fucking HOMEWORK. Really cross.

[k2p2k2tog]

Our school has apparently been consulting stakeholders about homework. Who the fuck they have actually consulted I have no idea because nobody admits to being asked.

Anyway. Upshot of this consultation is that they have replaced the traditional spelling words/sentences/activities, maths and reading with a Homework Menu.

This menu contains gems such as "Ask each person in the family to sing their favourite song. Each person has to write down why it is their favourite" and "Plan a menu for a healthy family meal. Make a shopping list. Each person has to prepare a part of the meal".

WIBU unreasonable to point out that DH and I have finished our education and our two older children are busy doing their own homework, instead of twatting around singing songs and cooking meals?

Fucks sake.

I would be very ragey about this. The idea of primary homework makes me shout - it’s proven to be completely pointless. So the idea that you guys get sucked further into it, too... NO.

I’m not surprised no one will admit to helping devise such an abomination, either.

We’ve got a homework menu too. DH is always complaining that it makes it too easy to forget to do it at all.

It's so fucking PATRONISING. My kids are very fortunate - they get all sorts of experiences and we take them places and do stuff with them all the time. The child who this homework is aimed at went to Stirling Castle last weekend and learned all about the Jacobites as they had a massive Lego installation.

But no. We have to devise family board games and sing songs.

Fuckers. I fucking hated it when Primary School tried to drag the whole family into homework. The worst was a the "making" stuff. I have a kid who just is not into making models. I once made a rather fabulous paper mache model, took it into school and told the teacher that although I was quite proud of it, it was the last thing I would be making for "ds homework".
Refuse, refuse, refuse

I would send a note in that we won't be participating in this, due to the fact that it if pointless in my opinion.

Ours did this. Also Scotland. And in the latest round of CFE results our school did amazingly shit. With what must be one of the 'best' catchments in Scotland.

DS is only 2 but I read these threads (stupidly) and nearly cry at the thought of what I've got coming my way....hoping I can throw crap like this when he stays at his dad's house otherwise I better start bulk buying gin and Jack Daniels

What nonsense.
Please tell the school you aren't entertaining it , hopefully everyone else will too.

They want 6 activities done a fortnight.

It does say "you may wish to take an example of your home learning to school" which I'm interpreting as "school will not require proof that these pointless tasks have been done so feel free to lie about it".

What a load of utter balls. I bloody hate primary homework & with 4 kids in primary (and another 2 to go) I dream of it being abolished soon as it IS BLOODY USELESS & OF NO BENEFIT WHATSOEVER!!

Not done homework for 3 years, are you in Scotland? I've noticed this shit is rife up here. We also got the joys of a low level raggy old Biff & Chip book, (when she can read chapters) which was supposed to come home and be brought back every day. No thank you!!

"Go to your local shop take a photo of a Scottish product and get your parent to tweet the school" why would I do that and what will be gained????

I refused to do this rubbish with DS. We did plenty of other activities so wrote about those instead

Yes we're in a naice Glasgow suburb with a school which does very well in HMIE (although not inspected for about 8 years) and a Head who rules with an iron fist. Her way or the highway.

This is a school with loads of resources, loads of opportunities, involved parents who ARE supporting their children's learning. By doing lots of things which are most definitely not making fucking models or growing fucking cress.

Well I have to say that I rather enjoyed it when the DDs had "homework" that involved doing vacuuming and laundry!

get your parent to tweet the school

Err, no. I've had years and years of doing homework so they can fuck right off if they think I'm going to embrace "family learning".

We have this but it’s not compulsory. Last term I just said that I had focussed on reading each night rather than us doing this.

Also Scotland, we get the ‘homework square’ a task in each square needs to be completed: literacy, maths, reading, project. Each taking about 20mins each, plus nightly reading, plus practisicing the ‘learn-it’ sums.

He’s 7 ffs! Give the boy a break. Both parents working so we sometimes get home 6pm and still need to make dinner, have baths, any swimming lessons etc and do this shit! When do they get the chance just to be children and you know, play?

I do want to be involved in his learning but it all seems too much.

We are Scotland as well. Tonight Dds homework was list local shops for financial week.
Now I get you use money in shops but would it not be better to count the bill of the items from a shop instead of listing the names of them

If the school doesn't want to see proof of the activities then I don't see the point? It's probably to encourage deadbeat parents to engage with their children - I assume your child gets enough of your attention already so therefore pointless.

I’d be sending delightful messages back

Interestingly, after our parent homework consultation here the school dumped (1) menu homework (2) holiday projects and (3) fucking "posters" and "leaflets" altogether, in favour of old-fashioned spellings, times tables/maths drills and reading only. Which is to say, only those homeworks for which there is any supportive evidence base ...

Occasionally the spelling might be a spelling rule so it will be something like "think of as many verbs as you can then put them in the past tense" but it's always doable in half an hour with just a pencil and the homework book.

Children of a creative bent get their fix through optional competitions during the year e.g. make a hat for World Book Day depicting your favourite book, or bake a magic cake* for Witches And Wizards Week.

• no hash please

If the school doesn't want to see proof of the activities then I don't see the point? It's probably to encourage deadbeat parents to engage with their children

Deadbeat parents won't bother doing it.

It's a cop out, the school I worked in started doing this when certain teachers failed to set any homework. So all classes had to do tasks from a menu and hand it in at the end of the half term. It barely got a glance, never mind marked.

My DS is 5 and has brought one of these menus home, admittedly I cringed as soon as I saw it, but it's really good. Each task is actually quite challenging and required some sort of recording. It's handed in each week in the homework book and always marked, with feedback, ready for the following week. The tasks vary from 10-20 minutes and parents can steer their child towards ones that will suit.

It's all about how it's dealt with, stupid activities which require no proof and that are not linked to actual learning are pointless.

My DS's teacher is fantastic though, she wouldn't send anything home that wasn't worthwhile.

I might be binning the grid and writing back what we're doing already.

For example - DS helped me make fairy cakes after school. Weighing, measuring, mixing. Eating the end product.

At the weekend he did archery with his dad. Lots of adding up.

We sat last night as a family and watched "secret life of the zoo" - hugely educational. He now knows all about otters and camels.

Why are you so angry? If you don't agree with it, just write to school you won't be doing it.
I just find all the shouting on internet OTT.