Late homework won't be marked - hmph.

[LingDiLong]

My year 5 DD went for a sleepover this weekend. She left early Saturday morning and she should have been back Sunday morning but the mum asked if they could keep her and take her to a Christmas event in the afternoon/evening. I said yes and by the time she came back she was really only fit for bed.

She'd been given homework on Friday that was supposed to be in Monday. (The homework was supposed to be given on a Thursday.) When I sat her down to do the homework after school today she told me the teacher had told her that homework given in late wouldn't be marked.

I have to say this pisses me off a bit. Surely getting them to do the homework at some point is a good thing? I had a battle to get her to do it and she certainly didn't do her best work knowing that her work wouldn't even be marked. If she'd had a row or perhaps been kept in at break to do it I'd not be so pissed off (although I think it's a cheek when it's been given out late) but what kind of punishment is this?! I should also add that we NEVER give homework in late. I'm pretty uptight about it actually and it always gets handed in on time. This was very much a one off and DD works hard in class (according to her teacher and parents evening last week). So am I being a bit PFB here?!

[longtallsally2]

PFB? Not necessarily but as a one off, I wouldn't stress too much. Everyone has issues with homework - teachers give it late sometimes, students have problems getting it done. If it becomes a regular occurrence then clearly something needs to be done but as a one off, I would brush it under the carpet this time.

[sunnyrosegarden]

I would relax a bit about this. The rule about marking is because the teachers are massively pressed for time, so late homework misses their "slot". If something crops up that means that homework isn't done, then just slip a note in the homework book.

I am strict with homework, but life does get in the way sometimes. (Although, when they get older, I have insisted that it is done with time to spare, to avoid last minute rushes).

[Hulababy]

If it won't be marked, then tbh I wouldn't bother doing it at all. If the teacher asks why, then say why - no point. Especially as the teacher had given it out late meaning that the evening she had allocated for the homework she was unable to complete it.

[ageingdisgracefully]

I dunno. Maybe a bit. Personally, I think that if there is a deadline, it should be adhered to otherwise there would be no point to it. I think it is sometimes good for a child to understand that there are sometimes negative consequences to unmet deadlines etc and that's just life. So I think you are being a bit U in this case, sorry.

I came over very PFB myself once when a classmate of dd's was allowed to hand in some competition homework late and won. Had I been that teacher I wouldn't have made an exception for this "golden child" but that's life, sometimes, innit?

[AuntySib]

I mark homework, during Monday PE session, which is taken by someone else.

If it's not in on time, there are no other slots for me to mark in, except in my own time, when I would rather be dealing with my own children.

The homework not only needs to be marked, but recorded, verbal feedback given in some cases, and appropriate letter sent to parents if work is consistently not being done or if there is some other problem.

If you are seriously concerned about getting it marked, then make sure it is done in time. This might mean missing outings, or doing it as soon as you get it. But to expect school staff to give up their own time because you haven't got it done seems a little unfair.

I'd add that your suggestion of doing it at break means the teacher then doesn't get a break as you can't leave 5 year olds in a classroom by themselves.

[DaisyFlowerChain]

So the teacher is to blame for not marking it but it's fine to ignore the deadline in favour of something fun It could have been done Friday evening, Saturday morning or Sunday night. No excuse to have not done it.

[LingDiLong]

She's year 5 AuntySib so she's actually 9.

If it had just not ended up being marked because the teacher didn't have time that wouldn't bother me so much but it was presented as a kind of punishment which seemed a bit odd.

Oh well, you're all right. I'll let it go. I obviously just humphed internally and on here. I always back up the teacher to my DD. Even when they're wrong

[LingDiLong]

Daisy, or indeed on Thursday night when it should have been handed out. I understand that stuff probably got in the way for the teacher so the homework was handed out a day late. Not a big deal. So why such a big deal when it's handed BACK a day late?

[Hulababy]

I hate it when homework is given in on a Friday to be handed in on a Monday.
Many people are away some weekends and rarely does the child have a say in that.
Friday - with hand in Monday - is in the same boot as other 1 night turnarounds of homework: bad practise.

[LingDiLong]

Yes Hula, totally agree. And that's why the school have always given it out on a Thursday - great practice imo and would have been really useful this weekend! Friday night DD had friends over and Saturday morning she had swimming. Obviously once she's in secondary school she will end up in a position where certain fun things will have to be missed or put off in order to do homework because it'll play a bigger and more important part.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Homework is secondary to RL in primary here.
If it won't be marked,I wouldn't sweat on it.
I'd let them do it if they want,leave it if they don't.

[Madcats]

There are two issues here:

1. Basic discipline of DD organising her life to set aside (no more than 20-30) minutes to write an assignment.
   
2. Your concern that homework has been completed shoddily, but not marked
   
   DD's school has a homework diary and, weeks into the term, I have a pretty good idea what homework might be set each day. I give DD an interrogation on the way home if she says there isn't any and there is usually an explanation why not.
   
   Your DD is 9, so surely you could spend 5 minutes glancing over it yourself and correcting basic errors if you are that worried?

[goingmadinthecountry]

If I ever give out homework late (it can happen) I'm flexible about the hand-in time. Am also flexible if parents send a note on the very odd occasion if homework is normally completed well.
I do ask parents not to correct errors though - the whole point is to see what the child can do, not the parent. It really isn't the end of the world either way though. Teacher will not hold it against your dd.

[tippytappywriter]

Op...let it go...she is doing well.

[LingDiLong]

Thanks again. I have let it go! And we will make an extra effort with her maths work that has to be in Thursday.

Madcats - it's Welsh grammar homework. I do speak reasonable welsh but not enough to confidently mark it.

[Mrsgrumble]

I think it's hard for people to understand the level of work teachers have, without having to backdate.

Totally leave it go and do it on a Sat morning in future.

Is not the teacher in the wrong here.

[LingDiLong]

To be honest MrsGrumble, my gripe wasn't so much that the teacher might not have a chance to mark it. There have been other occasions where work hasn't been marked and I have never raised it and never would because, actually, I do understand teachers have a lot of work to do.

What irked me was that he'd made a point of telling her off for it and presented it as a 'punishment' rather than a 'I won't have a chance to mark this now'. If he'd said nothing and it just happened to not get marked I'd not have given it much of a thought.

Anyway, I was just moaning on here really. I hardly ever go in and see the teachers about anything.

[junkfoodaddict]

As a teacher, I would say don't stress about it. Teachers in our school HATE homework. It adds to our workload, it takes away time children have with their parents (especially if they attend wraparound care until 6pm) and what is the worse than can happen?
I have children who don't do it at all!
As long as your child is making progress and attaining the expectations expected of them, then I wouldn't fret. Homework is mainly to show parents what their children are doing and to 'look good' when it comes to OFSTED.
When my DS starts school, I will be quite strict. Reading everyday, spellings and maths facts - yes. Even yes to the odd little bit of research that he wants to do but anything else will not get done if it interferes with family time.

[catkind]

I'd think if it was a day late being handed out it would be reasonable to allow an extra day to hand in. We don't all keep our weekends free on the off chance there will be homework. At primary level I wouldn't give it a second thought except to tell your DD it wasn't her fault and she shouldn't worry about it.
Even at secondary level, if homework was supposed to be set on a Thursday I'd have allocated time on the Thursday for it not necessarily any other day, and expected to be able to negotiate an extension if it was set late.

[RiversideMum]

I'd just send a note in saying sorry you had a busy weekend and there was no chance to do homework.

[goingmadinthecountry]

Just come back to this because dd hasn't finished her homework. As well as ds's 18th this week, 3 children have had norovirus in succession. Environmental nurse has been in due to number of kids off with it (70 on Mon from dd3's primary). Dd3 (Y6) brought her homework for tonight down earlier - she has been quite ill this week so didn't do it earlier. Won't be marked if she doesn't hand it in. I said OK so be it - I can do it for you tonight to copy (no benefit at all) or will explain it tomorrow anyway. Whether teacher marks it or not doesn't matter. Dd wants option 1!

Said hwk is 16 long division qs like 11.52 divided by 1.7 with answers to 2 decimal places. I can help her but 8.30 is not the time to start. TBH I reckon many parents wouldn't find it easy to help anyway. She's not confident enough doing long division to 2dp with decimals without support. Will send appropriate note and think no more of it.

[PastSellByDate]

LingDiLong:

I've always done the homework but accepted that if it was late (due to illness/ being away/ etc...) that was our fault and not the teacher's.

With maths - I've just checked the answers carefully myself (but I'm very confident mathematically - that may not suit some parents).

With English homework - I've felt the process of doing it was probably more important than any feedback.

Our primary for DD1 was pretty awful - and frankly teachers rarely gave much feedback - just a tick - so I tended to look over work anyway just to satisfy myself.

Late work is a problem for teacher's because they are very busy and only have very finite amounts of time available for marking. Yes I know it's just one paper and maybe only a few questions - but if you're busily getting things together for a grant application/ a presentation/ a field trip/ Christmas card orders/ stage set for Christmas production/ etc... making the time can be problematic.

You missed your window of opportunity. It's a shame - but there it is.

I can see that your DD doesn't understand the point of doing it if it isn't marked - but that's the real battle - convincing her that the process of regularly practising skills/ stretching yourself helps you improve as a student.

For us it's been a long campaign over many years to convince DDs that putting the time in - at school/ at sports/ at music pays dividends. They're only just now starting to realise the benefits of putting in extra work on things. It isn't an easy battle LingDiLong - but it is worth fighting in my opinion.