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Original poster

DS (year 11) can't get any revision done due to homework

35 replies

Kazzyhoward · 19/04/2018 11:06

DS is currently getting 3/4 hours of normal homework per evening, and about 10 hours each weekend, and hasn't been able to do any revision since Easter. Last weekend was the DofE Bronze assessed expedition so he couldn't do anything. Last weekend this month is the DofE Silver practice expedition, so that's Friday-Sunday out of action.

Is it reasonable for the teachers to continue giving "normal" homework of such high amounts when they are so close to the GCSE's? They don't get any "revision" leave as they're still in school to the Friday, with exams starting the following week. What's worse is that teachers are giving it one day to be handed in the next, so DS can't even try to schedule it, so every time he "plans" to do some revision, he gets another long homework which takes up all his time.

Main culprits are History, Geography and Res Mat where the teachers seem to be panicking that they've not finished the course and are suddenly giving loads of homework, when over the last couple of years, they've had virtually nothing (maybe an hour per subject per week) - some of the homework is very time-consuming such as projects and all of it has to be handed in for marking at very short notice (typically next lesson which is often the next day).

He's starting to think about just not doing it and doing revision instead, his rationale being that he'd be better simply not being able to answer the odd question that they've not yet done/mastered, thus losing minimal marks, as opposed to not being able to revise another subject at all (such as biology) and potentially losing marks on most questions due to lack of revision.

Any opinions as to whether to prioritise revision over all subjects or follow teacher homework on selected topics only?

OP posts:
WhatsGoingOnEh · 20/04/2018 09:24

school won't let them do it in the "wrong" year

You can ask the school for permission to let your DS do the silver next year, and if they try the "wrong year" crap you can point out that they're happy to let him sit the Bronze in the "wrong" year, so...

Good luck to your lovely DS! Hope everything goes really well. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.

Original poster
Kazzyhoward · 20/04/2018 09:12

First off your crazy letting your DC do DofE expeditions this close to GCSEs.

It's the school's decision unfortunately. As I said up-thread, they cocked it up last year as the bronze should have been done in year 10. If he doesn't do Silver in year 11, he won't be able to do it at all - school won't let them do it in the "wrong" year. So, if he (and everyone else currently in year 11) want both bronze and silver, it has to all be done now (a month before the GCSEs start!). Though lots have dropped out of silver - DS wants to do it, but I'm starting to think we should insist he drops out too!

OP posts:
Walkingdeadfangirl · 19/04/2018 20:54

First off your crazy letting your DC do DofE expeditions this close to GCSEs.
Is the homework revision or actual uncovered curriculum content? My DS has massive amounts of homework every night from all subjects, its a mix of content and revision.

Rightly or wrongly if its required content I dont see what choice there is, you have to do it or accept he might fail the subject.
As for revising the other subjects you are left to help him cram, you really should not have left it this late.

So its late nighters every night for the next month, 3 hours content 3 hours revision.

LadyLance · 19/04/2018 20:02

I can see why your DS thinks the way he does. However, it can be easier to get the first half of the marks for each question than perfect marks in half the questions. I'd suggest trying to allocate an even amount of time for each subject and checking the syllabus so that he can see how much of the course he is missing for subjects where teachers have not finished the course.

I think it does depend a bit on which subjects are most important for his future- what is he doing next? It might also depend on how reasonable the teachers are (unless you would support him in not going to detentions for missed work? Which might be problematic if he's returning for sixth form).

I do think he might need to knock DofE on the head until his GCSEs are over- GCSEs are obviously way more important to his future compared to what is essentially a hobby. I can't see teachers being hugely sympathetic if he's struggling to fit things in due to spending time on DofE expeditions.

If his form tutor is sympathetic and neutral, would they be able to help him prioritise?

Acopyofacopy · 19/04/2018 17:58

Are you sure that the homework given is not actually exam relevant? We are under very strict orders not to give “busy work”.

Sometimes what looks like “totally pointless rubbish, Miss” (yes, I am looking at you, my Year 11s) is actually really important. Can you query why he has to do certain pieces?

AChickenCalledKorma · 19/04/2018 17:47

We have a similar issue with conflict between homework and revision, but the majority of the homework is at least revision-related. It's just not the revision DD1 wants to be covering. I'm monitoring it and will only contact school if she's really struggling.

The amount your son is getting sounds ridiculous and I would be in touch with his form tutor to highlight that it's undermining his ability to plan a proper revision schedule.

How important are History, Geography and Res Mat to his future plans?

I also think doing both DofE expeditions at this time of year, and in such quick succession is nuts. DD1's school scheduled Silver practice for November and Silver assessed for July, after their exams are finished. There is no way on earth the head of year 11 would have agreed to expeditions in the middle of peak revision time!

Original poster
Kazzyhoward · 19/04/2018 12:43

I agree with Mal but also don't understand how/why he is doing Bronze and Silver DofE simultaneously?

The school didn't start the bronze soon enough last year and ran out of time as they're not allowed to do it through the winter months. (It wasn't until around March last year that they even started the preparations for it and didn't do the practice expedition until June, with the assessed planned for September, but they didn't start soon enough once back in September to plan it, and couldn't organise it in time!).

OP posts:
teenagerparent · 19/04/2018 12:17

I've pulled my DD out of DofE during May, they had set up the silver for both bank holiday weekends. They have til they are 25 to finish the gold, missing it for a few weeks now won't make any difference.
All out of school activities have been told she will be there if she feels like it for the next few weeks, and if she feels like she should be revising she won't be.
Mine doesn't seem to have any homework now, I'd be thinking the same as your DS if he doesn't do his homework what are they going to do?

TeenTimesTwo · 19/04/2018 11:27

I agree with Mal but also don't understand how/why he is doing Bronze and Silver DofE simultaneously?

Malbecfan · 19/04/2018 11:18

Y11 form tutor here and this is very concerning. I would be asking the Head of Year why he is getting so much homework as it seems completely unreasonable to me. My tutor group seem now only to be given practice questions or revision activities for h/w and rarely is anything required for the following day.

I would tell your DS to spend only the minimum time per subject on h/w tasks and email his form tutor informing them what is going on. The rest of the time should be spent on revision. This will sound bad but if it is a subject that he will not be taking further (and not English/Maths), I would say revision of key (A level) subjects is more important now than some poxy h/w to gain one or two more marks in something he won't need.