To expect my Yr 9 DD to do 2hrs homework a night.

[sunshield]

My year 9 daughter is at present only doing about 45 minutes a night homework (she refuses to do anymore). she is getting away doing so little at the moment. The school expects year 9 girls to do between 8-10 hours homework a week DD is spending less than half of that time on homework.

The school sent a letter out to parents asking 'how much time does your daughter spend on her homework' I sent the letter back saying less than 4 hours per week DD was sent to the year head for a dressing down. DD is no calling me every name under the sun (being very rude). She is saying all her friends spend the same amount of time on their homework and that being dressed down by the year head was unfair. The school expects pupils to achieve A /* or level8/9 grades for GCSE so she was told in no uncertain terms by the year head that 45 minutes a night on homework was unacceptable. This is in contrast to her elder year 10 sister who always does/did over 2 hours a night homework (both are at the same school) even her year 7 brother does 1 hour a night .

Am I correct to ban her from using her computer (except for school work) until she can prove she has spent two hours on her homework that night.

Nobody said anyone can achieve anything. But if most teenagers take advantage of the opportunities they do have, and work hard, they will be much better off than if they just coast along on "natural ability".

Not able to do clubs in the evening because their parents can't afford the subs.

Not able to do jobs or clubs because they have caring roles.

Not able to do jobs because there aren't any.

Etc etc. It's the reality for many people. MN must have taught you that by now.

Did we ever find out the school? Am Deputy Head at one of the top ranked independent girls' schools and desperate to know which school! Sounds like an insane amount!!!

Messalina. The only thing I will tell you is its a girls grammar school in Buckinghamshire . I am surprised that you think its a insane amount of homework !.

I have looked at other grammar school websites and have seen other grammar schools suggesting around 8-10 hours homework a week for year 9 students.

Messalina as a matter of interest , how much time do your 'extremely bright and focused' year 9s spend on homework each week.

RE university admissions, my husband did admissions for Oxford one year and they paid absolutely no attention to extra curriculars or teacher references (they all read nearly the same). A-levels were useless as everyone had near perfect predictions but Oxford have the benefit of university set exams and interviews to go on. I guess other top universities that don't interview or set their own exams are forced to select on EC's as they have nothing else to distinguishing between students.

Shayne, why are art and DT not "worthy" of homework?

I think it is just as important as other subjects, it all depends what you'll be doing later in life.

WTAF?

2 hours of homework per day is a lot. But what concerns me the most is that the school expects that the students actually spend that much time doing it. What should matter is the result, not the time on it. If she does what she is asked to do and to a good standard, why should she be forced to spend that much time doing something she doesn't need to?

Or rather, what matters is if she goes about it in an effective way.
She could spend 2 hours on it and come up with crap.

Your poor DD. I live in Buckinghamshire and this is news to me.

Maybe she sees this homework as arbitrary? I know people who put in minimal effort on tasks that don't interest them or found towards exam grades, but then do the necessary work to get good grades in the exams themselves...

2 hours every night does sound awful to me. I went to a comp 15 years ago and don't remember ever having that much homework to do, except in revision the weeks leading up to GCSEs and A levels. I got all As and A*s. I am not a steady worker though, and I think I'd have cracked up doing 2 hours homework a night. Even now I am much more a person who lets things build up then do a whole load of work in one go (at the last minuteminute usually when I feel more efficient). I think its just the way some people are...

Two hours of extra work each night when tired and uninspired, won't improve grades. What will help grades is short very focused amounts of homework that quickly recap on the days learning, along with a balanced life after school.

Just looked up another girls grammar, out of my area Spalding High in Lincolnshire expects 1 and half hours for year 9 students .

Dd is in Year 8 - and 13 - they suggest 1 hour 30 mins a night. Dd does her homework on the bus to school in the morning (I hour journey with a change so I suppose that is about 20 mins of quality homework) and about 45 mins at home the night it is set. And catches up a fair amount at weekends in between lolling around and shopping. I certainly don't see her sitting at her desk (actually she seems to work best lying in bed surrounded by cats) for two hours. After school she is completely and utterly knackered. Just went to Parents' Eve and she is doing very well 6's and 7's. Not mention of sloppy homework.

Blimey, DS1 is yr 11 and does 15 minutes a night tops. Any more and he just gives up. School is very stressful to him and he needs evenings to decompress.

I think 2 hours is the norm for Y9's at a grammar school. DSs friends in Y7 at grammar school do at least an hour and a half each evening while DS skateboards up and down the road

But I think the question is, are the teachers happy with what she's doing OP? If she's getting no detentions and good grades, then I'd be happy.

So glad I found this thread, we (hubby and I) have been having arguments about this. Son finishes school at 5pm. The homework imo. has spiralled out of control this year. 10 set for the next week. He has chosen his options so I really do not worry about the subjects he is dropping any more. They have exams starting soon so also have revision homework. He is predicted good grades for GCSE so I think the school should lighten up.

Thanks Lynette. It certainly makes a change from my school days, when the teachers told me, it suited them if i did not do any homework because it meant less to mark. Consequently i obliged and for the five years of Upper School (High school) i did not do 1 piece of homework. ,
The teachers could not even be bothered giving detentions out for non compliance. DD2 has had 2 after school detentions and 1 lunchtime one this year . The after school ones were for not doing RS homework twice the lunchtime one (last week) was for a poor piece of English homework. DD stated the RS homework was rubbish and pointless (I agree) , but still gave her a telling off big one for the second one.

Yes. Yabu. 2 hours that's a joke. She's 9 years old. She's been in school all day. I don't agree with home work. They're in school all day. Would you like to take your work.
When do kids get to have this thing called fun and playtime.

She's 9 years old

Don't people read?

She's in year 9.

Oh year 9. Still a bit much if it's every night.
My dd is in year 11 and has hardly ever had home work in the big school. Was told she would get about 5 hours a night. Just scaremongering obviously. She stYs behind sometimes though. I suppose whatever helps at that age.

" as a matter of interest , how much time do your 'extremely bright and focused' year 9s spend on homework each week."

Well, I've already told you what my "extremely bright and focussed" year 9 does.

And what my grammar school older child did.

I find it baffling that selects, and which is geared up for achieving excellent academic results from bright children needs them to put in an extra school day a week in year 9! Obviously if it's exciting and and interesting broadening and extending work then fine- but if it's just more of the same what's it for?????????

Hakulyt. Do you blame me (who had a crap education) for going along with what the school asks from its pupils or for putting my faith in them .

They know a dam sight more than I do about what level of work is required for pupils to succeed at GCSE/A Level. They also have a outstanding record getting students on to competitive courses at top Universities .

"Hakulyt. Do you blame me (who had a crap education) for going along with what the school asks from its pupils or for putting my faith in them"

I don't blame you- of course not. But you can't be that convinced about it or you wouldn't be asking on here. And your dd is not happy- or you wouldn't be asking on here. And the vast majority of people are telling you that it's not necessary to do 2 hours a night in year 9. What are you going to do about?

Sunshield, I've RTFT. There are a whole heap of interesting discussions, comments, insights and opinions in the 300 messages.

I think nearly every post you've written comes back to focussing on time spent on homework. Only in one or two posts have you written about the outcomes of your DD's work, or her work pattern.

I think that you are focussing on completely the wrong thing to measure. Time spent versus results achieved.

From the one-two 'useful' posts, it does sound as though your daughter is not achieving to the best of her ability, and is not trying to the best of her ability.

However, if you keep bashing her over the head with the clock-watching, I can't see that you're really going to achieve much, apart from hacking her off even more entirely.

What are you doing to support your DD rather than have a go at her? Do you encourage her to do her best for positive reasons (choice in the future) or for negative reasons (you'll amount to nothing if...)?

I appreciate that your own educational experience has affected you strongly, and also may have left you feeling as though you have insufficient knowledge to work with your DD, but I think you need to find a way to do just that - work with, encourage - or you will end up with a very switched-off child.

As for how that support and "working with" might work, I'm not sure. How about helping her to break things down into managable chunks? How about more interaction with you? - Praise from you about a good piece of work done/ a bit of a kick up the arse when it's not done as well as it she could as she's being lazy or rushing something? Helping her to understand that most of her peers are probably lying about doing nothing? Apologies if you're doing all of this and your post is simply to get feedback on what is a reasonable amount of time to spend on homework, but I get the impression that you feel that your role is just to police time, and not to be involved in educating your DD because "that is the school's role".

Anyway, good luck. Stroppy teenagers are stroppy teenagers and difficult to motivate unless they want to do something.