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Original poster

Stack loads of Hw over half term!!!

61 replies

Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:37

Have just checked out the school website homework page for half term for DS year 5.
I'm completely peed off with the amount.
English... Write a 500 word story for Chris Evans thing
Maths... Do 10 maths problems (ok I guess)
IPC... Research global warming and make a 3-5 minute presentation to be presented in front of the class after half term.

FFS!!!!
Every week......his class tutor gives some of huge project type homework.

The school's own HW policy states one piece of English, maths and science per week....each one no more than 20 mins max. Well this is a whole lot more than 20 mins each.

The irony is that the IPC teacher wrote at the bottom 'enjoy your well-deserved half term holiday'
Some bloody holiday this will be!!! It takes 3 hrs to get DS (10) to write a small paragraph.

Adults generally don't do work in their time off......why should kids?

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Thatssofunny · 15/02/2015 20:46

My class have to do their 500 word story. Most of it was done before the holidays, though, so they only have to finish and check it through now.

I'd be more worried about the time it takes your DS to write a paragraph. Hmm

(I have to admit that I usually work in my 'holidays',...but that doesn't mean that I set loads of work for my class. Grin )

calzone · 15/02/2015 20:51

What are the school 's consequences for not doing hw?

My DS is y5 and I would not let him do that much.

I would help with the maths and help with the presentation. Not the English.

What if you had gone away for the whole of half term?

Kids need a break. Neither of my boys have hw for the holidays.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:51

Sorry...the 3 hrs was a joke. But it does take him ages....generally because he messes around and doesn't settle easily to work on his own.

I just don't get how they think people can achieve this if they are off on a weeks holiday? We actually aren't going away but are planning whole days out having fun.
I'm anti homework, other than tables, reading and spellings at this age anyway but it seems so mean to have so much full on hw over half term.
I might just see how much he feels like doing then write a note saying we were having too much fun to get it all done.

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TheFirstOfHerName · 15/02/2015 20:52

I sympathise.

DD (Y6):
Two different Maths SATs papers
One reading SATs paper
One grammar section of a SATs paper
Mini-review of all books read since September
Learn and practise spellings
Reading aloud x3
Biography of a modern artist

DS3 (Y6):
Same as above

DS2 (Y8):
Nothing

DS1 (Y10):
One practice GCSE Latin paper (doing real thing in May)

Does that make any sense to you? It doesn't to me.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:53

His for. Teacher said if HW isn't done, it's an instant detention but considering there is no legal requirement for schools to allocate HW, not entirely sure how they can do that.

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Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:54

Assuming your children are in private school? Latin was the clue Wink

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Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:54

Ooh, actually, you said SATS....so maybe not?

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Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 20:55

There is no way I'm letting DS do extra HW just because it's NCTs next year.

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Thatssofunny · 15/02/2015 21:00

TheFirstOfHerName Shock

TheFirstOfHerName · 15/02/2015 21:00

No, all in state schools. Primary gives far too much holiday homework, secondary (thankfully) gives almost none.

Effic · 15/02/2015 21:04

Don't do it. Schools shouldn't give detentions for not doing homework. That is not a disciplinary matter. What does their behaviour policy say? And 'legally,' schools only have to set homework - you/children don't have to do it!

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 21:06

Fab.....thanks Effic.

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teeththief · 15/02/2015 21:07

The 500 word story cant be compulsory surely?? It's an optional competition and ridiculous that they've demanded every child enters.

We've had the same with 'enjoy half term relaxing and having family time....but here is their homework'. The homework was easy though so y5 Ds has done it already. If he had to write a 500 word story we would not have a relaxing half term

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 21:23

It's optional to submit it for the comp but he says they all still have to write it.

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Thatssofunny · 15/02/2015 21:39

Same for my class. They all write it, but don't have to submit it.

To be honest, with homework, you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Parents will complain either way. I've got parents, who complain that I set too much homework...and others ask me for more, because it's not enough. Hmm If there's an issue with getting homework done, I'd appreciate parents simply letting me know, but wouldn't be too impressed by basically being undermined. (The majority of the children in my class are fine with telling me that they either need an extension or were unable to complete a task because of one thing or another. I don't bite their heads off for it. Most of them do their homework regularly and have very supportive parents at home, so not doing it because they've been busy isn't a problem.)

The huge amount of homework for Y6 shocks me, though. Do they not get enough work done in lessons? (I teach Y6. I know how high the pressure is to get good results.) Mine get very regular homework during term time, but that's more to get them into the habit of it. Life won't end, if they don't manage to get it done.

I try to avoid homework over half term. (I didn't plan on setting the story, but most of my class are actually very keen on writing it.) They won't be in trouble if they don't finish it, since they get a bit more time after half term anyway, which they are aware of.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 21:48

But parents at our school don't know that their children won't get into trouble. The teacher wrote on the HW webpage that he expected it in otherwise instant detention. It's parents evening soon so will make a point of raising it.

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roundtable · 15/02/2015 21:57

Homework is not a legal requirement in state primary. However it throws up a can of worms in pupil/teacher relations if you refuse which complicates things.

Do you have a parent forum? Definitely worth bringing up. See if you can get a crowd of you to challenge.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 22:10

I'm not anti all homework and higher up the school, it's good for giving a good sound understanding of what's being taught in class. However, for 9 and 10 yr olds, I believe all that is needed at this age is a good, solid grounding in multiplication, spellings and reading.

Their school though is a middle school and its that, I believe, that encourages them to treat the primary age children as secondary children too soon.

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Thatssofunny · 15/02/2015 22:32

I used to teach at a middle school. Wasn't too fussed about homework back then, either. Grin
Do most of them not do their homework or why does the teacher go in all guns blazing? I sometimes make children catch up during lunchtimes,...but that's usually when they can never be bothered otherwise. Doesn't happen much, though...and their parents are happy for me to do that. Most of them do their homework and either hand it in on the day it's due or within the automatic 24 hour grace period, after a reminder. Grin

Talk to the teacher or SLT at the next meeting and perhaps mention the slight inconvenience of extended tasks. (I'm meant to set projects for the whole family over half term... Our last 'project' was for them to bring in an empty bottle. I had even gone to the effort of giving them a whole sheet with instructions on the 'bottle project', example images of what bottles could look like...and what might have been in them. Grin I hate project homework.)

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 22:50

Sorry......project for the whole family? Who is at school....the child or the parents as well????

Fine for parents to help.....and I always do (sometimes it is mostly me who does it) but to make it a family project....don't teachers have any life or do they do it just to annoy parents? (Not you thatssofunny)

I'm pretty fed up with it all. HW is supposed to be linked to current class work.....it does not take a massive art project or 5 minute presentation to show understanding. A few sentences would suffice.

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Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 22:51

DS is shattered after every day at school. He hates it so that makes it 10 times worse. He has Cubs on a Thursday and karate on a Saturday but only for 45 mins. Other than that, I truly believe he should be spending his time chilling out playing with his toys/games, climbing trees, trampoline, watching tv etc.

Let them be children!!

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Indantherene · 15/02/2015 23:02

I haven't looked in DD's book bag. If she has stacks of HW she won't be doing it, because she is in Holiday club from 8.30 to 4.30 all this week. Funnily enough some parents actually have to work and don't get 13 weeks off like their children do.

As for a project for the whole family... words fail me.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 15/02/2015 23:14

Well said. Good point about childcare as well.
Silly me for checking the homework webpage....doh !!

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noramum · 16/02/2015 08:12

DH and I work, DD is normally not at home until 5pm. She still manages to do her homework, spelling and times tables. She also does an extra workbook once a week as she fell behind and the teacher didn't bother to tell us.

And as she didn't normal homework, only stupid projects, in Y2 we had no clue.

She is on holiday clubs at least 1/2 of most holiday, again, homework is always finished.

I see homework as learning that there are things you can't avoid, to finish set tasks on time and for us parents an opportunity to see what she does in school and if she is able to do the homework herself with supervision.

I hate arts projects, pointless waste of time. I like research ones as it teaches skills, even making a poster can be good and DD loves doing it. But building an alien out of rubbish?

Saying that, the amount the OP's child got is over the top for holiday homework.

PastSellByDate · 16/02/2015 10:18

I suppose Verbena37 - I'd ask how much tv is your child going to be watching during half-term? How much video game playing (for pleasure - not educational)?

Just being devil's advocate (as my brother is a teacher) - he says that he has 3 problems with kids post half-term:

  1. clocks are out - they've been staying up late and sleeping in, so either spend a few days arriving late or take about 2 hours to wake up each morning.

  2. they've had a great time at home - all play/ fun so resent being back to the 'same old slog' - he says it isn't awful it's just that little creeping insidious negative attitude toward being in school - you know 'it's boring'/ 'it's no fun'/ etc... that makes his job harder and frequently results in kids giving up/ turning off in secondary.

  3. those that do very little reading/ work over breaks/ holidays tend to take a while to get back into the swing of things. My brother doesn't call it lost learning - but with shorter stretches (i.e. we'll only have 5 weeks between this half-term and Easter break) losing 1 week + to refreshing kids memories about what we were doing and reminding them how to do things eats a lot of time out of 'moving on' educationally.

It's only anectdotal but he says that over a school year he can see the difference in achievement between kids who engage in homework and keep that learning ticking over during holidays and those that don't.