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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

I agree with this no primary home work thing

103 replies

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 17:48

what kirsty allsop thinks

Kirsty (IMO) has hit the nail on the head about stopping homework for primary school children. At a time when kids are obese from lack of exercise and staying in watching and playing games etc, surely, a reading book and a few spellings and times tables would suffice?

Why is it that my DCs bring home maths homework (which often takes dd hours because she procrasitnates) and and a project that takes research - often done by me because DD is too tired(mentally) after a week at school.

Why can't swining on a rope swing, helping to pick apples, taking control of the shopping list, reading a comic, helping to mix cement etc, all be a part of primary 'homework'.

The stress put on kids at secondary level is so much that why not let them be kids for a bit longer at primary?

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Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 19:54

Okay - so basically, it's not a legal requirement to set it and not a single person so far on this thread alone is in agreeance with it, so why are we, as parents not doing something to stop it- once and for all???

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Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 20:00

Well for the parents who complain, there could be an info sheet to point them in the direction of websites/books to guide them towards helping their kids further.

My ds (6) loves to cook with me and I'd much rather he be helping me weigh out ingredients/set the table/serve up the rice etc than be sat trudging through a project that they didn't have time to do with them at school.

Our school's prject ethos expects yr 1's to write over 2 A4 pages about the project. So instead, I just read the task and change it to suit DS. This week, they had to talk about their fave food, where it comes from, what healthy food means etc so instead, I typed up him describing how we made meatballs and apple crumble and he drew pictures of the finished dishes using the Paint programme on the laptop. He could never have written everything the task asked and nor could I be doing with him getting stressed about it. The teacher loved it!

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mungogerry · 03/04/2011 20:07

Oblomov - that amount of work seems very excessive in year 2 - I feel very sorry for those children.

moonstorm · 03/04/2011 20:09

Because SLT would make my life misery good PR, you see. So I set it, but don't chase it up - I mark what's returned, but don't worry about the rest.

mumofboy · 03/04/2011 20:12

As a primary teacher, I hate homework. You wouldn't believe the complaints you get from parents if you don't set it though.

Panzee · 03/04/2011 20:13

vintageteacups There are some parents out there who love homework and think their children don't get enough. I don't work in one of those schools, however, so I've never met one of those parents. .

It also might be in the home-school agreement about homework, so the parent might have to suck it up.
Poor kids. Like they don't have enough to do in their lives.

elphabadefiesgravity · 03/04/2011 20:22

Well I guess yes, legally you could refuse to do it though.

However in practice that means you child doesn't get a sticker/golden time or even has to stay in at playtime to complete it.

I have been in to see the headteacher about the issue after dd was upset when she was made to stay in after not doing her homework.

We had spent all evening sat up A & E with ds and a case of cellulitus and had to phone the inlaws to collect dd and put her to bed.

Caz10 · 03/04/2011 20:28

Agree with the other teachers here, we get complaints if we skip a night/don't set enough.

But the policy is no more than 20 mins in lower primary, 30 mins in upper. If it's taking longer I ask parents to stop after the time as it probably means children are having trouble with it, which they shouldn't be.

Oblomov · 03/04/2011 20:36

vintage and mungo, yes it is too much.
most parents, i speak to, in the playground, agree. and we do know we don't have to, legally. but you feel 'obliged', like you have to. every other parent is doing it with their child, even though we all agree its too much. and none of us want our children to fall behind, do we ?
what can you do ?

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 03/04/2011 20:37

I also teach, and hate homework. It is not, as stated above 'projects they don't have time to do in class'. However, many parents, our HT and the government all insist on homework.
In our school, if children don't do it, they miss golden time and playtime until it is done. I don't know what the legal position on that is, but I do know that parents have tried to complain about it have got absolutely nowhere.

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 03/04/2011 20:38

who have tried ...

Caz10 · 03/04/2011 20:40

oh and yes, it is definitely not unfinished stuff, it's meant to be reinforcement/consolidation.

Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 20:46

Ah yes oblomov but if it was a national thing where no HW was set at all at primary level, then the children wouldn't fall behind as they are all on the same level playing field.

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Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 20:47

I didn't mean unfinished as in not finished in class; more that I emant hadn't finished that area of work.

in our primary - Golden Time is 45 minutes. Why on earth wouldn't 20 mins be plenty?

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PoppetUK · 03/04/2011 20:49

I heard Kirsty Allsop on the radio when I first moved back to the UK talking about homework. At the time I thought, well it's my tough luck if I have more than 1 child I'll have to suck it up. Now 6 months on I'm thinking that she has a point. It's ok if they give us a homework that DD understands because we can get that done relatively easily (thankfully this weeks was) but the problem comes if it's going to take longer. My reception child also has weekly homework (I didn't do it for the first few months because I was confident he knew the learning objectives but it's challenging him now and taking us time). Trying to actually catch the kids when they are in the right frame of mind isn't always easy and with 3 children it's a case of catching the majority in a good mood so that the toddler can just play. An episode of brum doesen't always cover the homework if they are resisting or struggling with it!!!!

Our evenings can be quite tough. DD needs 20-30 mins reading, DS likes to do about the same and toddler will obviously need more and more as he becomes aware. I'm lucky if I get through their library books with them. I would be absolutely stuffed if I had a child with SEN that needed more time to do things.

I have to say that I use online programmes to help the kids. Things that they can mostly do independently. I just wish that school homework was a bit more like that. I find it much easier for DD to grab 20 mins every other day (normally whilst I bath her brothers) and DS will sometimes grab 20 mins 3 times per weeks at some other random times...

iPhoneDrone · 03/04/2011 20:58

Our school has just re-jigged the homework policy. All years now have to pick 3 pieces out of a possible 9, to complete in 4 weeks, one of the pieces is chosen for them.

DDs list was

Minibeast hunt
Bug mobile
How many ways can you make 6
Learn a poem/rhyme by heart and recite to class (they have to do this one)
Caterpillar colours
Colouring competition (emphasis on using the right colours for objects)
Make a mini beast mask
Stick and glue beanstalks in correct order and measure
Plant a seed

Not bad really and quite active/crafty things.

i would object to sitting down and writing for 30 mins at this age.

Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 21:11

One of DD's IPC topics was to research different containers for carrying wheat/beans/fish/water/cocoa/coffee. Now, friends made their kids do research on every item - I told dd to choose a couple and research those. It specifically asked about innuits and containers they used but I just googled a general thing and gave her the wesbite to look - it didn't include innuit info so we didn't write about it.

However, once she had researched, described, written and drawn, the piece must have taken over an hour altogether.

Generally, if I don't get involved, she would literally draw a huge picture taing up as much room as possible, in order to do less work . Bless her - she's already crafty as you like.

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Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 21:12

Oh and DS (yr 1) generally only reads his reading book once each night - defo not for 20/30 mins. Occasionally, like yesterday, he sat with me and read one of his own books for half an hour but that's rare. It's not that I don't try to read a lot with him - he's just sometimes way too tired - especially after school.

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candleshoe · 03/04/2011 21:14

I am a teacher who used to give out this kind of homework - but now I've got DCs of my own I think it is enough to do daily reading and a few spellings/tables. I really resent 'family time' being eaten up by school work which isn't even properly marked or appreciated or benficial.

candleshoe · 03/04/2011 21:15

beneficial beneficial beneficial

rebl · 03/04/2011 21:16

iPhoneDrone That is a lovely list. We would do a lot of those type activities anyway, would just have to do mini beasts instead of fairy craft!

Original poster

vintageteacups · 03/04/2011 21:21

Since reading a thread about how really, primary school ed isn't the be all and end all when it comes to learning about life, I felt a lot less stressed.

Last week, I wrote in DS' reading log that he was too tired to read. She ticked it and that was that. At his school, the teachers don't even listen to them read, except a bit once a week in guided reading (I think it's appalling).

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Caz10 · 03/04/2011 21:21

I personally like that list, and would do it with DD, but parents in my catchment area are another matter. I have to consider that often the children will do their homework without any adult input

candleshoe · 03/04/2011 21:22

I like the idea of optional lists of choices for homework ...

GetOrfMoiLand · 03/04/2011 21:25

Homework at primary level is a complete waste of time.

DD attended an Outstanding Ofsted rated primary which had as zero HW policy, apart from asking children to read at home and to learn 10 spellings a week. It was great.

They had a project to complete during the Spring term of Yr 6, but that was it.

NO problem with the transition to senior school. In fact she really embraced hW as she was not jaded after doing years of crappy worksheets etc.

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