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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is it too much homework?

64 replies

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:33

Ds is 5 and in reception. He is doing really well but still doesn't have a great attention son etc.

His homework and reading homework at getting on top of him though.

He has 5 or more pages of writing and phonics to do a week, then they have a reading book and a phonic book on a Monday and it's changed on a Friday so that's 4 books to do reading in.

Then they have a game like phonics cards each night to do as well.

I have a record book I need to write this all in etc which is fine.

My dh and I read to the dc every night and we do reading at weekends etc but I feel this is a bit too much homework for a reception child.

By the time he has come home from school, had his dinner, bath and then homework he is shattered and he goes to be at about 7pm otherwise I wouldn't get him up in the morning.

Maybe IABU but is that too much?

OP posts:

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:34

Sorry about sll the typos, my iPad and I are not friends today

OP posts:

DisappointedOne · 12/01/2016 09:38

Way way way way way too much. My 5 year old is at Welsh medium school so nothing in English. She gets between 1 and 3 books a week to read at home (depending on complexity - she's way ahead of what's expected) and up to 4 words/phrases to copy out (again, quite complex but just for practice really). She finished all of the reception maths work by October half term so doesn't get any maths activities sent home now (we just use opportunities to practice in daily life).

Her homework takes around 20-30 minutes a week to do, maximum.

Brightnorthernlights · 12/01/2016 09:43

Gosh, that does sound a lot. Is it a state primary? When We have had too much homework (infants), DD just completed what she could, spent what I felt was a reasonable amount of time, with good effort. Any incomplete work was returned with a polite note explaining DD had tried her best and ran out of time, but We were happy with her efforts. Never caused a problem.

BlueSmarties76 · 12/01/2016 09:43

It depends! I think if you're at a hot-housey academic Prep school then it's pretty normal, but if you just chose the local school then yes, it seems too much. Horses for courses!

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:43

The school ds goes to is a very very small school and very sought after, think 100 children. It's academic results were amazing and we were very lucky to of got in.

But now I guess I'm regretting putting that much pressure on ds. I have been known to not do the homework by the handing in days simply because ds gets really stressed by it.

I've been asked told off to make sure the homework was done, which I do now but I think at 5, it's wrong to put so much pressure on him. He only started in September.

But then his reading and writing is brilliant, he can do sentences and basic maths etc.

OP posts:

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:44

No it's not a prep school, it's a c of e school although they act like its a prep school

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DisappointedOne · 12/01/2016 09:45

Alarm bells would ring for me. 5 year olds should not be hot housed. Your son is in danger of burning out. Where's the pastoral care if it's all about academic results?

Kerberos · 12/01/2016 09:47

Agree. This sounds horrendous. Can you have a sensible conversation with them about it?

Haggisfish · 12/01/2016 09:48

Good grief. How to put a child off learning for life, surely?! Dds work in reception was reading for ten minutes every night and some writing near end of year.

BarbarianMum · 12/01/2016 09:48

DisappointedOne · 12/01/2016 09:49

Actually, I'd be unhappy with this level of homework at any point during primary school. School is absolutely exhausting for children, even when they learn mainly through play (as they do here in Wales). Piling more on top of them is asking for trouble.

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:51

I don't think he is being hot housed, but I don't know any different and was schooled in a different country.

His teacher is lovely and sos the head but it's all very "we're the best" iyswim

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DisappointedOne · 12/01/2016 09:52

100 pupils and excellent academic results? They're all being hot housed. Sounds horrid.

DancingDinosaur · 12/01/2016 09:54

Crikey, my dc are at a prep and I thought they got too much, but you get way more.

grumpysquash2 · 12/01/2016 09:54

Bucking the trend here, but my DS2 got almost no homework throughout KS1. Now in year 5 he gets some weird thing where they are given about 6 or 8 homeworks and they pick one per week. All different subjects (topic based) but they end up not having to do all of them.
This term he did 5 in a row the night they were set. Now nothing until after half term. It only took about an hour to do all 5.
I worry for completely opposite reasons to the OP.

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 09:54

My dd is disabled and being assessed etc (see other threads)

I put her name down for the same school and will most likely get in BUT I had a conversation with the head and he wants a letter from her paediatrician that she will be able to cope in the school etc.

Paed and HT have worked together before but I know for a fact that dd will not cope with the amount of homework they have.

It's a lovely little school but I guess I'm dreading dd starting (I will probs hold her back a year) and my ds being shattered.

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TannhauserGate · 12/01/2016 09:55

Hot housed is reception children having five pages of homework to do!
My children are also in a highly sought after, academic school, however reception just have the reading book each evening, perhaps five spellings a week (cat, what, rather than envelope, knowledge etc)

ArmfulOfRoses · 12/01/2016 09:59

Bloody hell that is far too much!
My ds9 is year 4 and is expected to read daily and gets one worksheet a week.
It includes maths, spellings, and literacy.
It is handed out on a Wednesday and handed in the next Wednesday.
It takes him 15 minutes max in total and he is very easily distracted.

Snowglobe1 · 12/01/2016 10:03

That's a huge amount for YR.

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 10:07

These are two pages of the homework and the game. I don't know if it's outing but if ds teacher sees this then grovelling hi!

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BarbarianMum · 12/01/2016 10:08

Hot housed is reception children having five pages of homework to do!

^^ This. And also - wanting only children that fit the mould. Doesn't seem like the Head's very interested in tailoring education to the individual child, does it?

Original poster

Esmeismyhero · 12/01/2016 10:13

The point he was putting forward was if dd wasn't able to toilet by herself etc then they would need to employ someone to be able to help her and they couldn't do that without a statement and learning assessment. Which is fair enough, I wouldn't want dd to start and not get the support.

It's quite a naice area and I don't really fit the mound here tbh (I'm a bit too peace and flowers iyswim)

The other schools in the area are all good etc.

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WhispersOfWickedness · 12/01/2016 10:20

Far too much imo. In my DC's school, they have very little homework, which suits me fine as I don't like the thought of ks1 having homework at all. My DD is reception and wouldn't be able to do that homework without masses of help (I.e. Us telling her what to write), which would defeat the object really

TheGonnagle · 12/01/2016 10:24

That is more homework than my dd gets in year 1 in what we're all referring to as a 'hot-housy academic prep school'.
She has a reading book every night, 10 spellings to learn a week, with a sentence written to include each spelling and the very occasional (two since Sept.) maths sheet to look at.
If she was expected to do that workload every night she'd be utterly shattered.

DisappointedOne · 12/01/2016 10:26

OT, but why would anyone opt for a hothouse for their 4 or 5 year old child?

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