Year one workload

[Efferlunt]

I just wanted to gauge of this was normal in terms of workload for year one. I was told that things would ramp up but I wasn't expecting things to be this crazy. As well as reading every night there will be tests every fortnight for which we have to prep at home. This week we need to do number bonds for ten and learn six spellings including some three-syllable words. DS's behaviour has gone downhill dramatically and he seems to be really feeling the pressure and is reluctant to do any work at all. Just not sure I'm comfortable with this and worried he will basically end up hating learning. School say this is how it has to go with the new national curriculum.

One reading book and one homework sheet each week here, changed on a Friday. Same as reception.

My DD is in Y1 and has not had any homework so far. They have a reading book (she gets one, not sure how many other kids get at a time) which is changed at least weekly or more frequently if needed - depends how long it takes them to read it I suppose. She's on white books so they take her a while. They also have another self-selected reading book which is at the same level as the assigned book and they change that themselves as often as they want to.
So far no spelling and no maths etc. Her class is similar to reception at the moment and they gradually ramp up and become more structured.

Oliversmummy, your experience was not typical. Our work remedial literacy and numeracy classes are largely made up of 40-60 year olds lacking in basic literacy and numeracy skills. I also know of at least 2 people in their 40s and 50s who left school unable to read and write much more than their name. I could probably identify several more who can read and write but who have atrocious spelling.

No homework in year 1 for us - thank God. And some of your kids have more homework than my DD in year 6!! She basically has one bit of literacy a week, one bit of maths and reading books. More than enough.

DD has several books a week and she reads nightly.

Her homework this week is 10 spellings and making 5 sentences with some of the words. Plus a story map with pictures and using 'story language' (hello?) which turns out to be 'Once upon a time' and other cliche, based on a story they have been studying at school, also some sentences about her favourite parts of the story. Then they want me to include photos of her retelling the story. Ffs.

I'm thinking of sticking with the phonics and practising times tables tbh.

. I also know of at least 2 people in their 40s and 50s who left school unable to read and write much more than their name.

How many more are going to come out of school illiterate today? Ds would have been one and there were 2 others in his class who were struggling and in the same position as ds.

Just for comparison, in year 1 my DC in a private (non London) prep school would get as many or as few books each week as they were capable of reading (for us that was 2) and we were encouraged to read every day but it was not a requirement. We also got a book to be read to them once a week. There would be 6-8 spellings to learn each week. Examples of easier ones: said, there, which, little, before, should. Middling ones: denial, because, difficult, through, sentence, elephant, however spellings are differentiated within the year group and I don't think my DC gets any of the harder ones so I can't comment on those. There is also optional holiday work, which apparently most parents do a bit of every day!

I should point out though that the school is very play focused and big on co / extra curricular and sports, so only 2 1/2 hours a day were 'academic' lessons and the rest were music, art, sports, swimming, outdoor school etc.

It sounds to me like a lot of your DC's have a lot of homework for year 1 compared to my DC!

That sounds a lovely school pika! I think it seems the state schools expect more homework/work in some ways.

Our infant school timetable only seems to allow an hour a day that isn't maths or english - i would love to send her private simply to get the breadth of sport and outdoor school you get!

I am glad we don't have a focus on homework though. She's in yr2 and still nothing like the above lists. THey used to write about their weekend when they got into school on monday (so didnt have to be done at home) and all the read write inc sheets were done in school.

@ Futureme:

yes, it is an amazing school! Very happy with it. DC loves the topic based learning and all of the amazing fun and varied learning experiences. Amazing SEN and academic results too.

Yes, interesting how things have changed. When I was at school in the 80's / 90's there was no homework until about year 3. I think I prefer that!

I should also point out though that there will be many private schools that offer f-all in the way of experiences outside of the classroom. The one I attended for example, just required traditional learning and copying from the board for 8 hours a day! Very lucky DC's is different.

Your observation about state vs private curriculum differences is very interesting - I had always suspected the same, but it is quite shocking that your timetable is almost the opposite of ours! Plus we have 9 1/2 weeks summer holiday (imho far too long - I think they forget too much. Personally I much prefer the state holidays or 4 term systems abroadh) and a 2 week half term in winter term.

...We have per day roughly:
1hr English
1hr maths
1/2hr - 1hr science / geography / history
1 hr PE / Games / dance / Swimming / forest school
1/2 hr Golden time and story time
Plus weekly:
1hr French
1/2 hr music
1/2 hr Art
Some drama
about 20 after school clubs.

We only have PE once a week. I think thats a huge difference between sectors and I do wish there was more activity.

Ours have maths or English of some form for most of the day but broken into different activities such as guided reading, listening to a story or different phonics/next step groups etc. I think they do try to incorporate topic work and art into this somewhow too.

It seems there's just an hour in the afternoon that isn't either one and that is either PE/ ICT/SCIENCE/TOPIC/music/anything else depending on the day.

Drama is done as a one day workshop occasionally...No french, proper music, swimming, forest school etc.

I'm a teacher and I'd love a school like yours! I occasionally get the urge to homeschool but the benefits are still outweighing the negatives. Just.

DD is in a state primary in year 1 and she does PE at least twice a week plus an hour of dance a week. They have maths and literacy most mornings but in the afternoons they have diff activities e.g. Mon is history, geography and dance, Tue is gymnastics, music and german, Wed is art, ICT and singing, Thu is science, PE, library trip, then Fri is projects, show and tell and a trip to the forest area.

I think it's a nice balance and this timetable continues into year two. It's surprising how different the time tabling is been between state schools.

I think ours is maths and literacy in the morning but the after lunch session includes assembly and registration and a story so I think only leaves an hour actual timetabled session when I looked. The topic includes history and geogrpahy. They do do art, science,library and ICT

What yours does that ours doesn't is dance, gymnastics, german and forest. All brilliant things! My daughter does gymnastics afterschool and we're outdoors a lot but I am aware its lacking. We have recently become a mega academy with 4 schools. Apparently although we have the freedom to chose our own curriculum its maths and english that are measured in year 6 so that's where the focus lies...