Hi
My son is currently in year 8. We haven't had a parents evening this academic year so we have no idea how he is doing other than his end of year assessment levels from yr7. He doesn't bring school books home from school (they don't have lockers so the teachers keep the books) - we don't even get chance to look in his books when he does homework because he doesn't really get any!
He gets the occasional online maths homework (he had some this week but this is the first lot he's had since September/October); his homework consists of "find out a little bit about..." in preparation for classwork but even then perhaps only once a month or so. He's had to do an assessment for a couple of subjects for homework - but neither was done in books but on the computer and printed out; and he gets a shopping list for cookery. The lack of homework is across all subjects. So we don't get to look inside his books for teachers comments, feedback on homework.
Firstly, is this common?
Secondly, he is choosing his options this year and we're a bit confused/befuddled/getting ahead of ourselves/justifiably concerned!
We have a parents info evening in the middle of Feb., there's an options workshop towards the end of Feb., and the final options have to be in the following week. Parents evening is not until 3 weeks after that.
So is this normal? I remember all the advice about choosing subjects you're good at and not the one's your friends are doing etc, but without any feedback/consultation with parents how on earth are we supposed to support him in his choices?!
I know what subjects he wants to do, and I am supportive of these, but don't know if the combinations he wants to do are possible, the implications for A Levels, how he is likely to do in them...
It's an outstanding state comprehensive in an affluent area with very supportive parents. To me, there just seems to be a disparity.
What are other people's experiences of this? thanks.