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Original poster

year 3 homework/prep in private school

10 replies

leosdad · 09/03/2009 16:17

How much do DC's get in year 3?
DS is at state school and gets next to nothing, his friend at local prep gets two pieces a day. Is this normal and how much do other schools set, before I see teacher demanding standards be improved (DC's school isn't particularly good academically but can't move DS)

OP posts:
Hulababy · 09/03/2009 16:19

When I helped in the Y3 class in DD's prep school the children were expected to do some reading every day, plus 2 pieces of homework most nights.

I don't know how much that entailed or how long it would take, etc. DD in Y2 so will know more next year!

scienceteacher · 09/03/2009 17:35

My DD is in year 2 and has written homework and reading every day. She also has spelling lists to learn. She takes about 30 minutes per night.

Buda · 09/03/2009 17:41

DS is Yr 3 and in a private international school. He gets reading 3 times a week, spellings on Monday for a test on Friday, 2/3/4 pages of homework on a Wed to be handed in on Monday. I think that is more than enough.

Why do you want your DS to have more? There are some studies which show that homework in primary is of no benefit! BTW I don't count reading and spellings as homework and I feel that they should be done whatever.

LIZS · 09/03/2009 17:42

dd gets one task per day ie reading for 20 mins, maths sheet, 15 spellings, times tables, history/geography/science or longer task for weekend or half term

bigTillyMint · 09/03/2009 17:47

DS is at state school and gets
20mins or more reading every night
20mins or so grammar-type exercises per week
20mins or so maths
As long as it takes to learn 20 spellings and times tables for a weekly test

faraday · 09/03/2009 19:39

A friend's DS in Y3 private prep gets:
20 mins reading a night
20 mins music prac. a night
20 mins Maths or writing a night.

They're expected to do 2 hours from Friday evening to Sunday evening, ie over the w/e.

There was a bit of a revolt at the school about the excessive homework for 7 year olds but the school produced letters from previous years' enraged parents when the homework quantity was reduced!

Fwiw I think anything beyond reading 5 times a week and help with drumming in spellings and tables is a bit of a waste of time. My friend says her older DS, nearly 10, can't do his homework without her constantly beside him as it's usually so complex!

LadyMuck · 09/03/2009 22:19

All the children are expected to read for at least 20 minutes a night. School doesn't care what they read but they keep a diary (signed by parent) and get rewards for non-compulsary book reviews.

Ds then gets 20 minutes or so homework each night Mon - Thurs (eg tonight was a comprehension exercise), with a piece of creative writing at the weekend. If they are weak on spellings or tables then they might need to do some, but they've been doing tables since Y1 so pretty much know them but still do speed tests once a week.

There is a recognised maximum of 30 minutes per exercise during the week as the school expects that the children will be doing afterschool clubs or other activities.

Original poster
leosdad · 10/03/2009 09:23

Thanks for your suggestions, the secondary school (state comprehensive) that DS will be going to is the same as many of the children from the prep school will be going to (sounds strange but excellent school). Quite a few of the children from DS's primary school struggle when they get there as they haven't been as used to working in the same way as the others.

Ladymuck says her DS has been doing tables in Y1 - DS didn't start tables at school until late year 2 then started again in year 3 at least if there is homework set I know what he is doing during the day

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 10/03/2009 10:28

I think that Y1 timestables are the exception rather than the rule, and I'm not a fan especially as they don't really support the rest of the maths curriculum at that age. They probably only need to know 2s, 5s and 10s to help them with time problems and place values etc at that age. That said I think that knowing them well by Y3 is helpful as it makes fractions etc uch easier.

I don't think that homework per se is something that is good or bad. I like the fact that the school is keen to ensure that boys read, and if the child is busy or unwell then the school places the priority on reading than any written work.

Is there an issue in that you're uncertain as to what your child is doing, or how he is progressing? I'm not sure that homework for homeworks sake will necessarily address that, and it might be worth exploring what you feel the source issue is and working with the school to get that addressed.

wilbur · 10/03/2009 10:35

It does vary a lot I think. Ds1 in yr 3 at a prep school has to read every night and write a 2 line comment about what he has read (I don't have to read with him any more, thank god), he has 30 mins of English once a week and 30 mins of maths once a week. I feel it is about right as it leaves him plenty of time to fight off attacking hordes of clone troopers in his bedroom, or go to South America with his Lego Indiana Jones. We specifically chose the school because of reasonable homework expectations, even tho it has an academic reputation. His friends at a local school get a lot more homework than he does and loads of projects over half term.

My sister moved my niece from a v academic girls' school to a more relaxed one because she was being given 40 mins homework a night in Yr1 . I thought that was outrageous.

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