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Original poster

Y7 homework- should I do anything?

39 replies

Erebus · 22/07/2011 08:34

I appreciate that DS1 is half a week from finishing Y7.

However, I am wondering whether either for the record or to maybe avoid a repeat in Y8- or even to get a valid explanation!- I should write to the Y7 Head of Year to, well, 'complain' about the homework situation.

The school is the highest attaining state Y7-11 comp in the county, academically. It prides itself on not setting except in maths and MFL at this stage- however, I believe it 'sets' via exam course trajectory ie only the clever, 'A*to B'-bound get to do a full Maths GCSE, others do 'Foundation'; or only the clever get to do triple not double science. And it could be seen to be resting a little on its laurels. It is also in a very leafy area, thus might be expected to turn out 'better than average' results.

Thing is, at the start of school, a huge song and dance was made about the importance of homework (and the sanctions imposed if it doesn't get done) esp bearing in mind the way the school have deliberately brought the boys' GCSE results up in line with girls' by constantly setting and monitoring mini-goals, doing little and often.

Theoretically DS could get 15 pieces of homework a week. Initially he was getting around 2 a night though some were 'learn these 2 lines for Drama', or 'find an interesting image that shows...' or 'decorate your history exercise book'! Now we're 'lucky' if we see one piece a week! Really! And that's been the situation since Easter. And when proper homework does come home, I'm back to Y3-style evasion and delay in getting DS to settle down and do it as he's so out of the habit. DS claims to 'do' homework in school (I see what's been set in his Diary) but I think the fact is there's so little he's getting into a bad habit of thinking 'Ah, is that all? -5 minutes work, I'll dash it off on the bus' rather than 'OK, I have 2 pieces, I'll do it as usual at 4pm at home'. DS2 in Y5 gets more to do!

Is there any point at all in writing to the HoY (who will be their Y8 HoY as well) to express my concerns? Or am I wasting my time? Would it be your opinion that they will think 'Look at our stellar GCSE results, we know what we're doing' - or maybe I should wait to see if they up their game in Y8 then write in if the same thing happens?

WWYD?

OP posts:
CrosswordAddict · 22/07/2011 14:45

Erebus You sound articulate and sensible to me from your posts so far.
How about his End of Year Report?
What about talking to other pupils in his year group (or even better their mothers)?
Best of all, get those exercise books, collect them together and take them in to show his Head of Year in September. That's the best time to lay the ground rules for a good year's effort. It's too late at Christmas when you get his end-of=term grades.
He sounds bright but lazy and needs a firm push (that's the polite version)
Various people have said in their posts that Homework is only set to keep parents happy. I think it goes further than that though - the homework might not be valuable in itself but the HABIT OF DOING HOMEWORK is very valuable.
Study habits are what youngsters will need later on for Further Ed and Uni.
Employers don't need people who are "bright but lazy"
Sorry this turned into a rant. It was meant to be helpful advice Smile Off to make a Brew

mnistooaddictive · 22/07/2011 14:06

There is no reason for a school to enter a student for foundation rather than higher. Of course only the most able get to do triple science- it is an extension activity!
It seems to me that your son us seriously underachieving. You beef to look at why. If he got a level 5 at ks2 then I the only reason for him to be in set 3 and considering foundation is if think he isn't working. Maybe he is getting homework he isnt doing? You have bigger issues and need to find out if he is working in lessons as I have a suspicion he isn't.

Original poster
Erebus · 22/07/2011 13:53

There's also page after page of printed off matter stuck in the books, sometimes with his own pencilled in additions, but not a solid body of work from which you could deduce what level in a given subject he was working at.

OP posts:
Original poster
Erebus · 22/07/2011 13:52

Because they pretty much stay in his locker at school!

And, to be honest, it appears that nothing in his exercise book actually gets marked, with the exception, ironically, of homework. There may be the odd remark but a fair bit of the 'in-class' work, or evidence of it in an exercise book should I say seems to either be his own jottings or 'peer-reviewed'.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 22/07/2011 13:22

Why does him not having homework preclude you from seeing his books?

Original poster
Erebus · 22/07/2011 11:27

Thanks for the responses: I think as going has correctly pointed out, my 'gripe' such as it is, is that they make such a song and dance about the importance of doing homework, the value it adds to the DCs education etc etc... yet the school then trash the whole edifice by practically not setting it for the last term! There are few issues of not-done homework at the school (most DCs come from very committed families), but if it's not done the DC's are punished, albeit via 10 minute detentions- it's seen as a disciplinary 'offence'.

The school, on Open Day and so on really push the point that they have discovered the Holy Grail of boy-achievement: little and often, in other words a slow, steady consistent approach to getting things done; yet that can hardly be said of their approach to Y7 homework!

I'd be more than happy if DS's homework was learning MFL vocab, reading a passage they're about to study in English, running through a pre-printed maths worksheet of 10 relevant questions, discovering the meanings of 5 geographical terms etc.

As for the 'fab results', yes, like an OFSTED, fantastic on paper BUT the thing is, one way in which they obtain these results is via, as I already said, only putting DCs forward for the exams they're bound to pass. So for example my DS (who, absolutely fwiw, got a 5 in his KS2 Maths SATS), has just been placed in group 3 of 5 in Maths. He is in danger of being only allowed to take Foundation Maths or double science. I know he is well capable of Higher Maths and Triple science but it may not be in the schools interests to push him forwards into things he might 'fail'. But it's hard to know where he's struggling if we never see any evidence of what he's doing and what level!

Being a typical 'boy', (and despite what you might be thinking, i.e having an hysterical mother Grin ), he does what he has to and nary a jot more. So you can see why if 'doing what he has to' included 45 minutes of carefully targeted homework a night, he might ultimately do better.

As it is 2 small doors have closed on him: All of group 1 in Maths (who to be fair contains 3 DCs with Maths 'A' levels, aged 11...) and most of group 2 get to do a Statistics GCSE in Y10. The top 1/3 in MFL get offered a second language, DS hasn't. By his own admission DS agrees he could have done better in his MFL had he learned more vocab. We, of course, due to the lack of seeing his books (no homework!) weren't able over the course of the year to gently but consistently encourage the learning of the vocab. He is also a bit Shock as he realises the 'setting by stealth' has already begun.

You may say 'Well, in secondary, it's up to them'. I would see your point but I'd say it'd be unfair to expect an 11 year old boy to be able to self-direct his own learning, especially when the consequences of inability or immaturity have a direct impact on their life choices.

Sorry I'm banging on about this- but as you can see, and you only need to be a denizen of 'Education' in MN for a short while to recognise this- in the state system, you have to be prepared to be a squeaky hinge or at least be prepared to 'advocate' for your DC!

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 22/07/2011 10:32

I have to opposite concern - too much homework in Y7, praying that there will be less in Y8Grin

Or maybe it's just down to DD being a swotty Y7 Grin

seeker · 22/07/2011 09:55

Just be thankful that the school is being sensible and don;t rock the boat. If you get too many pushy parents complaining the poor brats will be doing 3 hours a night before you know it.

goinggetstough · 22/07/2011 09:50

Can see that it is often the parents that want the homework, however I think that misses the OPs question. She is not asking for more homework but she is querying the fact that they are not carrying out their own homework policy. Yes, homework dwindles in the last few weeks of term but again the OP said this has been the case since Easter. I think I wouldn't complain exactly but I might write to the HOY and ask what the homework policy will be for yr 8 as the Yr 7 one has varied so much after they stressed the importance of homework!

seeker · 22/07/2011 09:44

Ifd the school gets fab results then why would you wnat to change anything? Just be thankful you ds has time for lots of other things. They must work very hard in school to get 'stellar" results - if it ain't broke, don;t fix it!

Cartoonjane · 22/07/2011 09:41

The head at the school I work at says he gets more complaints from parents about lack of homework than anything else. As a teacher I think most homework is set to please parents rather than because of its real value. Schools that are efficient at setting homework (ie the schools that set it regularly) are probably efficient in other areas too which is why they do well.

There are things that are valuable that can be set as homework- learning vocab for MFL for example but most causes more problems than it's worth. For example many in the class won't do homework so the teacher has to either spend time in the lesson chasing that up by setting detentions (therefore not teaching the class) or whatever or ignore it and so even fewer will do it next time.

If you are happy with the school in other ways, personally I wouldn't be too worried about the homework situation. I'm sure that homework that is required will be set when necessary.

DamselInDisarray · 22/07/2011 09:32

You could maybe assume that they do really know what they're doing. I feel bad for teachers who have to put up with irate parents who refuse to accept that they are trained professionals.

Most homework set in schools is to appease parents rather than because it is of enormous value in itself.

noblegiraffe · 22/07/2011 09:27

Homework tends to dwindle in the last term. The exams are over, the kids are getting hyper about the holidays and the teachers are getting ready for next year. It's going to happen every year.

By the way, 'Foundation' is a full maths GCSE. Maths GCSE is split into two tiers, Foundation and Higher. The highest mark you can get on Foundation is a C, Higher goes up to A*. So the higher ability maths students will sit the higher paper, and the lower ability students foundation. It is about putting students in for the right paper so they're not faced with a load of questions they can't possibly answer. A C on the Foundation paper is worth exactly the same as a C on the Higher paper.

MindtheGappp · 22/07/2011 08:51

I would leave it at this stage in the term.