No marking or comments whatsoevet in exercise books, year 7

[Iamnotminterested]

Just wondering if this is the norm now that she has moved into the unchartered waters of secondary school?

"I would expect books to be marked every 2 - 3 lessons. That means weekly for core lessons (English, Maths, Science) and fortnightly for other subjects. "

That would be 150 books a week for me. If we say 5 mins per book, that's 12.5 hours of marking every week. In addition to planning and, er, teaching.

"The first time encountered it was when my own DCs were in state primary and I concluded at the time that it was a labour saving device for the teacher. "

Really? Do you ever read any educational research - Wiliam, Hattie, those guys? Because it seems a shame that a powerful tool like peer assessment should be overlooked because you saw it used badly.

Only 150 books. A FT science teacher in my school would teach 10 classes, multiplied by 30 students per class equals 300 books. This is one of the reasons I set a bigger piece of work less often. I just couldn't do it.

Shrug.

I am glad my children are in independent schools where their teachers don't begrudge them when marking their books.

Independent school teachers are not slaves to three-letter-acronyms, but, thankfully, are happy to dedicate a few minutes per child per week, without keeping count.

IMPE, it is a lot easier to mark weekly rather than fortnightly. There is no economy of time.

We'd be closer to 300 book each week in Science.. Simply not possible in a meaningful way. We do a third peer, a third self and a third teacher assessed. However, I have marked every classes books since the start of term.

Knowsabit - if you read the posts from teachers you will see that a secondary science teacher may have 300 books per week to mark. And that "dedicating a few minutes per child per week" therefore becomes logistically impossible.

Could it be that teachers in independent schools can do this because they have fewer books to mark, maybe?

"I am glad my children are in independent schools where their teachers don't begrudge them when marking their books."
I don't begrudge them so much as actually do not have the time. Assuming you do not believe that teachers should work 8 - 5.30 and then carry on every night and every weekend day. I have already put in 3 hours on Saturday plus about 4 on Sunday and 2 or more after seven each evening. Planning A level and AS level work can often take an hour per lesson so there go all my PPA periods, that's before I have even begun to plan for KS 3 or 4 as well as organising examination entries, writing documents for KS 4 parents evening etc.

Perhaps I shouldn't go to bed so I could mark KS 3 books weekly.

I know that many independent school teachers couldn't cope with the workload of those in the state sector and with small classes the marking is clearly far less.

OP do remind your child to give her book in when asked. I have on occasion taken a book in about 8 weeks into term and found it hasn't been marked yet though everyone else's has been marked a number of times. I don't always record book marking as I would do when an assessment has been given in and marked.