Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

to be annoyed that DCs have homework over half-term?

100 replies

mummy2zni · 27/05/2016 20:42

Finished work today looking fwd to a half term when I'm not working and kids aren't in holiday club and we can just blob around the house. Came home to find out DCs (10 & 13) have been set projects/homework to complete over the holidays.

Aibu to be irked? What about people who are going away? I'd be even more annoyed! Why (especially afters SATS) can't the kids just have a proper break? What do u think?

Rant over.

OP posts:

mummytime · 28/05/2016 08:12

I think any school setting homework for year 6 is being very unreasonable!
My DCs school took the opportunity after SATs to do some old fashioned pupil led learning. Which was great.

The local (very high in the Times Top Schools league table) selective high achieving girls school, does no homework during and after summer half term, except for GCSE years.

TheWitchwithNoName · 28/05/2016 08:13

My year 3 has to a produce a poster or leaflet on brexit, that's after researching it to work out which way they should vote

Ragwort · 28/05/2016 08:18

Wouldn't bother me at all, I wish my DS had been given more projects/homework over the years - a couple of hours during the week really doesn't matter - and, in my opinion, children have loads of time for 'relaxing' - how many adults really get a whole week off with absolutely nothing to do - there is no holiday for 'parents'. .

Maybe my DS is just very lazy but I honestly wish he would show more enthusiasm and motivation towards his school work, he is heading towards leaving school with very few qualifications. And of course I know it's not just about doing homework.

Pearlman · 28/05/2016 08:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hulababy · 28/05/2016 08:52

13y dd has exams the week she gets back, so no official Homework but a shed load of y9 revision. Same last two years since going to secondary.

I do wish exams were before holidays though - think the kids need the break really especially after an 8 week term. Would have been nicer to have the last week.

We went on holiday last year at half term but it messed up revision and dd just wasn't in the right frame of mind to revise when away (near on impossible when outside is hot and there's a massive pool with your cousins playing in it!) and then coming back straight to exams not good. Said we'd not do it again to her - was a one off due to a special family birthday but just didn't think it through.

Hulababy · 28/05/2016 08:53

We didn't send any homework out to our year 2s btw.

CecilyP · 28/05/2016 09:02

Hulababy, that sounds like you feel you need to make an excuse for having a holiday in what is actually a school holiday. You really shouldn't have to do that!

voxnihili · 28/05/2016 09:22

I set homework but it is an optional extra. There is no reward for those who do it (aside from the positive impact on their grades) and no consequences for those who don't. I try with homework to make sure they understand how it will benefit them which seems to help with getting them to want to do it. Also some of mine like homework as they don't have families who will do lots of fun stuff with them and it gives them something to do.

I think homework is a good thing as I think it is a good way of getting children into the habit of doing more than required which will help when they get jobs and want to further their careers and consequently have to study at home. I do however think it should be optional.

Hulababy · 28/05/2016 09:30

Cecily - true. And I was a secondary school teacher (now in primary) so do know that children need a break too, and I like my holidays too lol!

I just felt bad for dd last year so said we'd not do it again.

Why do so many head teachers schedule exam weeks just after half term?!?!

When I was a teacher is have always preferred them to before a holiday so that I can do some of the marking during the pupil free week rather than in term time, and it helps you get a start on your report writing to if you've got the end of year assessments beforehand!

But so many schools out them after a much needed break!

CecilyP · 28/05/2016 09:45

I have no idea why. If they want to examine a year's work, the year isn't nearly up yet. We always, many many year ago, had school exams at the end of June.

Summerblaze100 · 28/05/2016 09:45

I do not do homework during holidays when kids are at primary.

During secondary there are penalties to not doing it so the bare minimum and I help out a little.

I think it's extremely unfair for schools to ban authorised holidays during term time as they interrupt school learning but then interrupt holidays with school stuff.

During the school year i do as much homework as possible, all the projects etc. I am of the understanding that school is important but at the end of the days they are still kids. Plenty of time for working hard as a grown up.

coffeemachine · 28/05/2016 09:49

we got quite a bit too. school seems to assume that I am at home during the day and will have lots of time when I will be working and the DC will be in childcare until 5. I will not do it (both DC are in primary, one with complex SN).

Hockeydude · 28/05/2016 10:04

It's difficult really as some people want it and some people don't.

Personally, I have always encouraged my kids to respect the school/teachers/rules etc so I'm uncomfortable not doing it, once the bastard task has been set.

My 8yo had a sheet. This took 10 mins last night, we decided to get It done and packed away. No problem.

My 10yo has an art and craft project which I do object to. The instructions state that adult help is necessary for a start. I'm not fucking joking that I am going to have to get a drill out to complete it. It is hard and cannot be completed quickly for various reasons including: buying materials, going back and buying more material once you realised you didn't get enough/the right stuff, drying glued parts, pen/paint decorations. Because of the level of thought needed, it's stressing me out. It is way beyond my 10yo's skills, the decoration aside.

Sleepyjean70 · 28/05/2016 10:08

My afternoon nursery child so just 3 has a craft project to do. It won't be done.

Sleepyjean70 · 28/05/2016 10:10

Also agree wrong to give year 6 homework. Says are over and they need a break.

Sukebind · 28/05/2016 10:38

What annoys me most is baking homework. In our school the children are sometimes asked to bake something for the PTA cake sale. This means that the homework has to be done at the very end of the week's break and sometimes this falls on a Monday inset day when many parents have to work. It also means that if you are off with your children you can't have day out somewhere because you have to spend quite a while helping a 5 year old (for example) choose a recipe, but and weigh out ingredients, do the baking and then write out the recipe in full. Fund-raising disguised as hw!

They get other holiday hw, too. Over the summer they get whole school homeworks. Last year it was a colour/poetry moodboard. Other times we have had making posters e.g. about a city, a dinosaur, something new they have tried over the holiday. It gets a bit much. Oh yeah, and one memorable 2 week holiday they had to learn all the times tables from 1-12 despite having had almost no support with this in schools prior to that.

steppemum · 28/05/2016 10:44

dd1 is year 6. No homework, and I wouldn't be doing any sent home.

ds is year 8, and has school exams after half term. he will be doing revision every day.

So I think YANBU about the 10 year old, but YABU about the 13 year old.

indyandlara · 28/05/2016 10:51

Completely agree Pearlman. I detest homework. I have no choice in setting it though as it is school policy. I then get to come home and wade through my 6 year old's homework too.

Egosumquisum · 28/05/2016 11:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hulababy · 28/05/2016 11:28

I can understand why they need to get them done tbh - it's a 6 week term next so need them marked in time to finish reports and get them to parents. Reports take ages to write. Hence why I think they'd be better done before the holidays.

Whathaveilost · 28/05/2016 11:30

I am a believer in teaching kids that they have to put effort in, sometimes they have to do things when they would rather be doing something else and that there minimum isn't always enough.
Sure, I don't like holiday homework , why would I ? I also love being busy and doing lots of stuff so holiday homework was built into the holiday.
So, if possible on the Friday night. We would either do a little first thing in the morning and then be out all day and evening or maybe do a bit before bed. Homework has been done on a ferry to France.
We didn't make a big deal about it, just got on with it.

Also I didn't want mine being the only kids not handing work in.

Op, you say why can't kids have a break? Wait until they are doing their GCSEs. We have one of our family holidays in the May half term but that has been cancelled this year due to studying as was the Easter one due to the school opening for revision classes every morning.

m0therofdragons · 28/05/2016 12:13

We fly in holiday today and return the day before they go back to school. My dc will not be doing the homework that's been set. They are 4 and 8. Imo Holiday time is family time.

starry0ne · 28/05/2016 21:01

My Son's teacher has told me he needs a rest during the holidays... It doesn't really matter if they are away or not..My son did tae kwon do, played in the garden and on the street on scooter..Built a helicopter out of lego, drew some pictured , spent 3 hours on minecraft, made a crystal growing thing, and watched half of BGT before I sent him to bed.. I think school has become so precriptive ..A day of him controlling what he did with his time is important..

littleshirleybeans · 28/05/2016 21:24

Primary teacher in Scotland here. We never give homework on a Friday and we don't give holiday homework either!
Now that I have two dc, I definitely wouldn't be doing holiday homework!

Ricksheadtilt · 28/05/2016 22:09

Update:
As the sanctimonious, smug note writer earlier in the thread... I have just found homework in dd1's (yr 6) school bag. There is even a typed note that it must be in on Tuesday as it will be used in the lesson as part of a "cold task". Firstly I have an issue as I thought a cold task meant no prior preparation?
I may have to up my note writing. I am actually fuming at this. My initial knee jerk reaction was to do it myself.

Flip

1 2 3 4