Year 7 shedloads of homework - wise Mumsnetters, how much is too much?

[yumskimumski]

DS spends a whole day of each weekend doing his homework. I thought perhaps that it was because he is an inefficient dreamer - and actually that is part of the problem - but it's not just that. I'm making him do the homework during the week as and when it comes in, but there's still this shedload to do, issued on a Friday, by Monday. He's at a large, ambitious comprehensive, and he's in a high band which is pushed like hell. My friend's daughter, at a very well regarded private girl's school where the majority get As and A*s doesn't have any homework at all, at least not currently. Will doing all this homework achieve anything? What's it for? It's certainly put a spoke in the weekend and cut down on sporting and cultural activities - but aren't these just as important? Will it teach him time-management and generally force him to be efficient? In which case I can see some justification.

Sorry - just rechecked, its 2 pieces for Maths, Science and English, 1 piece for all other subjects. But still 35 minutes per piece.

What is a subject (ie 1.5 hours for science, or for each of 3 sciences, ditto humanities and langauges)?

I think 1.5 if he has ten subjects, say, is far too much. 15 hours a week is a sixth form workload.

I doubt anyone recommends more than 1.5 hours a night and a bit more maybe at weekends for year 7s do they? And 1.5 hours of maths in one short notice chunk is too much at that age.

In the circumstances, I'd try and set up a temporary way for him to work downstairs, stool at kitchen worktop, boot younger brother out to bedroom, or something.....both to help him establish good habits and to get a handle on what he is being set.

I agree this does not sound like your son's problem - it sounds like the school.

I would really really question 2 hours in one chunk.

I would think the 1.5 hours per subject per week should be in at least 3 separate homeworks.

How many subjects do they do?

And 15 hours a week is far far too much for a year 7!

This weekend he had Humanities (what I would have called Geography - write 20 facts about Antarctica), Maths, English (tbh, can't remember what this entailed, but it's his strongest subject and he doesn't need me to cheerlead), Latin - write an advertisement in Latin for a house sale. Like Swanthing's son, DS1 suffers from perfectionist intervals between the general couldn't-care-less attitude, so insisted on dyeing a piece of paper with a teabag, and then writing the ad in beautiful "Latin" script. I kept saying to him, make the ad short, just a few words, but he wasn't having any of it. This is what I mean when I wonder if getting loads of homework will force him to make short-cuts, and whether that's a good thing. He says that he occupied his time after school on Friday completing some compulsory quizzes online. I never saw these, or what they entailed but when I came home from work he was able to recite to me large swathes of Malcolm in the Middle and The Big Bang Theory, so he clearly wasn't working all evening. We went out all day Saturday and then he did the other 4 subjects on Sunday - literally ALL Sunday (groan). Seeker, noted about the timer - I tried to implement it with the maths, but every time I told him the time was up, he just said "hang on , hang on" and kept going. Maybe there should be parenting classes for parents who can't organize their children's homework - I'd be the first to sign up.

Seeker, I don't think he has 15 hours a week - funnily enough the homework is do-able during the week. Quite a few of the subjects are taught en bloc eg "Science" and "Humanities" which seems to cover a multitude of sins, namely geography, history and RE, as they were known back in the day. Then he has Latin, French, Music, English and some arty project stuff which he quite enjoys. Each subject seems to issue homework at least once a week ,but I don't think each of them is necessarily the full 1 1/2 hours, or perhaps if it's one of his strong subjects he just gets through it quicker. But it's just this weekend pile-up thing that's getting us all down.

snap seeker.

Teabag homeworks do take longer! I would say to him, great, you've gone the extra mile on latin this week, next week it is a different subject. So make it clear to him it is his choice, and help him find a balance btween competent brisk homework and gorgeous creations.

I do think some wonderfully enthusiastic teachers over-rate teabag ageing and calligraphy for eleven year olds who need some down time. I speak as someone who tacitly encouraged didn't notice her son making models out of imperfectly set jelly when certain teachers got carried away by model making....that put a stop to it!

20 facts on antarctica sounds about right for 35 mins - but fairly pointless homework - they will all have the same 20 from wiki i bet.

But that makes 4 for the weekend - so what were the quizzes on?

tbh, after 2 hours maths if he finds it hard, I suspect almost anything would take the rest of the day!

No idea what the quizzes were about - there are lots of general knowledge quizzes for self-improvement, apparently. They also have to walk around with lists of random facts produced by the school (eg names and dates of 4 Baroque composers, who invented the lightbulb, what does "a la carte" mean, who was reigning monarch when Shakespeare was born etc) and they're spot-tested on the answers every now and again. It's funny, this teabag and jelly thing - I never suffered from it, as I never exhibited the slightest smidgen of artistic tendency. DS gets all that from his dad.

School policy for DD is about 25 -30 minutes per subject per week, and they generally get 2 or 3 pieces per evening. I think she's spending too long on it at the moment though - she starts as soon as she gets in at 4.30 and apart from a break for dinner, is still doing it up until 8.30ish some evenings, which doesn't leave much time for anything else.

Yeah, down with hw involving jelly and teabags!

If the amount is do-able overall (ie perhaps 8 hours a week total?) but teachers are setting too much on a friday or setting 2 lots at once with short deadlines, then that should be sortable.

If the school don't respond positively, I'd be really tempted to ask why they setting such a bad example of time management as to leave everything to the last minute, when it is too late to do it well.....how can he learn to plan?

Your ds sounds lovely though, it is completely normal to be dreamy and a bit doo lally in year 7. The school needs to sort out a simple, clear, reasonable system.

Dumbwaitress - yes, I would imagine her teachers would be horrified if they knew she was spending 3 plus hours a night......

Honestly, I've just had a dc do gcses and do well, the work piles on soon enough, don't let them get overloaded when they are little.....

Well, I've just done some of ds's homework for him- well- I typed out the list of national dishes from all the countries of the EC that his food tec teacher seemed to think was sensible use of time. He looked them up, I typed them.

Dumbwaitress- you really have to step in and stop that, honestly. She will get tired and demotivated. And it's just not a good habit to get into.

Just wanted to thank everyone who replied to my OP - it's all been immensely helpful. Seeker, no condemnation from me! If they want them to touch-type they should teach it at school.

Op - if he only has 4 lessons at school on a Friday, what is he doing the rest of the time? Does he have free periods that he is supposed to be doing homework in but isn't because it isn't yet available? And every teacher assuming that it won't matter if their homework is up a bit late as they can do the other stuff first...

In which case can you point out the problem to school - can't imagine they would be that keen to have a class of Y11's that don't have anything particularly to do.

Apologies if I've mis-interpreted and you just mean that he has 4 subjects that take up the full day!

zipzap, yes he has 4 lessons each day - but they're long ones!

Ah. Sorry, was just thinking of my school days - we had 9 lessons a day. Sometimes had doubles but there were still 9 slots iyswim!

Speak to the tutor and the school - if the homework is interfering with home life then it should be stopped! As a family you deserve time to yourselves without school things creeping into family time, there needs to be a balance. I felt that homework invaded family time (my husband worked long hours and week ends were strictly family only NO school work at all!!) and I went to the school and politely explained that at home family time was important - no ifs, no buts, I told them that my children had worked all week and that week ends were a no go zone!! My children managed alright at school and they all came away with good grades and a sensible balance on life!! I learned a long time ago that there has to be a balance otherwise you burn out - as a carer I know - you burn out without balance and no child should have to work themselves silly at such a young age - no adult would do it so why should a child have to do it. I am a carer 24/7 to my adult DD but I still find a little time for myself when my DH can take over!! You know your child and if you think it is too much then tell the school to back off!! You are the parent not the school - your child, your rules. Nothing is worth getting stressed over and certainly not homework!!

I suppose the fact that my DC's were brought up with a disabled sibling made a difference but I would still go to the school if there are problems and get them sorted out!! A child should still have time to relax and rest!!

Dumbwaitress - too long!! Needs sorting!!

Bossboggle, didn't want you to think I was ignoring your comments - you speak wisely, but I think that the importance of prioritising the needs of a disabled child would be something most schools would understand, although I take your point that family time is important in all families. I must say that having received all this wisdom from Mumsnetters, when I suggested to DS that I speak to his tutor (which we did discuss last weekend) he was horrified and begged me not to! Doh!! That was on Monday when the travails of Sunday had apparently already been forgotten. I still appreciate everyone's advice though and may still use it after next weekend's homework assault course.

Homeworkwise my daughter has spent about 2 hours week - some has been finishing off which the whole class have had, some has been art things she loves and doesn't see as homework as well as English and Maths.

Also, they have projects to complete for next week, which I'd say are going to take an average of 4 hours a week. It doesn't help when you go to do research and can't get in the local church or town church and have to drive 10 miles to one you know if guaranteed to be open.

I think the worst part is not knowing what else is coming along!

Yum- I think he needs to learn to work faster.20 facts about antarctica should have taken no more than 20 mins - a minute a fact if he is working slowly.

'For all of you saying - do it on the night it is set (which we do mostly!) what about all the other "stuff" they do - eg music, orchestra, hockey , netball etc....'

they do after school activities from 4 right through to 9 oclock do they? That's rubbish I bet if you said 'here's £20 to spend they would find time to spend it?

Well, I prefer my year 7- and my year 13, for that matter- to have some life outside school.

DD2 is at a high performing grammar school- in year 9 at the moment (just started GCSE courses) and she gets nowhere near that much homework.