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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 60 mins+ homework at 7 is too much?

46 replies

leaveitaloneforgodssake · 19/10/2019 14:52

DS who is just 7 gets this much homework. 3 subjects every night apart from Wednesdays. One subject he finds harder than the others so always takes a long time. This weekend he has a science project to complete as well. He does do other out of school activities as well and the evenings now are just so long. We still haven't finished the difficult homework from yesterday and haven't even started the science project. Is this an unreasonable amount of homework at his age? We aren't in the UK btw.

OP posts:
TeenPlusTwenties · 19/10/2019 15:31

It's more than my 15yo gets.

Different countries have different cultures though, so if you aren't in the UK you'll just have to go with it I guess.

Mummymummymummmeeeee · 19/10/2019 15:36

DH's cousin's children got this much at a similar age in Spain and I thought it was really sad that they didn't get more time to just be children and play :(

Camomila · 19/10/2019 15:40

I guess it seems like a lot if you are from the UK but it's a normal amount in many European countries.
You may also get summer holiday books to complete! (My Italian cousins did)

vikkimoog · 19/10/2019 15:46

does he HAVE to do it?

Waxonwaxoff0 · 19/10/2019 15:48

I'd say that's a lot by UK standards. My DS is 6 and just has reading and spellings daily, maths once a fortnight and a creative project in the holidays.

Vulpine · 19/10/2019 15:53

Dont do it

Rystall · 19/10/2019 15:54

How long does it take his classmates to do it all? In my son’s class, the same homework can take one child 15 mins and another child one hour.

springcomeround · 19/10/2019 15:59

I think that’s a lot . My 9 year old is currently doing 30 mins , 5 times a week ... half of that is school , the other is for a tutor . It feels like a lot, but mostly as were squeezing it in round sport clubs!

ibanez0815 · 19/10/2019 16:02

how long is school? I have friend on Germany and their primary school aged children finish school after lunch (no idea about homework though) whereas DD's school hier finished at 3:20.

so it really depends I guess....

LauraMacArthur · 19/10/2019 16:04

Yes school is shorter in some countries so not directly comparable?

EntropyRising · 19/10/2019 16:12

Yes
Yes
Yes

I'd expect no more than 15 min.

Raindancer411 · 19/10/2019 16:37

In UK and my son is expected to read three times a week (and if not loses a lunch to read), English sheet every other week and spellings and maths every week and he is 7. I think it's too much. The maths is done online and they say 30 mins or three lots of 10 minutes. It's more than a friends daughter at secondary gets.

Alaimo · 19/10/2019 16:40

That seems a lot. I went to school on the continent, and the only homework I had in primary school was spelling, which would maybe take up 30-60 minutes a week.

Babdoc · 19/10/2019 16:46

I think it’s too much. I had no homework at all for the whole of primary school - it only started at 11, when I went to grammar school.
The lack of homework didn’t affect my education. I passed my A levels and a degree in medicine, and have just retired from my job as a hospital doctor. Young children should be free to play in the evenings and follow their hobbies, sports and interests.

Eemamc · 19/10/2019 16:48

Does the school have a homework policy? If there are timings listed on it I would suggest sticking to the timings. If it’s 20 mins per night for example, cut him off at 20 minutes, sign the work, stating 20 minutes of work. The teacher should be differentiating better for him if it’s taking him substantially longer than it’s supposed to.

reluctantbrit · 19/10/2019 16:52

Depends where you are. I am from Germany and friends with school age children say homework is around 1-2 hours a day but obviously they come home at lunchtime.

Chickenitalia · 19/10/2019 16:52

My kids primary doesn’t issue homework, they have quoted some research that suggests it’s counterproductive. They have reading diaries and ask that kids read as often as possible but at least 3 times a week to an adult. The kids are happy and the school gets excellent results. So that much homework for a 7 year old sounds awful. How much trouble will he be in if it’s not done? If it’s expected to take 20 mins and he struggles, then it might be a good way of engaging with additional support at school. Might be worth a chat with the teacher and see what the expectations are.

BlueCornsihPixie · 19/10/2019 16:55

That's way too much for 7, it's too much time and too much pressure on a fairly young child

What Germany and other countries do is irrelevant, they have shorter days so still less total education hours.

Raindancer411 · 19/10/2019 16:56

@Chickenitalia I would be interested in that supporting information to show my sons school teacher

KUGA · 19/10/2019 17:16

I hate children having homework under the age of 11.
I would prefer the school holidays to be halved and let the kids be kids.

stclair · 19/10/2019 17:20

My daughter was getting close to this at the start of year 3 (UK). She had moved to new school from an infant school where there was next to no homework so it was a big shock and making her life miserable. I emailed the teacher saying it was too much for her so it has been cut right back to about 15 mins a night. Happy family again!

Chickenitalia · 19/10/2019 17:30

@Raindancer411 they quoted from the book ‘Visible Learning’ by John Hattie. Ofsted used to recommend levels for each key stage but that was phased out in 2012 as the evidence for primary aged children specifically was inconclusive for outcomes. Our school considered worksheets in particular to be damaging to the children and pointless for the staff to mark. So they don’t. We have a range of things classed as Home Learning which the school like to know about and celebrate achievements in a special weekly assembly, this includes sports, music, charity activities, Brownies, Cubs etc. I’ve had a google and it seems to be a ‘thing’ at the moment so do have a look. To give you an idea, we are in a village, quite rural, state LEA run, not religious, single form intake, higher than average pupil premium numbers, with a good number of nearby indie schools that take a lot of the top kids out of the state pool. Sats have been way above the national average for some years now, the school is very well thought of in our area. It’s a lovely place and the kids are so happy and respectful. Hope that might be of use to you.

TeacupDrama · 19/10/2019 17:32

I think the only homework in primary should be reading 3-4 nights a week one set of 10-15 spellings a week and timetables
if homework is meant to take an hour a night in your country then do 1 hour if not finished within a few minutes of an hour; speak to teacher as either they have under estimated how long it takes or it is too hard for the child
There is no evidence that primary homework beyond reading with child is of any real benefit

Raindancer411 · 19/10/2019 18:31

Thanks @Chickenitalia

Chewingbubblegum · 19/10/2019 18:35

Is it a private school? Sounds normal for private schools in the UK.