How much homework does your Y7 grammar/independent child get?

[kitnkaboodle]

Our Y7 son was a high-flyer at a good state primary. He's started at local, good comp. He would have sailed through 11+, I'm sure, but the nearest grammar is an hour's journey away and we saw no problem with the state school. He's happy there and has good friendship circle. I'm keeping a discreet eye on his schoolwork/homework. Homework is pretty cursory at the moment. I didn't worry last term as he had enough on his plate with settling in/getting himself organised on his own. Some of the homework tasks are a bit and not as challenging as he was used to at primary.

I know homework is not the be-all and end-all, and he's only in his second term, but just wondered what kind of stuff kids at more selective schools are getting, and how long they spend on homework each day.

I think its interesting how parents whose children are in Grammar schools somehow think that they have more homework because the pace of the classes is faster because their children have been selected on their ability to understand or to learn at a faster pace ...

There are no grammar schools in our borough (thankfully didnt have to worry about entry exams ) ...My DD did get offered a place at a selective independent school which we didn't take up (she scored very highly - no tutor) ...

Whilst this is very early day's - I'm now thankful that we didn't waste our money at this stage in her education (saves money for Uni) she is at a very average comprehensive but in a high achieving class in key subjects (small cohort of 60 ) - all working at level 6 and some level 7 on first term in year 7...they were not selected for their ability to learn...this was just their local school... They are being stretched but are obviously capable ...

There doesn't seem to be a great deal of homework that comes out ...occasionally a piece comes out that either stretches them or dd will state that they have not covered this yet (which I find odd)...but what they do brilliantly is have two maths classes in one day every two weeks and the first lesson is a revision lesson and the second lesson later that day is a test....so every two weeks they get a whole lesson to revise on what they have been taught and then they are assessed ...

So what I am trying to say is that learning in state comprehensives is fast moving too for high achievers ... at the moment without loads of homework but with a VERY good timetable which gives the children time to revise in school time ....

I look at the school hours of the selective schools in our area 8.30 till 4 or 4.30pm ..my daughter goes in at 8.30 but is out at 2.55pm and on Tuesday's does not go in until 9.20am because they have individual 15 minute mentor sessions one day each term for EVERY child ....

I think there is allot of pressure on grammar schools and selectives because of results which in turn puts pressure on children ...

Usually about 30 minutes per night in Year 7 at DSs independent school.

I used to get 1 hour of homework per night in Yr 7 but that was at boarding school some 37 years ago.

Dd is at an independent girls school.
Gets less homework than in y6 and def less that end of y5/start if y 6 in run up to entrance exams in January.

Officially it's 2-3 pieces a night, each 20 min or so long. Varies though as some take far less time and sometimes none at all. One is reading own book so can do as much as they want. Some take far longer, often as done as poster or leaflet or maybe art - dd likes this stuff and takes time with them with presentation or on computer.

She has had assessment week so had a fair bit of revision then - that took longer. And languages is normally learning vocab.

I dd like the HT's email prior to half term though. She said settling In That first half term and finding their feet was tiring enough and they were to do no homework over half term and just relax and have fun :)

I feel really sorry for some of these children with 1.5-2 hours plus homework a night at 11 years old! When do they fit in relaxing, extra curricular stuff, seeing friends?!?

Lots of children pass the 11 plus these day's (allot with the aid of a tutor). Fewer pupils manage to get gifted and talented when undertaking CATS tests...

My niece has just finished her GCSE's at one of the top 20 Grammar Schools in the country...she's not sharp or quick but she's extremely self motivated and diligent.... she didn't need a tutor to get into the school either... and as it happens it was her nearest school and walk-able from home - I'm not sure whether her M & D would have sent her to the school had she needed to travel along way ...but she would have succeeded at any school because she was self motivated ....

9 A* and A .... but the amount of homework she was doing was unbelievable....

Will be interesting to see what happens when the word "Grammar" disappears out of the school names when they all turn into Academy's in the next 2 years.... which is what is happening with my niece's school....

Hulababy - sounds like a lovely headteacher ...

I think the pass rate is higher than it should be because allot of the children passing the 11 plus have been heavily tutored and should not be taking it ...and there are allot of naturally bright children who should be taking it who are not even sitting the 11 plus ....(see newspaper article below) Money seems to be buying places at a Grammar school rather than children with real natural ability being offered places ...

• Clip from paper article

Entrance exams are almost the worst way to select students academically,’ Dr Ray told a Sunday newspaper.
‘They don’t really get to the heart of pupils’ potential.
'They don’t really tell you how that pupil thinks and almost all of them can be tutored for, which gives a very unfair advantage to those who are tutored.

...My daughter is in Yr 7 in an average secondary school - I was a little concerned that she would not be stretched (hence why she sat the Independent school tests as a fall back)...boy was I in for a surprise when I was informed that 28 of an intake of 60 were in the top set and are referred to as whizz kids (there was due to be 3 sets of 20)....my daughter was G & T at her old school ...she wont get anywhere near the G & T list at the average secondary ...I guess there must be 12-16 children who are brighter than she is - all these children would have easily passed the 11 plus most are working at high level 6 low 7 already which is GCSE grade C/D at just 11 years old ....

What you will find is that your child will be extremely tired when they start Grammar school my two nieces were ...I have a friend whose son is at Grammar school started this year and again he is very tired...some of them have long journey's, they are also having to manage themselves as well as being stretched with new subjects etc ...My 14 year old niece still goes to bed at 8pm now ...

Dd passed her 11+ with no tuition. Still shocked about that one! The grammar school apparently sends quite little homework out in the first year. I used to get quite a lot from my comp as I remember and I did loads of revision and practice for my gcses and a levels. I used to hate art it took forever and then the teacher would tell you it was s@&£ anyway!

We are NOT applying for our local Grammar because of homework issues. DS is a cellist and pianist and cannot cope with large amount of homework on top. I know of another gr 8 pianist who has gone to this Grammar and has given up the piano (he was on a music scholarship) because of lack of time to practise. Madness!

DS is in Y9 at grammar and seems to do about 20-30 minutes maybe four times a week max - although he says he does a lot of it at school during breaks. In Y7 it was probably about the same, certainly no more. There's been months when there seemed to be virtually none.

TBH I've been surprised, and expected much more. No problems with his progress though, and I don't really see why they should have to give lots of HW just for the sake of it.

I expect it will probably increase with GCSEs.