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Original poster

fucking HOMEWORK. Really cross.

101 replies

k2p2k2tog · 22/01/2018 18:37

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.

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Mxyzptlk · 22/01/2018 19:33

Good idea, k2p2k2tog.
It's completely nuts to expect other family members to take part and to write things! ConfusedShock

Theknacktoflying · 22/01/2018 19:34

Isn’t homework something that is done at home by the child to see if they can apply things learnt in the classroom?Spellings related to a certain phonetic, tables, ....
When my daughter came home in Yr6 with some map to choose an activity that vaguely telated to the topic, I decided it was time to quit ...
What is the benefit of making a model of some Roman ruin??

And don’t get me started on Viking Day, or Book Day ...

rcit · 22/01/2018 19:39

I have just received a homework involving making a fucking 3D model. I’d definitely prefer a worksheet checking that the child understood the topic.

PhilODox · 22/01/2018 19:39

Just choose songs such as "Killing in the Name of" or "Smack My Bitch Up", or "Alice".
They won't ask again.

Thebluedog · 22/01/2018 19:40

My dc’s school does this. Really pisses me off as I feel like I get the bloody homework, end up doing all the work for both dds to hand in.

Ca55andraMortmain · 22/01/2018 19:43

Just to give the other side of this- I am a teacher (in Scotland where most of this type of homework seems to be!). We had a really low uptake of homework and talked about all the studies that said it had a very low impact on attainment. So we ditched homework altogether. Everyone complained that the teachers were lazy, the parents didn't get an idea of what their children were learning and couldn't get involved with their child's work. Fair enough. We reinstated homework but this time we gave them a homework menu. 8 activities to be completed in a month. The idea was that they could have weekends to do it if they wanted and there was less pressure to do long written tasks that had to be fought over in the evening when everyone was tired. Mine are usually a mix of written tasks (spelling, worksheets etc), 'life skills' (learn to tie your shoelaces etc) and family tasks (use your weighing and reading skills to follow a recipe with someone from home)

No one does it and everyone complains about it being more for parents than children, their school days are over, the activities are stupid and pointless...you get the drift. I don't really know what the solution is with it to be honest, there doesn't seem to be a way to please everyone.

PocketCoffeeEspresso · 22/01/2018 19:43

What!!!

DS's new school has it pitched just right - 2-4 a4 sheets/pages from a workbook (eg. a page of maths, a page of grammar, and a page of spellings, or book report), can be done in 10-15 minutes, with no input from me. It's got him in the routine of doing a little bit of schoolwork each evening (which is something that's going to stand him in really good stead as he goes up the years), but it's not onerous, and lets me see what he's up to if I want.

PocketCoffeeEspresso · 22/01/2018 19:44

that's for a year 2, 7 year old

Original poster
k2p2k2tog · 22/01/2018 19:46

Just choose songs such as "Killing in the Name of" or "Smack My Bitch Up", or "Alice".

I LOVE this suggestion.

OP posts:
Mxyzptlk · 22/01/2018 19:49

there doesn't seem to be a way to please everyone.

That's right, there doesn't.
Probably the parents who didn't get involved originally, ca55, were not the same ones who complained about no homework.
Probably the ones who complained wanted "traditional" homework back, not a homework menu.

Invisimamma · 22/01/2018 20:03

Maybe then @ca55andraMortmain you should bother less about pleasing people and more about setting homework that actually has a positive impact on attainment and an evidence base?

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 22/01/2018 20:05

Agree you can't please everyone.

There was a post on FB a few years ago describing something very similar to what has been described here as a homework menu, where children can pick and choose which activities to do, where many of them were general everyday activities, and even including some like 'tell at least one person in your life that you really appreciate them' or 'thank your parents / carers for something they've done for you today". The FB crowd seemed to love it "I wish our school did this " etc in the comments. But then I'm assuming most of those are the ones who complain about traditional homework.

Bellamuerte · 22/01/2018 20:13

Deadbeat parents won't bother doing it.

So what's the point if good parents don't need to do it and deadbeat parents won't bother?

Mxyzptlk · 22/01/2018 20:14

Exactly, Bella.

BubblesBuddy · 22/01/2018 20:17

Loads of worksheets isn’t the way forward. So many parents battle with this. I despair when people say they cannot see what children get out of making a model. Just as well some children do enjoy it or there would be no engineers in this country. It was always something children could do with their parents when I was young. Same as singing really. Surely the children are meant to write about the experiences. Not all learning has to be worksheet based. There can be an element of fun added. I tend not to see what is so upsetting about this for primary children. I wonder how many books the complaining types own? Reading is the best way to learn. I also suggest getting curriculum work books for birthdays and Christmas and make the children sit down with them every night!

MummySparkle · 22/01/2018 20:23

We have a home learning menu. But it says at the top that we can do as much or as little as we like I take that to mean nothing then

Each half term we get a new menu with ideas for activities related to the class topic for that term. DS is in reception, so it works well for him. There's a show and tell afternoon at the end of each term for parents to see everyone's work. The last 2 times I've sent DS in with something related to the topic, but not necessarily on the sheet. He's learning, it's linked, seems good enough to me!

I dont think primary aged children should have any compulsory homework anyway. too young and too tired by the end of the day.

Hassled · 22/01/2018 20:24

It was when I found myself helping a DC to make a model of a WW1 trench through the medium of cake that I thought enough's enough. We were using liquorice strings for the barbed wire - it was madness.

bunbunny · 22/01/2018 20:24

I would pick and choose a couple of tasks to have fun with first...

Tweeting - woukd be doing this but asking how having homework for me to tweet school helps my dc's learning, particularly since I don't want them exposed to twitter at primary age so wouldn't be discussing it with them.

As for cookery - i think it would be time to teach the dc how to make that old favourite a custard pie - and of course send one in for the teacher (or head teacher) complete with original circus-style delivery Grin If you're feeling nice, send some wipes to clean their faces afterwards... (Ok probably best to just dream about this one but still!)

Must be plenty of others that you could have fun subverting too!

catlovingdoctor · 22/01/2018 20:25

Send a note in saying "not got time for this bullshit x"

MaisyPops · 22/01/2018 20:30

I'm not a fan of homework menus as 90% of the time it suggests that some of the tasks aren't that essential (which is why the students can pick wjat they like - often leading to ticking off some half arsed attempt from the 'disengaged' pupils whilst being a waste of time to everyone else). The exception is for GCSEs. Sometimes I give a menu ajd students have to pick the revision/exam prep task which matches their lowest section on a mock paper etc. Maybe something similar could be done at KS2 but it needsto be properly designed amd not full of silly task.

However, i don't see the need for effing and blinding or why you are really cross.

If you wish to make your views known to the school, absolutely get in touch and outline a summary of your concerns in a polite and reasonable way.

Whatever you do, don't storm in there being little miss angry, stomping around about how much stuff is bollocks, write notes for ypur child to give the teacher which tell the teacher you will NOT be doing x y s, tell your child to lie etc. That would be totally unreasonable.

rcit · 22/01/2018 20:30

Well I like worksheets and my kids are happy with them. They are really underrated imo. The expectation on a worksheet is very clear. The task is defined, structured and achievement is visible (upon completion). Plus they are quicker than models. Love them!

Fruitboxjury · 22/01/2018 20:31

This would give me the rage, I hate compulsory fun and I hate it when schools take the moral high ground and assume we don’t do enough together as a family.

That said, my DS is at private school in Y1 and whilst none of their homework is compulsory (yet... it all changes in Y3) and teachers understand when they’re tired, it REALLY mounts up. We do reading every night, spellings once a week, maths questions a couple of times a week, piano (practical and theory) needs practising at least 3 times, show and tell / presentations every week... I could go on. Then we get the bloody class bear and have to pretend we do exciting stuff on Tuesday and Wednesday after school before he gets sent back again.

In our case, I feel like we make up for the hours the kids are on extended holidays by doing the extra hours work at home instead. He’s very happy though and we make sure there’s plenty of time for fun so we aren’t changing anything for now.

JuliannaBixby · 22/01/2018 20:32

We have this: one literary activity, one numeracy, activity, a spelling activity, reading book with activity and optional project activity, every week.

Last term one of the numeracy things was to go to the bank and pay in money. Who actually goes to the fucking bank these days?

I detest getting drawn into it all. I wish they'd just can the entire thing.

MessySurfaces · 22/01/2018 20:35

@BubblesBuddy , in answer to your question, the make-a-model school of homework just highlights (to the kids) the difference between those who have parents with the time, resources and will to get stuck in. If you have "deadbeat" parents (to use PPs phrase), live in temp accommodation crammed into one room, are cared for by sibling while your parents work three jobs etc etc, it's yet another chance to fall behind and come up short.
Worksheet homework is not much better, but at least you can in theory do it with resources supplied by the school.
Primary kids with a challenging home life are penalised by homework- especially the make-a-model sort. The rest are not especially helped by it.

OvO · 22/01/2018 20:38

My youngest would love that sort of homework - he's in P5.

Let's swap! Grin

Every week he gets a maths worksheet, reading (and a task related to the book e.g. Choose some interesting words and look up the meaning), and spelling (plus 2 tasks such as make words into a word search).

He gets on fine with that sort of thing but he'd really enjoy the family participation stuff.

The only time homework properly pisses me off (I'm not a fan of it at all but go along with it as suggesting he doesn't need to do it stresses him out) is when they assume everyone has access to printers, twitter, ability to do PowerPoints at home.