Parental opinions needed please about a new approach to homework at Key Stage 3

[Moomin]

At my school we've been looking at ways to try to encourage pupils to be less reliant on teacher and parnetal support and try to make homework more creative, relevant to skills needed for independence and hopefully also more enjoyable.

So I've been asked to create an English Homework booklet and I'm starting with Year 7. Each project will be usually, but not always, tied to the scheme of work the pupils are doing in English in its theme and pupils will be given 4-6 weeks to complete their project.

Throughout Year 7 for example, pupils might be asked to produce:

• a pamphlet about Shakespeare's life;
• learn lists of key spellings;
• do grammar exercises appropriate for their ability;
• create a 'diorama' (a mini-model of a scene from their favourite fiction book);
• keeping a reading journal for a few weeks;
• making a scrapbook about a character;
• create a holiday brochure for a fictional resort.

Parents would be asked to sign the homework booklet every few weeks to make sure pupils are keeping up to date with their project and they can also make comments, but would also be encouraged to not do the work themselves, to support their child to be more independent. Homework booklets will also be produced for 3 ability tiers to suit each pupil. Projects would then be handed in to school and given rewards for effort and attainment, although not given Nat Curr levels, as the onus is on creativity and enjoyment.

So, would you be about a scheme like this as you think it would be a lot of hard work for the parents, or do you think it would succeed in encouraging creativity and independence in your child? Be honest- I really want parent feedback!

So maybe with pupils such as your dd, Stella, the teacher might insist that the pupil sticks to the suggested timetable and checks her progress every week, whereas pupils needing less structure would be given more of a free reign? That way, she is still following instructions and contributing to a big piece of work, but it's done in very clear steps.

fortyplus - my yr9/10 DS1 could do this sort of work without any help from anyone (although he would choose to leave it to the last moment, as already stated); my yr5/6 DS3 would complete this sort of work without any assistance, and in good time.

My yr6/7 ds2 would struggle with this, and home would be a battleground. Much more success with him with straight-forward homework with a short deadline.

And just because a child is less-able, doesn't mean s/he has unmotivated parents.

As far as I'm concerned, my job as a parent is to encourage the completion of homework, answering questions as appropriate, not stand over them every second until it's done, or monitoring it; improving it; doing it for them (sorry Moomin I realise this isn't what you want the children to do, but in reality that's what does happen in some cases).

And pardon me for not being middle-class (although we do have a computer, natch) but we do support our children anyway. Believe it or not though, I expect the school to educate my children (yes even the less academic DS2) to the best of their ability.

Purits - no I don't think any school should dumb down to the lowest denominator. The school should endeavour to meet the needs of the children, including the less able.

It is not just the middle classes that want their children to have a good education.

Having seen your further posts Moomin, I appreciate what you're trying to do.

if "HW is just 'tacked on' and isn't really very meaningful" then why bother with it at all.

From what I have seen some children wont do their homework regardless of what it is, making it a project isnt going to change that.

FWIW my year 7 child has already done all the things in the op, at primary school except the diorama which would put him off school for life

Just thinking about those three booklets moomin. Won't pupils compare what they have each been given to do? Will you get a mass of pupils saying 'it's not fair Miss!'

As I understand it, you will have different pupils in the same class working on the same project but with different expectations from the teacher.

Will some pupils, even if they have been given the higher band task, end up doing the lower band task because some of their friends are doing this? (and it seems easier, so less work!).

I know my year 9 son often asks his classmates what he has to do for homework and relies on that info. I suspect that if he knew that some people in the class were expected to do less demanding work, he'd be tempted to switch to doing this, as it would be easier for him, no matter that he was well able to do more.

And will the single booklet show all three bands? If so, parents who read the booklet may have differing views about what band their child should be on - this could be another headache for the teacher.

Sorry if I seem negative about it all - I am just playing devil's advocate.

I think if pupils do some of the project at school and are very clear about the bits they do at home, and teachers monitor their progress weekly, it could work.

A lot of people seem to be arguing that a one-size-fits-all scheme would not work. Would it be better to introduce the scheme later on in their academic life than Y7, when they have been setted and you can tailor it more?

It won't be one-size-fits-all: that's the idea behind the 3 different versions.

As far as pupils doing different booklets but in the same class, I can't really see that as a problem. My pupils are all set targets which are fairly well-discussed in class and the target range varies from pupil to pupil. Generally, pupils are fine with the work they are set and the amount of differentiation as long as they are given clear information about how to attain their targets. If it's handled well, it's really not an issue that they do different things.

purits - I'm starting to think that, yes, we can introduce this scheme after Christmas, with a graduated level of tasks. Some of tasks really wouldn't be big-scale anyway: they would very between reading, learning spellings and grammar, research and creative stuff.

Sorry to those I've offended with the 'motivated middle classes' line. Of course I wasn't saying that working class people don't want their children to do well, so I'm sorry that my flip one-liner implied that.

Let me try to phrase it more aptly than I did at half one in the morning after 3 glasses of wine!

What I'm getting at is that there are motivated parents who help and support their children whatever their abilities. Some of these people will give the children free rein to research and learn - others will all but do the projects for them, which will achieve little benefit for the child.

On the other hand, there are pupils whose parents take no interest in school life. These children are unlikely to feel motivated by this kind of homework, will not complete it to the best of their abilities and will be resentful of it.

Having spent a lot of time helping in school before I returned to work, it always frustrated me that the children from more deprived backgrounds were tied into the lifestyle. I'm sure everyone knows exceptions - I can think of some myself - but by and large it's the parents that make all the difference. However hard the school tries to stimulate a desire to learn, if a child comes from a home where education isn't valued then this type of project work isn't going to make a jot of difference.

So... I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the children who need it least will be the main ones to benefit.