Dd got 104 in maths SAT and going to Grammar School

[Didyouwatchthenews]

She got greater depth in SPAG, writing and reading and exceeded in all areas in her actual school report. She also got greater depth in maths mock SAT they did a few weeks prior to the actual test. We were very low key about SATs and did no extra work at home but now I keep worrying about this mark. I know they do not set the dc for maths at year 8 at her new school. Any opinions?

[noblegiraffe]

What are you worried about? That the mark reflects her true ability and all the other assessments were wrong?

Do some maths with her over the holiday if you want her to hit the ground running, but there’s no point in worrying about her struggling with maths at the grammar until she actually does struggle with maths at the grammar.

[wellyouarenice]

All our children are set as soon as they come into school in yr7. It's based entirely on the SATs for the first half term until their next assessment result comes in and then we move them about to reflect this (our assessments are harder than the SATs so most go down). It's based on their current working level and so if she gets a low mark now you know where her key areas are to focus on and you need to be working with her to achieve it. We recommend our students do an hour of set homework a night and an hour of parent led homework before 30mins reading in yr seven. As they move up a year each one doubles in year eight and then an hour a year is added. It all helps them realise their potential and secure the grades they need.

[Feenie]

We recommend our students do an hour of set homework a night and an hour of parent led homework before 30mins reading in yr seven. As they move up a year each one doubles in year eight and then an hour a year is added.

Five hours a night?? That wouldn't even leave my Y8 ds time to eat tea!

[LovingLola]

What is parent led homework??

[xyzandabc]

Sorry Welly, am I misunderstanding your post.

2.5 hours homework a night in year 7, doubled in yr 8 so 5 hours a night. Then add an hour a year so they'd be up to 8 hours homework a night by year 11??????

That's just not possible. Also what is parent led homework?

[wellyouarenice]

Parent led homework is the homework that is done with parents. We encourage all our parents to take an active role in their education.

Our directed time in school ends at 3pm but school is still going till 4pm which means all they have to do at home is another hour with their parents because they should have done their school work by the time they leave.

Yr8 then have two hours

Y9 three hours

Yr10 four hours

Yr11 five hours.

If your yr11 is going to bed at 9pm then they can. They also have a whole weekend to do homework so it's about time management and priorities. We have to mark all of this as well as class work. I'm a parent as well so I manage to fit in homework as well as marking. It's just about time management. I guarantee that they don't do their recommended times!

[Seeline]

5 hours a night!!

When do the poor kids get a life?
Extra curricular activities, hobbies, chilling out?

Sounds more like child abuse!
Is this in the UK?

[nononsene]

5 hours a night?!? That’s ridiculous. I’m a qualified actuary and at no point did I ever do 5 hours of studying after a day at school/uni/work. Downtime is important too.

[RedSkyLastNight]

She sounds like my DD (actual SATS mark in maths way lower than anything she did in class or her mock paper). Personally I'd tend to consider my child's ability was better represented by the level she'd been working at all year, than the results in a single test. the grammar school have already judged her as meeting the standard they require, so really not sure why you are worrying. If she struggles to keep up in maths once she starts secondary, then you can consider tutoring or an alternative school.

[Feenie]

Five hours a night? So no football club, no Scouts - no life, as other posters have already pointed out. Ridiculous expectations.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Five hours a night

When the fuck do they eat. And what the he'll are they doing for 6 hours a day if they need to be studying again for another 5 hours. Waste of time going to school at all then surely? How shit is the teaching that they have to cover so much at home?

op - what red said. I'm sure the teacher would have told you if get were truly worried

[Feenie]

I guarantee that they don't do their recommended times!

Then why set expectations that are bound to lead to failure?

[FrayedHem]

5 hours a night. Is the ability to teleport home part of the admissions criteria? What about eating?

[Feenie]

[wellyouarenice]

All our students do their gcse exams in two years (9 and 10) and then further one year courses in yr11 so there's a lot to be covered. If they want to do their homework all at the same time that's their choice. When I was at school we had to do two hours per week per subject. That's 28hrs a week and we all managed.

[wellyouarenice]

@FrayedHem yes... in yr11! If they are unable to mange their time effectively then they are going to struggle when the real world hits. Five hours is not that much. They could do most of it in a weekend!

Our yr9/10 have been sent away this summer with enough work to carry them through the summer to do a couple of hours a day. Our nursery class have been set daily homework sheets for over the summer. It's about managing time effectively and prioritising. Kids get enough time off each year that they can afford to work hard when it matters. We are an outstanding school and have standards and expectations that reflect that. All our parents are on board and if they don't like the way we do things they are welcome to go elsewhere because we have a long list of people to take their child's place.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I'm sorry your nursery class so 3/4 year olds in optional pre school get homework ?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

And how os ot about time management when they physically cant even change the time it takes to get to or from.school? Or the bus times?

[Feenie]

Our nursery class have been set daily homework sheets for over the summer

In my house, they'd be going straight in the bin. And I say that as a primary school teacher. Daily homework sheets at fucking nursery? Absolutely bloody ridiculous.

[RedSkyLastNight]

I suspect if my child did 5 hours of work every day (especially if some of that is "parent led" whatever that means) they would get very good results. Even if they never bothered going to school.

5 hours a weeknight = 25 hours a week. They are already at school for around 30 hours a week. As an adult I'd balk at working 55 hours a week, never mind at age 12.

[titchy]

All our students do their gcse exams in two years (9 and 10) and then further one year courses in yr11 so there's a lot to be covered.

Well that's utterly stupid and quite damaging long term.

You're not setting them up for the real world at all - the vast majority of kids don't have that sort of pressure at school and function in the real world perfectly well.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Honestly feenie it sounds more of more like the parents are homeschooling on top of them spending all day in school?
This is not what I call representative of a good education at a good school. This is major top ups by parents and kids hot houses for 5 hours a night at the expense of their physical and mental health when do they exercise or socialise or eat with the family

[jelliebelly]

Exam success in an Outstanding School but at what cost to mental health and wider social networks from extra curricular activities - just bonkers!

[Gwynfluff]

Sounds like in the example given, the students are being hot housed to sit exams early. Nursery kids don’t need homework.

I also see in HE sector kids who had so much input from adults in primary and secondary that when they get to HE they struggle with the step up to independent study and finding things out for themselves.