MN friends
recently read article from Mr. Wilshaw (OFTSED HEAD) suggesting parents who don't support homework should be fined: www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/17/schools-fine-parents-ofsted-michael-wilshaw
As you know I am a big fan of homework/ practice of core skills.
I have posted many a time about how I do extra work with my DDs at home because homework at our school/ even sending guided reading books home is a very intermittent thing & the school maths curriculum/ homework is rather a disappointing chaotic affair.
Technically KS2 Upper (Years 5/6) have 2.5 hrs of homework across a week. In practice 2 hours of it is entirely unmonitored reading - and the school no longer sends guided reading books home and the library visits have been literally once a half-term (& because of computer check-out system issues - usually books are not loaned out). The remaining 30 minutes is split between an English task (draw a new cover/ write a blurb for a book/ describe your favourite character/ write a letter to a character - kind of work) and photocopied maths worksheets - usually out of Heinemann maths workbooks. DD1 usually finishes these last two tasks on a Saturday morning before her swim lesson in 10 - 20 minutes.
Here on MN I have recommended websites that through trial and error I've stumbled across and found useful. I've recommended on-line tutorials for maths.
I have asked for help when recently assigned the task of 'You need to work more with your DD1 on the author's use of language' and when I said o.k. could you clarify what you mean exactly; the teachers were unable to define what that meant or give me any suggestions (ever so professional - don't you feel?).
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So my question to OFSTED - is are you going to slam schools that don't meet parents halfway.
Because I was that parent that found extra resources, put in 2-3 hours a week supporting reading/ writing/ maths with a struggling DD1 for 3 years to 'catch her up' with her peers. And without a lick of help from the school.
I am that parent that is saying hey school - shouldn't you be teaching long multiplication/ division to all of Year 5/6?
You came to our school and rated it good on the basis of a school with newly purchased moodle VLE/ My Maths/ Bug Club and all sorts of extra activities/ field trips/ clubs laid on in the run up to your well signalled visit and you haven't even noticed (nor the LEA and this is a state maintained primary) that since you've moved on - all of this has been dropped one by one - and now the school's official policy is that homework is of no benefit in primary school - and thanks to Gove guidance on how much homework should be set (which was by time/ not content) has been entirely removed.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE EQUALLY FIRM WITH SCHOOLS WHO FAIL TO SUPPORT LEARNING IN SCHOOL/ AT HOME?
DO YOU EVEN EXAMINE HOW LONG THESE IMPRESSIVE SYSTEMS (DEFINITELY PURCHASED TO IMPRESS YOU NOT US PARENTS) HAVE BEEN IN USE AND HOW EFFECTIVELY THEY ARE IN USE - i.e. don't just see the one person who has been trained to use Moodle, but check if it is actively being used across all years?
Or is it just about slamming State Maintained schools to force them to join the academy band wagon?
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OFSTED idea to fine parents not supporting homework
96 replies
PastSellByDate · 18/06/2014 10:10
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