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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect homework marking to be more than just a tick at the bottom of the page?

18 replies

WidowWadman · 04/05/2015 17:35

Child is in Y1 - written a whole page about her home town. Good effort, but of course with some misspellings which is normal at that stage, and probably not the neatest piece of work she could have done.
She got it back with just a tick at the bottom, no errors flagged up nor corrected nor any other feedback (like she would have got from her reception teacher).I'm just wondering what the point of setting homework, if it's not really being marked?

OP posts:

ltk · 04/05/2015 17:38

This was handed back on the Friday before a bank holiday? You are lucky it wasn't tipped in the bin in front of her...

Quills · 04/05/2015 17:43

I too have a DD in Y1, and we treat homework as something to get her into a routine for later years when it really will be necessary to do extra work out of school hours, not something to be marked, assessed and fretted over. Your DC's teacher is clearly satisfied that the homework was attempted and an effort was made, which IMO is more than enough for Y1.

OrlandoWoolf · 04/05/2015 17:48

I'm just wondering what the point of setting homework, if it's not really being marked

Indeed. Because it's something that's expected.

It would be nice to have had a comment about the work. Such as " I like the sound of the ...." And feedback. You've used punctuation etc

A tick means it's been looked at.

But....detailed marking takes up a long time and sometimes -especially at that age - a tick ,a smiley face or house points is what the children see - and care about.

The feedback often is wasted.

elsabelle · 04/05/2015 17:51

I'm a teacher and that probably wouldnt be in line with most school's marking policies (ours anyway). Unless the TA just ticked them all for now and the teacher will look at it properly later - this sometimes happens in my year group when things are very busy.
In general though homework isnt marked as in depth as work done in class. (thats the case in EYFS anyway, KS1 & 2 teachers may correct me if thats not the case for them).

RockMummy · 04/05/2015 17:51

I would be more worried if her numeracy and her literacy were not marked and feedback given TBH. Teachers can have 60 pieces of work to mark per day just from numeracy and literacy alone as well as preparation for the next day. To do this thoroughly and effectively takes time. Some things have to give sometimes

Original poster

WidowWadman · 04/05/2015 17:53

I just find it weird that her reception teacher always at least corrected any obvious mistakes and gave hints what she could do better or pointed out what was done well. Never seen anything on her Y1 work.

My daughter has long days and normally doesn't get home from after school club before six, so there's really only the weekend for her to do any homework, but I wonder why we should make her sit down and do it, if it actually doesn't matter?

OP posts:

Original poster

WidowWadman · 04/05/2015 17:55

I never get to see what work she is doing in school so don't know if that's being marked. I hope it is.

OP posts:

elsabelle · 04/05/2015 18:06

Are her books not available for you to look at when you go for parents evening? They should be. If not then politely ask the teacher if you could have a look at them after school one day (You dont have to say why, just say something vague like "We've been practising writing at home and i just wanted to see how her work at school compares", they definitely cant say no to you. )

If nothing is marked in depth (there shiuld be some correction, praise and suggestions for future imrpovements) then you could have a word with someone on the Leadership Team to gently express your concerns.

BackforGood · 04/05/2015 18:08

Well, there isn't any point in setting homework like this in Yr1, except it appeases the parents that want it.
The work that comes back in will have been done (or not done) with such a variety of support from different families, the teacher won't be marking what the child can do, they will be marking what support they have had - all a bit pointless really.
They've looked, and acknowledged that it's been done. There's no point in wasting time poring over details - I'd rather the staff were using that time to plan interesting lessons for the coming week, tbh.

Personally, no, I wouldn't make her sit and do it - sounds like she has very long days as it is.

OrlandoWoolf · 04/05/2015 18:09

Marking at that age is also a bit different - verbal feedback at the time is common.

elsabelle · 04/05/2015 18:35

Yes verbal feedback is common but if it has been given then its usually recorded on the work e.g. "Talked to Daisy about remembering her finger spaces and fullstops" and then initialled by the teacher.

fredfredgeorgejnr · 04/05/2015 19:15

Next time, you set and mark the homework and stop pressuring the teacher to waste everyone else's time on it, there's no evidence it helps academic outcomes, and may well take away from other activities.

LapsedTwentysomething · 04/05/2015 19:21

fred, that's a bit harsh. The OP doesn't want her DD doing homework if it isn't particularly necessary, that's all.

As a teacher, (secondary English) I only mark extended pieces in detail as that takes such a lot of time. It would depend on the nature of the homework, whether I gave a tick or more detailed feedback. Personally I don't see the point of setting it just for the sake of it, but the school and inspection team require it.

noblegiraffe · 04/05/2015 19:29

The reception teacher spending all that time correcting mistakes and giving suggestions for improvement was probably a complete waste of time for a child who is just learning to read. The Y1 teacher's approach is far more sensible. Maybe a stamp saying 'good work' would be a nice touch though.

Hulababy · 04/05/2015 19:31

Did she not get verbal feedback? Verbal would probably be more appropriate for a child of that age. After all, what is the purpose of the feedback and for who's benefit is it for?

Original poster

WidowWadman · 04/05/2015 22:24

Wouldn't say that what the reception teacher did was necessarily a waste of time, and it was less often homework, but a mixture of things done at home and at school which got marked/comments on.

And yes, as Lapse said, I'd rather have them setting no homework than treating it as a pointless exercise, as I think that probably achieves less than not setting any at all.

OP posts:

fredfredgeorgejnr · 04/05/2015 22:29

But there's pretty much no evidence that it does any use whatsoever - the kids who have parental interest still have parental interest, those who don't, don't get any more because of homework in 5 year olds.

What it does do is as you've found take away from the other things you could be doing which may well have more positive links with attainment (for example if you stop some exercise to do homework at 5 the evidence would suggest you're harming future success, aerobic fitness well correlated, homework not at all.)

So please don't talk to the teacher to ask for more marking, ask for less homework if that's what you really want. And yes Twentysomething I was being a bit harsh, sorry OP.

fleecyjumper · 04/05/2015 23:50

Yes homework is pointless at that age and the teacher probably knows it but is setting it because she has been told to by the management. The management probably also know that it is pointless but they do it because that is what many parents expect. Just tell them that your child won't be doing homework because it takes time away from family life and the enriching things that she should be doing at that age ( ie playing)

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