To think my child shouldn’t be given homework over the Christmas break....

[Dickorydockwhatthe]

and every other single holiday period!!! He has 5 activities to complete and a book review he’s in years 6. He gets homework every week mainly bloody SATS papers to do and every holiday he has homework and notjust a little bit it’s normlally lots!! He often needs help with it too so it’s quite stressful at weekends when it’s your only time off to do chores and spend some family time and your having to goggle their homework. My year 9 hasn’t got any at all!!

Year 6!!

Mine only did work during gcse A levels over xmas.

When DS was at primary school they would set "challenge" homework over every holiday. They'd bring home a sheet with about 7 or 8 different things on and gave to pick one - we made model castles and volcanos, drew pirate maps etc that sort of thing. Only about half the kids would actually bother doing it and the final straw for us was spending half the Christmas holidays in year 6 making a game around the Paris Metro only for it to be returned unlooked at the same day it was taken in. We joined the rest of the not-bothering group for the remaining 3 holidays after that.

My kids at private always had work given in the holidays however it was optional. An email was sent to all parents every holiday every year to state this. Case of the school keeping all parents happy and covering their backside. At public school, nope, never once had homework in any hols.

We have to set homework (and get checked up on it). I hate having to do it but a lot of parents expect it, you'd be surprised how many complaints parents make about lack of homework and not just the ones you might perceive to be pushy either. So I always either set "you know you've got a test when we come back, use this to revise" OR "this is our next topic, here's a few things to look up/read/think about" so it gives something constructive but open-ended to those that will do it but doesn't hurt too much if they don't/won't. Generally seems to keep everyone happy.

I am amazed at the difference between schools. My DCs school is very clear that all homework is optional. They do not set any homework over holidays. I have 1 DC in year 6. SATs have not even been mentioned yet! I think they will start doing some practice papers this term. The school keeps it all very low key and the children are not at all stressed about it.

The school is rated good by OFSTED and they are happy to stay that way.

Ok, I get it! Please stop tagging me!

If you bothered to read my subsequent posts I went on to say it's not fair on the teachers to be expected to organise educational tasks for over the holidays... the parents should be doing it!

All the parents I know get all worked up about the huge amount of homework our kids get... hence I found it hard to believe there are parents out there who moan they don't get enough!

Apologies for typos... I have a terrible cold! 🤧

The teachers with the parents complain about no homework would better serve the child by pointing out that the parents would do better to take some responsibility for finding enriching learning opportunities for the children outside the merely academic during the holidays.

Yeah write a note.

The teachers with the parents complain about no homework would better serve the child by pointing out that the parents would do better to take some responsibility for finding enriching learning opportunities for the children outside the merely academic during the holidays

Ahahahaha hahaha 😂

I can tell you're not a teacher

My kids never got enough, I always had to set them work during the holidays just to ensure they had a hope in hell of keeping up with the kids in private school and with private tutors. My daughters friend got 2-3 hours a night at secondary whereas mine got that a week because the teachers couldn't be bothered to set it (school unsurprisingly is now in special measures under new leadership). Friend is at Cambridge whereas mine is not quelle surprise!

I'm a teacher and I wouldn't set holiday homework, but maybe school homework policy says they have to? I would just send him in with a note that says "Dear Mr/Ms X, I realise that you probably have to set holiday homework but after careful consideration I decided that Fred was very tired and needed a complete break from SATs preparation, so he has not completed the holiday tasks. Any problems, please give me a ring."

@ShartOfGold

@maskingtape yeah right would parents moan if you hadn't set any 🙄

Yep. The school I work at sends out the minimum possible homework because all the research shows most of it is basically useless. But we send out that minimum because otherwise, parents complain. Every time I don't set homework I have parents asking if they can 'just have a worksheet', or writing me notes asking why there wasn't anything. I've had to shut down some who asked for extra homework just for their child! Which is admirable, but I do NOT have time for.

I know some schools send home full project-style work, but I can't imagine how the parents and children at my school would do it. Some of them have no pens at home, let alone craft materials!

I would be pissed off, as a teacher and a parent, if your school is doing this much prep for SATS and sending home loads of practice papers. They shouldn't be, and they don't need to. We have a very 'difficult intake' and we still get above the national average without doing this.

Kids are sitting around with very little to do, bit of learning might be a good idea ?

most homework is a complete waste of time and effort for everyone involved

I totally believe all teachers that say parents moan at too little/ lack of homework. I’m certain you can’t win whatever. I don’t mind optional stuff being sent home but completely disagree with compulsory which they are made to miss break times to complete when they return to school. (Which happened to mine after a half term holiday!)
I’m on a WhatsApp group with a few class mums. Most are easy going but one does her best to rile everyone up on a regular basis.

Wk1 -‘ no homework? How will they ever keep up?
Wk2 ‘homework this week- typical - so busy with all these clubs, still doing it at 9pm!’
Wk3 - ‘homework’s a bit easy this week’
Wk4- can’t believe dc only got a tick on homework last week, no comment about neat writing or how amazingly well it was completed.’
Wk5 - please can you all show me your dcs homework for this week- so unfair- my dc has been given so much more’. Really unfair, why should he have to do extra....
(This is obviously said to make us all aware that her dc is at the top of the class- something she is more than aware of already but just likes to gloat....)

I’m a little shocked at the responses on here...I went to 3 different schools and past the age of 9 always had homework over every holiday except summer. I thought Christmas Holiday homework was totally normal and would never have thought to complain!

Our answer to parents who complain about no homework is that they can do work themselves with their child. They are advised to look online for bbc type websites, use every day methods such as cooking, craft and shipping, read their own or library books and if they really feel the need there are workbooks they can purchase from most book shops of and online.

We simply won't give in as a school to holiday homework. The children need a break and should be enjoying other stuff than pre set school work.

not every parent will keep up reading and the rest over the break.

So why will they then do it just because it's sent home? Those that can't be bothered to ask their child to read at home aren't suddenly going to ask their children to do homework in the holidays. Not in my experience anyway.

I once had a parent ask me to email him all of my lesson plans the night before they were taught so he could prep his son for lessons the following day.

On the subject of homework, I've never in 20 years met a primary school teacher who thinks it has any benefit on a child's education.

So make it 'optional' @maskingtape ... as in "here's this homework if you would like to do more" or send a link to those parents for the topic and tell them to set their bloody own. Stop ruining kids holidays. It's supposed to be time away from school.

I once had a parent ask me to email him all of my lesson plans the night before they were taught so he could prep his son for lessons the following day.

If you’d not put he, I’d have questioned whether this was my friend! She would love this, and would totally be up for this.

@TeeJay1970 I’ve had that too. From more than one parent!

No, I’m definitely not a teacher. I’m also feeling very happy that my children don’t go to school in the U.K. and that the children here are strongly “encouraged” to stay at school in the afternoons to do their homework (which is definitely only given during semester time). We do have Saturday maths competitions unfortunately which are bad enough but at least relatively infrequent and voluntary.

I would never ask for holiday homework, but if it is set, then I do make sure my children do it. The holidays are so long that doing a little extra to keep minds ticking over does no harm. Which may not be a popular view, but so be it.