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Original poster

Pointless homework - WWYD?

278 replies

EvilTwins · 07/11/2017 21:22

DTDs are in yr 7. One gets endless amounts of homework (the other doesn’t) and much of it feels a bit pointless. Today, she told me she has a 3 week history project for which she has to “make something” to do with castles - she can make a cake Hmm or a model HmmHmm or a mood board with lots of pictures. I asked her what The actual learning in the project is and she doesn’t know. Last week, she was given a project where she had to do a presentation about herself. That’s for study skills, and they are focusing on the presentation aspect. Her sister does the same subjects (different teachers) and did not have the same homework - hers was to practise the presentation skills, rather than spend hours doing a pointless PowerPoint.

Homework should be to either consolidate learning, extend learning or prepare for a lesson (or test) Making a model of Lincoln Castle out of fudge does neither of those things.

WWYD? Contact School? DTD2 could be spending her time so much better.

OP posts:
Middleoftheroad · 07/11/2017 22:37

I have twin boys, only at different secondaries. The twin at comp has had to colour in the Jolly Roger for English and decorate his reading book among other small amounts of homework.

The twin at grammar has had to make a shield (we did this at primary) but has generally had more challenging homework.

I'm guessing most schools therefore have some homework like this but no, I would not be happy if it was frequent. I would wait until parents' evening and raise it then perhaps.

MsJaneAusten · 07/11/2017 22:34

She doesn’t have to make a castle out of fudge though does she? It’s home learning. Your own definition of homework said it should extend learning. She can take her research in whatever direction she’s interested in - architecture, fashion, stories of the era, geography...

Come on OP, don’t pretend you don’t look back with fondness of the ‘old’ newspapers and diaries you made at school by running a used tea bag over them Grin

Julie8008 · 07/11/2017 22:28

She is in Y7, Just do the homework, its not rocket science.