POLL: how much HOMEWORK does your child get PRIVATE and STATE schools primary school

[Giuliettatoday]

Hi there,

yes, I know it is a controversial issue that has been discussed before, but I still hope this thread does not end up in abuse, because what I am dying to know really is how much homework other (your ) children get.

Of course I speak to mums in real life and the amount spent on homework depends a lot on the individual childs abilities as well but would love to know if the tendency I suspect will be confirmed here.

From what I have heard so far, there seems to be a lot more homework in private schools than state schools, also more homework in state primaries at the top of the league tables than at lower performing ones.

So please, please, do join in.
Maybe just answering the questions in a short style, then give any thoughts/comments - but no abuse at the bottom of your message.

1. private or state?

2. Class year

3. How often does your child get homework (e.g. every day, every other day, once a week)?
   4a) which subjects and what type of homework?
   4b) reading as specific homework?
   4c) spellings?
   5a) How many minutes or hours does your child spend on homework a) per day b) per week (whatever applicable or easier to answer).
   5b) How much is your child supposed to read to you? Average mins per day/reading books per week (not counting any voluntary reading).
   5c) How many spelling tests?

4. Is there less or no homework at the start or towards the end of term or if there is a school event?
   6a) Any holiday homework?

5. Room for addional thoughts, comments, anything else you can think of, such as:
   Do you think it is too much/too little/about right?
   Did you have more/less/same amount of homework as a child?
   Is it beneficial for your child or just a chore?
   What happens if homework is not done?
   Do you sit with your child and help? Do you do extra practice with your child on top of official homework (such as times tables, workbooks etc)?

Am I the only parent who has chosen private partly becasue they get less homework and tests?!!!!!!

Dd's school are good with special needs too, there is a SN girl in her class, her parents say most private schools don't want her. She is a lovely girl, I don't know exactly what her dx is just that her speech is slurred and her co-ordination is poor. She was last in her sports day races but every single parent cheered her on to the end.

obvuiosly isn a state shcool they woudl have jeered and ridiculed

1. private or state? State

2. Class year 2

3. How often does your child get homework (e.g. every day, every other day, once a week)? every day

4a) which subjects and what type of homework? reading every day, then usually research type work for a project once a week, and one other maths activity once a week

4b) reading as specific homework?every day

4c) spellings?once a week

5a) How many minutes or hours does your child spend on homework a) per day b) per week (whatever applicable or easier to answer). about 20 to 30 mins a day

5b) How much is your child supposed to read to you? Average mins per day/reading books per week (not counting any voluntary reading).10 mins a day

5c) How many spelling tests?1

6. Is there less or no homework at the start or towards the end of term or if there is a school event?definitely!!!

6a) Any holiday homework? Not usually, sometimes a bit of research, eg bring in something interesting from your holiday and make some notes on it.

Seems about right to me. ds1 moans for a bit, but generally gets on with it. If it's not done once, no problem, but if you kept missing it the teacher would have a chat!

1. private or state? PRIVATE

2. Class year THREE 3. How often does your child get homework (e.g. every day, every other day, once a week)? THREE PER WEEK PLUS DAILY SPELLINGS AND READING 4a) which subjects and what type of homework? MATHS, ENGLISH, TOPIC 4b) reading as specific homework? RECOMMENDED NIGHTLY 4c) spellings? SET DAILY AND TESTED WEEKLY 5a) How many minutes or hours does your child spend on homework a) per day b) per week (whatever applicable or easier to answer). 15 MINS ON WRITTEN/DRAWN ASSIGNMENTS, 15-30 MINS READING (BY CHOICE) 5b) How much is your child supposed to read to you? Average mins per day/reading books per week (not counting any voluntary reading). RECOMMENDED 5-15 MINS 5c) How many spelling tests? WEEKLY 6. Is there less or no homework at the start or towards the end of term or if there is a school event? YES 6a) Any holiday homework? YES AT XMAS AND EASTER PLUS HALF-TERMS, SUGGESTED READING LIST OVER SUMMER

1. Private

2. Year 5 3. Every day 4a) Varies - Maths, English and Science every week. History, RE and Geography is rotated. Worksheets, working from books, drawing etc. 4b) No 4c) Occasionally spellings. 5a) 30 mins per subject per night. Two subjects per night. 5b) Doesn't read to me anymore. 5c) Every few months. 6. Exactly the same throughout the term 6a) Occasionally, last summer holiday DD had to do a holiday diary. Not sure if getting anything this summer. Occasionally reading through hols.

7. Room for addional thoughts, comments, anything else you can think of, such as:

I think generally its ok amount, it is teaching DD discipline to work on her own and she is fine doing it. It is more than I had at same age (but I went to a state primary). If homework not done, detention is given or staying in at breaktime to complete work (unless genuine reason). I do help with times table practise and of course music practise (but this isn't technically 'homework').

DH thinks no child should have homework that is what going to school is for!

1.State
2. Class years Reception & Yr2
3. How often does your child get homework
R- rarely (except reading); Y2 - about 2 x a term

4b) reading 2 books a week for Reception (but we supplement it to one a night)
4c) 10 spellings a week for Yr2 (15 for the top stream)

5a) About 5-10 minutes when they get it!

5b) How much is your child supposed to read to you? Average mins per day/reading books per week (5-10 mins twice a week)

5c) How many spelling tests? None?
6. Is there less or no homework at the start or towards the end of term or if there is a school event? Yes
6a) Any holiday homework? Not really, although we do get list of next terms topics and are asked to 'foster child's interest e.g, visit to gallery/ museum/ farm or something)

7. Room for addional thoughts, comments, anything else you can think of, such as: Do you think it is too much/too little/about right? About Right

Did you have more/less/same amount of homework as a child? Can't remember
Is it beneficial for your child or just a chore? Fine
What happens if homework is not done? Don't know!
Do you sit with your child and help? Yes

Do you do extra practice with your child on top of official homework (such as times tables, workbooks etc)?
Not really, unless they are struggling (e.g. Reception phonics)

Thanks for all your messages so far, this is really interesting.

Just typed in my answers then they disappeared - will do it again soon, too tired now.

CodHun: I'm no journalist (thanks for thinking any paper, even if only the one you mentioned, would consider printing this, English is not even my mother tongue, lol), but yes, education is important to me - wouldn't call it 'obsessed' but I can't see anything wrong with being a concerned parent.

I have two children in a state school and will post my own answers whenever I'm not too tired, I promise.

1. State

2. Year 3(DS3) and Year 4 (DS2) 3. Once a week 4a. A mixture - varies from week to week. 4b. There's a school library book to be read and changed once a week, but nobody checks to ensure it's actually been read. Indeed, DS3 has had a few unpleasant comments from the teacher when the book hasn't been finished within the week so hasn't been returned. 4c. DS3 gets spellings once a week, DS2 only gets them occasionally. 5a. DS2's generally takes about 15 minutes. DS3 takes around an hour. 5b. Goodness knows. DS2 gets on with it on his own, generally gets one book (variable length) a week and is a fast reader - probably one hour a week at most on the "official" school book. DS3 generally around 20 minutes a night on average to get the book finished by the end of the week. 5c. DS3 has a weekly spelling test. DS2 may or may not - I don't know, and have no concerns about his spelling so haven't asked. 6. Yes. 6a. Variable. DS3 quite often gets a substantial amount, DS2 generally doesn't.

7. It's down to the teacher's discretion - DS3 gets more homework than DS2. I don't think it is excessive - DS3's homework does seem sensible and well-focused. DS2's can get a bit silly at times - there was a point at which they were expected to write daily reading journal entries, but that soon stopped. I think the more sensible homeworks are beneficial.

We had precisely one primary school homework ever, and we felt terribly grown up and excited about doing it. So I would say my children get far more than I did.

I try to limit the degree to which I sit and help - I'm trying to convey the message that it's their homework not mine well before secondary school.

DS2 and DS3 believe there are consequences to not doing their homework - I think there may be playtime detentions - but we've never experienced that situation.

I have done times tables with my children (and now they know them so I don't have to do that any more - hooray!) I try to talk to them about what they're doing in school and help where appropriate, e.g. by going to museums, explaining a method that actually works etc. I'm going to have to do some secondary school test preparation, as of course state primary schools don't do that.

Ok as promised here are my answers.

1. state

2. yr3 and yr1

3. yr3: once a week
   yr1: reading every day, written work about 4x a year

4. yr3: Maths, English, occasionally Science, one worksheet or in English a text to write or questions to answer, no more than one A4 page per week, often less
   yr1 English on the very few occasions: writing task
   4b) yr3: no official reading homework but reading is expected
   yr1: yes, about one ORT book per day or if chapter books they can be spread over several days
   4c) yr3: once a week, 6-8 words
   yr1: none
   5a) yr3: about an hour per week
   5b) yr3: no official guideline, we read about 10mins together (plus he reads on his own)
   yr1: 10-20mins reading per day, sometimes less
   5c) yr3: once a week, yr1 none so far

5. A lot less or none during the first 2 and last 2-3 weeks of term. No homework or less if school event, even if it's only a fair on a weekend
   6a) yr3: over the half-term holidays there's usually a task such as an arts&craft thing to make or up to one A4 page to write, often using the internet or books for research.
   yr1: 1 or 2 pictures to draw/paint
   None for summer holidays.

6. I think it's not quite enough homework to enforce what they've learned at school, and also don't quite see why they shouldn't do homework in the weeks at the beginning/end of term (I'm not talking of one week at either end, but in our case it adds up to a month or more).
   I had a lot more homework, even in primary school, but came through a different school system.
   My children sometimes take a bit of convincing to get started but often even like their homework once they do get started.
   I can definitely see that it's helpful to repeat things they've done at school and therefore they become more confident in particular areas. This is particularly true for my SEN child (yr3).
   If homework is not done:
   Loads of mistakes in spelling test probably, so teacher will notice if this happens often. If written homework in yr3 is not done (without a valid reason) the teacher will be quite cross and he expects that the homework is shown on the next day.
   I often have to sit particularly with my SEN child or at least be around and give support.
   Obviously I'm there for the reading ;-)
   Extra work: It's very hard to persuade them to do anything that is no official homework from school, so only very occasional worksheets, however I do admit that mine go to Kumon (where I probably wouldn't send them however if they had more homework). Occasional times tables practice with the yr3 child or we talk about a certain Science topic (I try to find books accordingly in the library or buy them).

Also I believe homework is important even in primary school - this is when the foundations are built, it's better if they get into the habit early.

I mentioned I had a feeling for a certain tendency, and I had the impression that privately educated children get a lot more homework than mine, often every day or every other day - not sitting for hours but having a 10min writing task, work sheets and mixed maths problems to solve (nearly) every day or at least several times a week even in yr1 and certainly in yr3 and far more spellings.
Also they seem to get homework throughout the whole term (and even considering their longer holidays it's more than mine get with getting in to holiday mode that early and getting to full speed very slowly after the holidays). That's my real life impression. Apparently there seem to be big differences in independent schools as well.

Again, many thanks for posting your answers, I found them very interesting.

1. private

2. Year 3 3. every day, usually 4a) which subjects and what type of homework? maths, geometry, science/topic, spellings, time tables 4b) reading as specific homework? no, because dd has been very fluent reader for a long time, but we do talk about books she's reading, or from time to time I'll ask her to read a couple of pages to me 4c) spellings? yes, tested every monday 5a) How many minutes or hours does your child spend on homework a) per day b) per week (whatever applicable or easier to answer): if geometry or maths, around 30mn (twice a week), if research on the PC, or illustrating a book, it varies, as it's more like fun to her. 5b) How much is your child supposed to read to you? Average mins per day/reading books per week (not counting any voluntary reading). Very flexible, she's always reading... 5c) How many spelling tests? once a week 6. Is there less or no homework at the start or towards the end of term or if there is a school event? No homework if outing, or school event, and less at beginning and end of term. 6a) Any holiday homework? No

School has been very laid back over homework, no pressure as long as an effort has been made. Dd not always keen to do it, but once she's started she's fine with it. I sit with her, or nearby, to answer questions, etc.
I actually think it's about the right amount of homework for her age.
I'm sure I had about the same amount when at primary school in France all those years ago....

Private
y1, spelling list(10words) x1/wk, sounds work x1/wk, and 1-3reading books for the w/e depending on how keen the individual child is.
Reception- 1-2 reading books a week, again depending on each child's enthusiasm.

And we've now had no homework since they went back to school after half term on 14/6

Dont think this is too much at all!