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Original poster

Did YOU have homework at Primary School?

66 replies

morningpaper · 03/02/2007 16:01

I don't remember having homework at Primary School, except for Summer Holiday projects. Now it seems normal.

Did YOU have homework at Primary School?

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TenaLady · 03/02/2007 17:20

Sparkle, they have three playtimes and time in the evenings and weekends. That plenty, blimey I used to get bored with all that playtime.

Popped back to apologise for the pc incorrectness of 'push' I meant encourage

Whizzz · 03/02/2007 17:21

I don't remember much homework. I remember doing specific projects every now & again but not weekly/daily worksheets or anything??

Blandmum · 03/02/2007 17:24

Interested at the 'They don't have time to be chldren' comment.

We had homework in the 60s and 70s and we had masses more time to be kids than my two do now. And that is because we didn't have all these after school clubs and classes, we just ran round and played in the street with our mates. I went to Brownies, and that was about it. Wheras my kids to all sorts of stuff. I said I wouldn't end up sending them to things, but the nagged me!

I don't think it is just th h/w that reduces the kids free time, but the ballet, and horse riding, and musical instruments and swimming classes, and team sports and karate and yoga, and dramaand brownies and all the other stuff they end up doing

colditz · 03/02/2007 17:36

Was just talking about this with my friend. We never had homework until secondary school, and we are different ages and went to different schools.

I have already decided that the second ds1's homework takes longer than 15 minutes, he stops.

Hallgerda · 03/02/2007 18:13

We had one lot of primary school homework ever. We were really excited about it - it was such a novelty.

morocco · 03/02/2007 18:20

nope, none for us except we did used to learn times tables at home and also did practice tests for the 11 plus, but that wasn't a homework as such. I used to like doing them - such a swot!

pigsinmud · 03/02/2007 18:42

I'm with martianbishop - we know a few children who have a club after school every day plus football on Saturday morning. I'm sure this is what stops children from having time to just "be". Mind you ds2 has dancing, fencing and football ... so that's 3 evenings Ds1 doesn't do anything apart from football.
I had spellings and time tables test once a week at primary school. We had a project every now and then, but we didn't get h/w every week like my sons do. Ds2 has optional h/w and spellings. Ds1 has h/w once a week - only spend 30 mins on it, but if you want to spend more that's fine. It's not that heavy - plus spellings and times tables.

funnypeculiar · 03/02/2007 18:57

I did (state school in 70s). Not much at first, just reading and spellings. By 9/10 years we had a project a week, which included finding out about something, writing it up - I was a swot so it took me ages. And I did brownies, girls club ( a cooler version of brownies!). and piano lessons. But my overriding memories of childhood are of running about in the backlane getting grubby and throwing squashy gooseberries around - just as they should be

bogwobbit · 03/02/2007 19:02

I can't really remember getting huge ammounts of homework. I do remember having to revise for spelling tests and having to memorise times tables, but not a lot more.
My ds is 9 and he doesn't really have huge ammounts of homework either.
One the subject of after school activities, I wish I had had more activities when I was a kid - I would have loved it. Playing in the street was fine, but it could get a bit boring.

snorkle · 03/02/2007 19:10

Message withdrawn

Bekks · 03/02/2007 19:31

Was talking about this today - no homework other than learning spellings - no uniform - and no choice over whether to have school dinners or sandwiches, everyone just had school dinners and that was that. I don't think lots of homework is right either, although I read somewhere that some schools were moving more towards giving "family" projects, such as visits to places, craft-y things etc.

ninja · 03/02/2007 19:31

none

belgo · 03/02/2007 19:35

From the age of seven I had a spelling test every week. Also had to recite mutiple tables up to 13, backwards and forwards, every week. This improved my memory.

Also had project work, which I really enjoyed doing, scientific and nature projects.

Looking back, it was a fairly academic school.

TheArmadillo · 03/02/2007 19:40

spellings, reading and times tables. But I don't remember a huge amount of pressure to get it done.

Biglips · 03/02/2007 19:41

the only homework we had was the spelling and timetables but thats it!!! not like it is nowadays and i do disagree with it as esp when they should be playing out outside at weekend and not getting presuried doing a 10 page english homework .

i remember the first day at high school and my body went into shock as never had real homework to take home before!!

Flamesparrow · 03/02/2007 19:45

Yes. Maths... 6 a day, 7 a day, 8 a day... as you moved through the books.

Oh, spellings and I seem to recall having to learn as many european countries (and their locations on a map) as possible.

I won that one

kama · 03/02/2007 19:55

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FioFio · 03/02/2007 19:56

This reply has been deleted

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Posey · 03/02/2007 19:58

Spellings, tables and reading.

Donk · 03/02/2007 20:06

I had no homework until I was in year 9 (equivalent)- 3rd form as was, because we had a middle school system, and only went to High School in year 9.
I used to ask my parents/teachers/read about things I was interested in (and still do)....and I was (and still am) an inveterate book worm, and elephant's child.
For anyone who thinks that the lack of homework must have been the kiss of doom, my peer group at school all went to university to study sciences or maths!
Oh, and I did all three sciences at 'A' level (and maths) on the back of something that looked very like 'double science' nowadays - and this was in the 60's and 70's (born 1961)

SSShakeTheChi · 03/02/2007 20:08

can't remember ever having had any. My dm spent a lot of time with me practising reading, times tables, spelling and so on but I don't think that was schoolwork more her own initiative

inhindsight · 03/02/2007 23:32

Recent research into the benefits of homework
at Primary School.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/30/neducate230.xml

Skribble · 03/02/2007 23:40

Started primary school late 70's. Yes the normal was 4 words to copy out a few times then make up a sentence for each one, reading book each week and some other stuff once in p 6 and 7. Good preperation for high school when the homework gets serious, means they get into the habit of it early

DS is now P6 and gets spelling and maths each Mon to Thur and a language excercise which he has to cimplete over the week, teaches him about orgainising his work and timetable, he has to figure out how much to do each day and how to set it all out.

twinsetandpearls · 03/02/2007 23:41

I can't remember if I did or not and beacsue I am vain and worry about growing old that worries more than the amount of homework dd gets.

PeachesMcLean · 03/02/2007 23:43

We never had homework at Primary School.
I'd like to take this opportunity to brag about DS's school, which has poor physical resources, an intake from a deprived, multi ethnic, very transient area, but is trialling a "learning through play" initiative. The school inspection report said the school is "outstanding". They don't get much homework either. [smug emoticon]

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