Homework policy - why is there generally more in prep schools?

[NorhamGardens]

This might be a stupid question but I question why there is such a heavy homework load at our local prep compared to our state primary?

We have a tiny bit of numeracy homework, about 10 minutes worth once a week. In the juniors it increases to 20 minutes a week. We don't do spelling tests but they do in the prep, they are tough and occur weekly.

Spelling tests don't work I am told. The local, non-selective, prep must be doing something right as 98% leave with level 5s.

Just a question about the academic rigour at a state versus a primary. Just wondering why they don't have higher expectations & demands re: homework in our primary?

Also what do state primary teachers feel, very generally, about children who are tutored?

My DD1 and DS1 have just gone off to prep school and they love the prep. Their spelling has improved massively since getting 20 spellings a week. DS1 is in yr3 and he has had times table prep each week, he now knows all his times tables inside out.

We have just come back from the states where their school was into spelling tests and spelling bees. DS2 is in a state primary which doesn't do sats test in yr2 and he hasn't had a spelling test all year. His spelling is awful and he told me the other day that spelling is ok as long as it is spelt phonetically correctly. How can that be write is the English language going to become a thing of the past as we teach our kids to spell everything however they want!!!! Is it any wonder that anyone who can afford to (even if it means sacrificing new cars,holidays other than in a tent etc) is jumping ship into the private sector.

IMO prep schools set homework so that the children achieve more if this was done in state schools maybe our education system would be in better shape.

Is it partly because state schools have so many other 'issues' to deal with? They have to try and keep discipline with 30 kids of various academic abilities and then they seem to spend lots of time promoting healthy or fairtrade or international schooling or whatever the newest financial rewarding and ofsted favouring fad is?

How can that be 'write' ... Topical joke?