How much homework does your primary age child get?

[beeble347]

My only DC is a toddler so we're not at this stage yet, but I'm curious. A friend told me recently her 5 year old has homework every day, I think it was at least 20 min total of maths, spellings and presumably reading.

Friend also said the maths work is set on a tablet and basically requires the reflexes of an adult to do the answers fast enough for the programme to let you progress.

I'm a secondary teacher and I just find this all mad! We rarely had homework in primary but my mum read to all three of us 20 min each individually every night. I think play and time to pursue outside interests is so important. I'm assuming it's the norm nowadays but I wanted to get an idea of what was normal across the country out of curiosity.

As someone who has worked in hundreds of schools and who has a child in primary school your friends experience is not something I've ever come across, not even at the private schools I've worked in.

Most schools expect children to read 3-5 times a week and from year 1 onwards they may get spellings weekly or some maths work but certainly not nightly and not requiring a tablet to complete.

Depends on the school - I hear certain sought after preps in London are selective at 4 and 7yo entry points (and have tests) so I’d imagine these schools set similar homework. Our school is not selective, but my twins do a fair bit of homework over the week in Year 2 (it’s set for a week plus daily reading). They did homework in Year 1 and Reception at a different school too, but set mainly weekly.

My children are in year 3. Their homework is daily 15 minutes reading, daily spelling and times tables 3x a week. The maths is on a tablet app and yes, they do have to do it at speed – that’s part of the work. Wouldn’t say they need reflexes of an adult, they have always managed.

My DD is in year 2, and has never had any except a reading book which we do every day, and in the last term some spellings but we’ve never actually done these at home as they’re easy and she doesn’t need to practise.

She’s never had any formal stuff like “here is a worksheet, fill in the answers”.

Suggested reading 3x week for 15 min.
Ks1 child has spellings weekly
Ks2 very rarely given anything, maybe a half term project for example build something ancient Egyptian or stoneage

That's so reassuring!

Daily reading and homework twice a week

Thanks everyone sounds like it really varies!

One book per week. As the child gets older the book gets thicker and it goes from reading one book in P1 to one chapter in P4.