 6.15 evening meal say 45 mins so 7pm finish most children that age have a 9ish bedtime not including any chores on top of this work load ...... its insane its equavelnt to doing my PHD at oxford uni and competely stupid for children

[Hulababy]

DD is at a high achieving independent school. She is in y8 but knows girls in higher years. There are often times girls in all years have less than 2 ours a night, especially in lower secondary (y7-9)

Children need a life outside of school and academic education. Fortunately DD's schools seems to believe in having a rounded education too and emphasise that its isn't all about grades.

Your child's school seems to be applying a lot of pressure to these young children - they'll be burnt out before they hit GCSEs!

[parsnipbob]

This thread has totally reinforced my decision never to send my DC to either grammar or private.

Seriously, I have never heard anything so utterly ridiculous. OP, YABU.

[christinarossetti]

Thinking it through, 8-10 hours of home work a week amounts to almost another two full school days ie 'working' a seven day week.

I think the school should focus on teaching more effectively during the 30 or so hours the children spend there each week...