Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

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

Original poster

How much homework in Yr1 - state school

30 replies

windowboxes · 09/10/2017 15:44

A friend (in a different county / school) mentioned her DS's school don't do any homework until Yr3.

DD1 is in Yr1 and each week gets 2 or 3 books to read, some spellings for a test each week (or quiz as I like to call it...) and one 'piece' of homework which generally takes her 10-15 mins with support. Obviously we sometimes do more plenty more reading but I am wondering if this sounds normal for the rest of the country (state schools). DD is coping well, enjoys doing it so no issues there but I can imagine with some of her friends it might be an effort as they are just not really that keen to read or write!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
windowboxes · 09/10/2017 15:47

Should say we also have log ins to online maths sites and phonics sites and tbh we haven't done them...this is because I don't really want her on the laptop when she is 5 YEARS OLD and she's doing well anyway so I feel I can teach her maths / phonics in other ways than via the website however at some point will probably set her up again on them. She did some of these last year however DS kept trying to hijack the laptop (he's 2) so in the end I gave up.

OP posts:
cupofchai · 09/10/2017 15:49

Maths once a week
English once a week
Spellings
3 books (but expected to read every day)
Also French at after school club and has homework for that (That's extra though)

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 09/10/2017 16:13

Only reading books, we read about 10 mins a night if book last ten minutes. Bought a maths sheet home by choice once.

Lifechallenges · 09/10/2017 17:27

Reading 10min a night and 4 spelling words a week

HeadDreamer · 09/10/2017 17:30

DC1 got 6 books to read and a spelling sheet of 8 words a week in year 1 last year. No other homework. I thought it was too much.

wendz86 · 09/10/2017 17:43

In year 1 my daughter had reading books . They didn't mind when you changed them . She also could choose a task a week from a grid - e.g. Write about something , make a pirate item .

Andcake · 09/10/2017 19:56

Reading book every night ( 2 at weekend), mathletics although ds hates it but is good at maths, the odd handwriting work sheet and a book with about 6 homework assignment with a request to parents that dc do at least 2 in the half term..a week or do to go we've done 3

biglips · 09/10/2017 20:14

Maths once a week, English once a week, spelling once a week and one reading book once a week (reading books get changed every week).

ChocolateCupcake123 · 09/10/2017 20:16

10 mins reading per day.

1 piece of homework per week - approx 15 mins worth.

5 spelling words to learn. (Struggles with this)

Mathletics/phonics log in but we've never used them since she does 2 hours of explore learning club per week which is basically the same thing.

Stompythedinosaur · 10/10/2017 10:29

I think our school has too much. We do:

Reading every day.
10 spellings a week
A times table
17 sums to practice (the same sums each week)
A maths sheet
A piece of topic homework chosen from a grid
Piano practice

Far too much and takes too long imo.

RightOnTheEdge · 10/10/2017 10:34

My dd is in yr 2 now but in yr 1she brought reading books home every night and a few spellings a week.
They had a homework project relating to the subject they were learning eg. Build something out of recycling, make a poster about healthy eating. They had weeks to complete this though.

sirfredfredgeorge · 10/10/2017 11:03

Far too much and takes too long imo

So why do it?

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 10/10/2017 12:24

stompy my son would all out refuse all of that.

Kokeshi123 · 10/10/2017 12:46

Piano practice... the school sets this?

In Y1, I think reading, very basic/short writing and number bonds is all they really need.

dameofdilemma · 10/10/2017 13:59

Am aghast at volume of homework - are these all state schools??

Dd gets one book a week and one piece of written homework (takes about 15mins). There are a list of about 20 words (for the whole year) that parents are advised children should know spellings for but no tests that we know of.

Its less than most schools in the area but is an outstanding primary (according to Ofsted) and much touted London academy so maybe its part of some master plan.
I'm not a huge fan of homework but I do think dd gets very little. If we didn't do maths ourselves with her at home I'd have no idea if she could add 2+2.

HandbagKrabby · 10/10/2017 14:03

Reading books twice a week. Writing/spelling rules once a week. Online maths once a week. Several design a poster type efforts a term that you can pick which ones to do. The writing and maths hw is new but got the others in reception. I'm ambivalent but my child enjoys doing it at the moment and I don't want to put them off so we do it all.

MsPassepartout · 10/10/2017 14:28

DS1 is in Yr 1 and his homework is pretty much what OP's DD gets.

We also haven't been using the suggested online educational websites for maths / phonics etc, mainly because DS1 usually wants to start playing games instead after 2 minutes of the educational stuff.

There's been some other craft stuff like making a harvest box or cards at home and bringing it in, but the craft homework is optional.

cliffdiver · 10/10/2017 14:42

DD1 is in Y1.

Homework is set on a Thursday and due in on a Tuesday.

It comprises: practise writing 10 words, a maths task, a reading task. She is also expected to read every nights

She also has violin to practice 4 times a week.

squiz81 · 10/10/2017 15:40

Reading books - supposedly 3 a week - reality 1 or 2 a week. They want them to read for 10 minutes each night

At the weekend a few spellings and an online maths game. Its never checked by anyone.

MrGrumpy01 · 10/10/2017 20:40

Dd gets reading books. Dh reads with her every day but sometimes they keep the book for a couple of days. At some point she will get spellings which I am not looking forwards to as she can barely read. My eldest had spellings by this point but the littlest hasn't.

Stompythedinosaur · 10/10/2017 22:55

*Far too much and takes too long imo

So why do it?*

Because I signed up to the school. Because dd1 wants to be the same as her peers. Luckily dd1 doesn't find the work too arduous, that doesn't stop me from disliking the so much is set and believing there are much more productive things we could be doing.

Piano practice... the school sets this?

Sort of. A few kids were selected to have funded piano lessons, part of the deal is that they practice regularly. We could pull out of it, but dd1 wouldn't want to.

In fairness to the school, there was a huge increase in homework after it had a poor ofstead a few years ago. Making better use of homework was identified during this process. The school now gets very good ofstead reports, but it doesn't sit well with my personal outlook (that there is more to life than academics).

Fantail · 11/10/2017 01:31

We are in NZ, DD is 6 1/2 and in Yr 2 here. At a state primary.

She gets a reading book every night (poem on Friday), 5 spelling words a week. Then a couple of short maths exercises, a writing exercise (like use spelling words in sentences), and then they have to do a picture or write something about the "virtue" of the week - DD is at a catholic primary.

Homework is set on Monday and due Friday. Once a term they do a little project in the form of a poster based on the inquiry topic for the term. They have 2 weeks to complete that.

Aside from reading, it takes about 45 minutes over the entire week.

Original poster
windowboxes · 11/10/2017 11:08

This is very interesting, thank you for all the replies!

It does seem that some schools are doing a lot. I still a bit [sceptical] about my friend's school who do none at all until Yr3 (it is ofsted outstanding I think) but seems different to what everyone else is receiving!

I think the amount my DD is receiving is OK for now and she is able but still I can't help feeling sorry for some kids who just don't enjoy this stuff. As someone said there's more to life than academics at 5!! We had thought os starting her on the piano soon but I am concerned that as homework ramps up next year it will just be too time consuming and put her off.

For those of you who get a book a night, what level are your YR1 kids on on Oxford reading tree? DD is mid way through level 5, she finds them quite easy I would say, takes her about 8 mins to read a book and we get 2 a week, we usually read them twice each during the week. She could do more but I am just encouraging her to read other things when she wants to (her own books) which she mainly does to herself, now I am worried that I need to be sitting her to read with us more?!

OP posts:
Ninjakittysmells · 11/10/2017 11:13

Ds is private but seems in keeping with people on here.

A different reading book every day (if they are too tired though it’s fine to miss it) homework sheet given out on a Thursday and due back in on a Monday, and violin practice (but that’s extra curricular)

I wouldn’t want any more, and think too much is actually counter productive. They are still only little!

Original poster
windowboxes · 11/10/2017 11:15

I agree Ninja, surely to overload them at 5 just creates an aversion for later years....

Having said that I let DD have a go on the online maths thing last night (first time in about 6 months) and she loved it. Felt a bit guilty for forgetting it for so long, i just don't want her sat on a laptop each evening!!

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread