Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Just an irritable rant about DS's homework

40 replies

ontheedgeofwhatever · 28/09/2024 18:45

Because we have a busy weekend DS (year 8) did nearly all his homework last night and this morning He has SEN and I have to supervise or it just does not get done and as it is it takes far longer than for most DCs. I'm usually in tears in the bathroom by the time we've got through homework.

It is set through an online app. He had a few questions left for one home work so finished it and went to submit it just after lunch only to find that a NEW homework due Monday had been set about half an hour earlier. It's probably another 20 minutes of work for a normal student which isn't huge but for DS it would be at least 40 as he just can't sit still or concentrate for more than a few minutes. if he'd not had to submit his last homework he'd never have seen it.

Is noon on a Saturday an entirely unreasonable time to set homework due Monday morning or am I just been unreasonable because I'm having a crappy and stressful weekend? (this is not the first time from this teacher)

He would get a detention if it wasn't done and with his emotional problems that's huge and results in me having to spend at least an of hour of my morning persuading him to go to school and usually having to physically take him for at least 2 or 3 days after a detention.

Just crying to be honest. I can't do it. I am sure his teacher is just doing her best but right now I feel so angry with her

OP posts:
Haribosweets · 28/09/2024 18:51

It depends if you get notified as in notification. If no notifications then you can just say you didn't see it. My son school doesn't do notifications on homework app but the teachers say when they are putting homework on. Assuming that teacher didn't say they were uploading homework to them then I would just ignore. My son is SEN year 10 and have battles too especially now with GCSE so can relate!

Octavia64 · 28/09/2024 18:53

It is pretty unreasonable.

(Teacher)

Original poster
ontheedgeofwhatever · 28/09/2024 18:54

No notifications just turns up on the app and he's tried saying didn't see it before (because he hadn't) and was told he should have checked and got a detention... honestly dont think I can cope with it

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General education Secondary education
StressedQueen · 28/09/2024 18:59

It is unreasonable. My older 3 are all at different secondary schools and none of them would set homework like this. The student should be informed in the lessons that there is homework even if everything is online.

ANightingaleSang · 28/09/2024 18:59

That sounds completely unreasonable! My dds not in school yet so I'm not sure what the norm is anymore. What happened to teachers setting homework during the lesson and kids physically writing it in their homework planners so they knew exactly what they had to do? I would ignore it & contact the teacher explaining the difficulties this places on you and your son. I would tell her outright any homework set over the weekend will not be handed in on monday.as he has SEN this is a perfectly reasonable accommodation. Sorry you've had a stressful time. It sounds rough!

Singleandproud · 28/09/2024 19:08

It shouldn't be taking him so long or upsetting your whole weekend. I'd be surprised if setting homework with such a short turn around isn't against the Homework Policy. Your DS should have a one page profile with his reasonable adjustments on it which is reviewed termly. I'd want this to be amended to say the DS will spend 1 hour maximum (or whatever time is right for him) per day on homework and will complete as much as possible and that he is not to be punished for not handing in incomplete homework. If that doesn't work with the app IE you have to submit everything then ask for homework on a paper sheet instead.

Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 28/09/2024 19:20

We had similar. Daughter had home works set middle of half term holidays. Due first day back.
I wrote an email to teacher letting her know the work would not be completed as was not set during school hours and had covid not have happened this would not have been acceptable. I compared it to the teacher posting work through my door.
She got an extension on the piece of work. However out of principle, she didn't complete the work at all. She never got a detention for it either.

Lemonadeand · 28/09/2024 19:27

Another teacher here: this is not ok. Imagine if an adult were treated like this by their boss.

Onlyonekenobe · 28/09/2024 19:39

That’s poor planning on the part of the teacher. Why didn’t she realise she needed to set this homework during the week?

Are you sure it’s not optional?

RandomMess · 28/09/2024 19:41

It's not due a week on Monday is it?

If not I would make a formal complaint.

Hercisback1 · 28/09/2024 19:43

It's likely the teacher has set the wrong submission date. Send an email to ask and clarify. If they say the date is correct then then follow up that you won't be doing it.

TheBottomsOfMyTrousersAreRolled · 28/09/2024 19:48

Hercisback1 · 28/09/2024 19:43

It's likely the teacher has set the wrong submission date. Send an email to ask and clarify. If they say the date is correct then then follow up that you won't be doing it.

I would assume this too. But it certainly isnt reasonable otherwise.

You do need a different way to do homework though, as this isnt sustainable.

endofthelinefinally · 28/09/2024 19:56

It is unacceptable. When I look back at the amount of homework and projects my DC spent hours doing, most of which was never marked, I could cry too. I can't see that all this homework has done anything to improve the standard of education in this country at all.
Putting it all online just makes everything worse.
(It is just like when NHS managers discovered emails. Literally hundreds of emails every week and an expectation that we would have time to read them and action them immediately while simultaneously doing clinics, home visits writing up notes and chasing DNAs).

seven201 · 28/09/2024 19:58

Is it that the teacher set it in the lesson but only remembered to upload the deadline to the app today? Does ds remember the teacher talking about it in the lesson? I've occasionally forgotten to put it on the app the day I set it.

I'm a teacher and if a mum emailed me explaining he couldn't do it at this short notice, I'd be fine with it. Some schools are really strict though. Also, at my school sometimes we are asked by a member of SEN team to be lenient with homework from a student as they're struggling to keep up. Maybe chat to the SENCO.

Original poster
ontheedgeofwhatever · 28/09/2024 20:00

She sets the homework as due on the Friday on the system then adds a note that the homework is NOT due on the Friday but during the subject lesson whatever day it is that week. So as DS has X subject on Monday morning it's due Monday. Last year he had it on Thursdays which was much more manageable.

I'm feeling a bit better now after a decent dinner and I'm going to email her nicely and tell her it's just not possible to turn it round at such short notice but she will have it by Friday as per the date on the system. If she hands out a detention I will go to the head of year because I'd regard it as unfair not only on DS but also on me

@seven201 DS has no recollection of it being mentioned in class though to be fair I suspect his mind is often elsewhere -he's really poor at nearly every subject but maths, physics and computer science which he excels at. I sometimes wonder if I'm the only parent in the world who says that their child can do their maths homework as a reward for getting the geography and English done Hmm

OP posts:
Hercisback1 · 28/09/2024 20:07

I think you should raise this with school. She should be setting it 2 weeks before if that's her submission system.

I wouldn't want any student or parent to have this much stress from homework. See if perhaps you could agree with the senco that he only does core subject homework, or alternates between subjects each week.

qualifiedazure · 28/09/2024 20:07

I would organise a meeting with the SENCO to arrange adjustments to homework for your DS due to the impact it's having on him.

niadainud · 28/09/2024 20:07

I don't think that's reasonable, regardless of any SEN your son has. You have made the effort to plan around your weekend commitments in an organised way and the teacher has just come along and buggered that up. I don't think that's fair to students or their parents.

ETA: Just in case that wasn't clear, I mean I don't think it would be reasonable even if your son didn't have SEN.

noctiscaelum · 28/09/2024 20:29

40 minutes of work for year 8 child isn't a big deal, tbh. And a day and a half notice due on Monday isn't a big deal. Complain if you think it's unreasonable. But really?

RandomMess · 28/09/2024 20:33

@noctiscaelum it's 40 minutes for that one piece and they are getting several per week that requires one on one input from the parent. So yep it becomes a lot especially when it's short notice.

Justanotherteacher · 28/09/2024 20:42

Does he have a one page profile that is shared with teachers? If so, does it mention homework? I wouldn’t want the homework I set to be causing this much of an issue for a year 8 student. You need to speak to the SENCO about adding reasonable adjustment for homework if he doesn’t already have one (or changing it if he does). I teach several students who are not given sanctions for incomplete homework due to a variety of reasons. It’s not totally unusual.

And the teacher that’s setting it on Friday for Monday needs polite email asking for a week’s notice. They should be loading it up separately for each class with the correct start and due dates. I’ve used Satchel One and class charts HW apps. Both allow you to do this with very little extra time needed. CC head of faculty or head of year.

Schoolchoicesucks · 28/09/2024 22:37

noctiscaelum · 28/09/2024 20:29

40 minutes of work for year 8 child isn't a big deal, tbh. And a day and a half notice due on Monday isn't a big deal. Complain if you think it's unreasonable. But really?

It's unreasonable when the DC and parent have already spent time on homework and planned their weekend and around the homework that had been notified.

DC's school sets work with due date of a week ahead. Which allows families to plan completing it around other activities.

Setting work on a Saturday lunchtime to be due on a Monday morning assumes kids aren't busy with weekend commitments or away for the weekend.

I would email the teacher and explain the work won't be completed until a more reasonable deadline.

I would also be meeting with SENCO about reasonable adjustments for DC's homework. Having battles over it where you end up in tears is not healthy.

noctiscaelum · 29/09/2024 09:19

But it's not just problem for children with additional needs though. The same thing apply to any children. So yes, I agree that setting a homework due on Monday on Saturday afternoon is not great.
I also think if the child needs one on one input, they should be having convo with school so they don't need to.Not every parents will be able to do that.

RhaenysRocks · 29/09/2024 10:00

noctiscaelum · 28/09/2024 20:29

40 minutes of work for year 8 child isn't a big deal, tbh. And a day and a half notice due on Monday isn't a big deal. Complain if you think it's unreasonable. But really?

Im a secondary teacher with two teens. If move got a random piece set half way through the weekend when we have already set aside and used the time for homework and we had other plans, it wouldn't be done for the Monday. That's appalling practice and whilst noone wants to be "that parent" I'd be raising it with tutor / HoY if the teacher is not flexible. It may absolutely have been an admin cock up but I would rely 100,% on students rechecking their app at random points through the weekend.

StolenChanel · 29/09/2024 10:02

Is noon on a Saturday an entirely unreasonable time to set homework due Monday morning or am I just been unreasonable because I'm having a crappy and stressful weekend?

Totally unreasonable and, as a teacher, if I had made the mistake of forgetting to upload during school hours and suddenly remember on Saturday afternoon (which does happen), I would be giving my students extra time to complete as it’s my error, not theirs.

Write a note to the teacher explaining what has happened and why DS’s homework will be submitted late.