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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

305 replies

sunshield · 28/04/2015 20:04

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.

OP posts:
musicinspring1 · 28/04/2015 20:21

2 hours a night is too much. When do they get a chance to do hobbies? See family/friends? Chill out even?!? I wouldn't enforce 2 hours a night.

OrlandoWoolf · 28/04/2015 20:25

1 1/2- 2hrs homework per night (Mon - Thurs) plus prep on Saturday mornings.

That was my grammar school.

Did it help? Probably not. But that was the expectation.

CaspianSea · 28/04/2015 20:27

You need to enforce the school's expectations re homework. It sounds like your daughter is bright but lazy. Absolutely stop her messing around on the computer or seeing friends until she has done the 2hours work (and make her show you the completed work as evidence). Kids need self-discipline to succeed academically and if she coasts now she'll find it harder when it's GCSE level. She'll appreciate you doing this when she's older.
If you didn't want her to be ahead academically you wouldn't have sent her to this type of school. She needs to tow the line and follow rules, you were right to be honest on the feedback form.
I was not motivated to study as a teenager, but my parents pushed me hard and I'm so glad they did. I have 3 degrees and a great career, but I wouldn't have got here without a firm hand (like most teenagers I was more interested in having fun and pursuing my own hobbies!) High school is tough and GCSEs take a lot of work to achieve top grades, but the better she does the more options she will have later.
Don't feel you are being mean or pushing her too hard... Education is more competitive now than it ever was, places at top universities need to be earned, and good jobs have more applicants than ever. Talk to her about this and the importance of putting in maximum effort now, instead of doing the minimum.

2hours homework a night is very reasonable for a 14-year-old.

Pyjamaschocolateandwine · 28/04/2015 20:28

Ludicrous.

My dd is doing GCSEs and I wouldn't let her do more than 2 hours a night.

The school must be utterly crap op if thru need the pupils to do so much home study at year 9.

Move her before they break her down.

Jessica2point0 · 28/04/2015 20:28

Insisting on a set time won't help. She'd probs just sit there getting bored waiting for time to pass. If she's efficient and getting her work done to a good standard in less time than it takes other students, then that's surely a good thing?

gointothewoods · 28/04/2015 20:28

You haven't answered the question, does she get all the assigned homework done in 45 minutes?
If she does, and it's to a good standard, then who cares how long it takes?

My DD is 8 and they only get homework Mon-Thurs, I'd say on a good night it takes about half an hour and on a bad one, maybe an hour. I'm not in the UK though. I think 2 hours a night is ridiculous and cruel for such a young girl.

gointothewoods · 28/04/2015 20:29

Oh and YABU, and so is the school.

BabyGanoush · 28/04/2015 20:29

yabu

too much, there should not be a set time, but rather a asset piece of work.

If it only takes her 45 mins, then good on her!

sunshield · 28/04/2015 20:29

I guess I should have just put 8 hours a week on the questionnaire !.

The school says on its website the recommended homework hours each week are as follows.

Year 7: 1 Hour a night year 8: 1 hour 20 year 9: 8-10 hours per week year 10: at least 12 hours per week year 11: 12 hours+ a week.

The sixth form = 5 hours per week private study per A level subject.

OP posts:
Fairylea · 28/04/2015 20:29

I feel really sorry for your dd.

I went to a very good independent school and the amount of homework caused me a nervous breakdown - I'm not kidding. I actually left half way through my A levels because I just became so stressed with it all (one summer before that we actually had to post essays for history to our history teachers home address for certain dates during the holidays! )

It just destroyed me. The stress was unreal. I then went onto do my A levels at a normal college (and still achieved AAB).

If your dd is completing the work set and getting reasonable grades then I can't see why you can't just be proud of her and happy for her. There is more to life than school.

parsnipbob · 28/04/2015 20:30

Caspian I had no self discipline whatsoever.

I have 11 A*s and A grades at GCSE, 4 A grades at A level and a first in my degree from a good uni.

I was outrageously lazy and still did well. 2 hours homework is ridiculous.

gointothewoods · 28/04/2015 20:30

Caspiansea, the child is 9, not 14!

gointothewoods · 28/04/2015 20:31

Shit, I've just reread the OP and I completely misread it didn't I..
Slinks off.. Blush

Pyjamaschocolateandwine · 28/04/2015 20:31

caspian no one needs 3 degrees you obviously love to study and that's great but it's not the norm.

My older 2 have good degrees and didn't do anywhere near that amount of homework at 13. Bat shit crazy.

OrlandoWoolf · 28/04/2015 20:32

Caspiansea, the child is 9, not 14

No - she is in year 9.

parsnipbob · 28/04/2015 20:32

Oh also I have an MA too. Did sod all homework.

slippermaiden · 28/04/2015 20:33

2 hours, age 9?

YouMakeMyHeartSmile · 28/04/2015 20:33

Surely the time spent on it is irrelevant if she's completing it to a high standard? Everyone is different, I got all A's and A*'s at GCSE and what took me half an hour would take some of my friends 2 hours. Not bragging, I'm just fairly academic (useless at a lot of other things though). Have they expressed any concerns about the standard of her work? My school didn't set any time expectation, they just expected the homework to be completed to a suitable standard.

TheRealMaryMillington · 28/04/2015 20:33

Christ that is far too much.
And already proving counter-productive I suspect in more than a few cases

kinkyfuckery · 28/04/2015 20:33

~sigh~ Why such a focus on education and study, over socialising and living? How old is she?
What are the school teaching them during school hours, if they are expected to do so much at home?

Pyjamaschocolateandwine · 28/04/2015 20:36

Look either aged 9 or in year 9 at 14 that's far too much homework

Clarify her age op as there's confusion.

Idontseeanydragons · 28/04/2015 20:36

I'm tempted to ask if they actually do any work in lessons tbh.
It sounds barmy, if she is completing the homework in less than 2 hours to the expected standard then what in earth is the issue?
It sounds like the type of school that prizes results over the well being of their students.

sunshield · 28/04/2015 20:36

The grades she gets for her homework are usually around B/C standard or good /adequate .

There appears to be a bit of rivalry going on in terms of who can spend the least time on their homework and get the best grades. Maybe this is a bit of 'rubbish' sprouted by the girls aimed at trying to prove they are brighter than each other.

OP posts:
MrsDeVere · 28/04/2015 20:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pyjamaschocolateandwine · 28/04/2015 20:38

The teaching must be piss poor to need that much home imput.

Glad mine achieved degrees at a bloody good comp. teachers are fantastic.

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