How much is too much Reception homework

[Notquitecrazyyet]

A bit of back ground. My 4 year old daughter Started a prep school in September. We hadn’t really ever considered private education before she started nursery there. (The only nursery with places when she was a baby) it was just a natural move with your friends transition and it worked out cheaper than paying for breakfast club/lunch, after school care and they Have swimming lessons, ballet, forest school, trips music inclusive.

However now I’m not sure I’ve made the right decision. She’s at school 8:30-5 (out of the house 7;45-6). Each night she is expected to read a reading book. (two/three sent home on the weekend). Learn spellings, tricky words, she has number and letter flash cards. Also lots of online things additional to this to “try”. I must also make clear I’m really happy with the school it’s just the homework.

So her life is school-tea-homework-shower-bed. She’s so tired all the time Which then makes her grumpy and emotional . I just feel that she spends enough time at school without extras. I also have a busy job, so when I walk in at 6 I have tea to do, children to tend, animals to feed, washing etc.

My 11 year old daughter went to our local primary and has just moved to the local high school and she has never had 1/4 the amount of homework.

So my questions are these:

How much homework do your reception children have?

Do you think that is too much or the right amount?

Any tips for finding time to do it?

What do you you think I should do?

For my older dc, I rapidly realised being at after school club/ activities wasn’t working. He was too tired to do anything, not just homework!
I reduced my work hours in the end.

Ds2 now in reception - we have reading daily, few spellings (not tested) weekly and occasional ‘bring in something or do something on theme of x’.

Oh I meant being in after school club every day of the week !

We get one reading scheme book a week, and he can take home a story book every day if he wants for us to read to him, but they don't force it if he doesn't. He loves books, so that doesn't feel like work. He also has a couple of 'tricky words' to practise. That's it.

Reception should be getting a book to read appropriate to their phonics level and that's it. There is no proof that homework has any positive effect at all at that age.

My daughter is at a super pushy London prep and even they only had reading as homework in reception. Even in later years I remember we never took homework too seriously because it was too much. It's only in year 4 where my daughter became conscientious about doing all her homework. She's now in year 5 and the amount of homework is horrendous, so I would let your reception baby have fun after school relaxing at home as there is a lot more homework coming her way in later years. I bet most parents at your daughter's school don't do the homework