Who decides how much homework?

[Notcontent]

I am a bit puzzled because my year 4 dd is getting very little homework compared to previous years. For maths is hasn't changed (they use an online learning tool) but for literacy it's just a bit of spelling every week and obviously a reading book.

I am not upset about it - but a bit surprised. Are homework decisions made by the teachers - perhaps jointly where there is more than one class in each year?

In my DC school the KS2 Head will decide how much homework for KS2, KS1 Head for KS1 & EYFS Head for reception/nursery.

Each year group has 2 classes so one teacher will plan numeracy for the whole year & one the literacy. Not sure how spellings are done though.

There should a policy in place that has been agreed by the governors. I drafted our homework policy, discussed it with staff, the school council, the parents forum and a group of governors. I then finalised the policy and it was agreed at a whole governing body meeting.

It identifies what we will provide in each year group throughout the school.

Hi Notcontent:

Our primary was a lot like this and when we queries 'Why no homework' - we got that it was down to individual teachers to determine if homework was necessary/ research shows that homework in primary is of no benefit (thank you: educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/homework/ - who fail to explain very clearly in their summary how few studies on this exist: educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/homework/references-homework/)

Gove dropped prescribed homework timings in primary (which recommended about 1.5 hrs of homework early KS2 moving up to two hours KS2 upper, so Y5-6).

Basically we quickly surmised whether there would be homework or not and in years where there wasn't much we just did more at home (Y3/ Y5 - virtually no homework whatsoever).

I think the telegraph article beautifully sums up the situation & the problem www.telegraph.co.uk/education/9121048/Michael-Gove-scraps-homework-rules.html - at the end of the article little Cameron's mummy is complaining about how difficult it is to get him to do homework at the weekend - yet she's paying for tutors 2x a week. Little Cameron will probably go on to do well because his mummy is in fact doing homework privately - but little Cameron's classmates who might be more traditional and expect school to set homework in fact will do nothing and be at a serious disadvantage vis a vis Cameron come 11+ or senior school.

that is the reality out there folks.

My dc have had the same amount of homework from Reception to Y2 (although getting more difficult). I'd assume it's a Key Stage policy rather than just the individual teacher.