Can anyone help me with what I should be expecting DS to produce for year 9 homework?

[PrivateJourney]

It's a running battle here and it has to stop.

I think he doesn't spend enough time on his homework or produce enough, he thinks I expect too much. e.g. He rarely sits for more than 20 mins on an essay.

He has a History assessment to do this weekend. He's been told it's going to be marked like a piece of GCSE coursework.

How long should it take and how much should be produce in that time? I know it's not all about quantity but that gives us a place to start.

If it's relevant he is working at levels that mean he should get his 5 A-C but he won't be one of the 8 A* gang.

Dd1 now in year 11 wouldn't have got away with less than 20 mins on written homework in year 9. She'd be expected to present a well thought out piece for History with lots of detail and background information which just isn't poss in such a short time. She's at a very academic school though and is predicted an A star.

Ds yr 9, top set in a non-selective independent.

All homework tasks in yr 9 are supposed to last 45 mins. In most subjects he spends 30-45 mins per homework (MFL and English the longest). He has about three pieces per night.

In history, they are asked to write an essay probably every other week for hmwk. Ds will spend up to 90 mins on an essay and I don't stop him. He will produced 2 sides of a normal sized exercise book in that time. I think that's about right for an able yr 9.

Oh, and science can vary a lot.

Writing up an experiment carefully and fully can take an hour and 2-3 sides of an exercise book. Others, such as research or single word answer tasks, half an hour.

My year 9 did an essay for a English earlier in the week- he took about an hour and covered 4 sides of an exercise book. I would expect a history assessment to take about the same.

I think you should ask the school, not us. Expectations vary.

Fwiw DD yr 8 gets 3-4 pieces a night that are supposed to take 25 mins each (and they do). However an essay would typically be more than one homework : research, plan, draft final. She's in a grammar school.

However, I fear my equally bright DS will be polishing off his homework as quickly as possible once he goes to secondary school.

School's expectations might very- but mine don't! [evil mother emoticon]

Mine either, Hak.

And I'm the evil mother who makes him use toe books and two (reliable) websites minimum for research, then handwrite essay, not c&p from Wikipedia .

I'm the other type of Evil Mother who doesn't do anything to make teen DS do homework. Instead I write snidey notes in his planner to let him know I've seen the comment from his teacher about plagiarising an essay or detention for missed math h/work, etc. Chatting, I keep drawing direct connections between his ambitions (to be a pilot) and the grades he needs (A in GCSE math, C in English, etc.)

I have a 6yo & a 10yo who need hand-holding to get any homework done, I'll be damned if I am expected to do that with a nearly 15yo, too. Maybe it's different if you're absolutely sure your DS will start making real efforts off own back by yr12 so you just need to tick them over until they find own motivation to achieve huge potential; mine was never like that. We have to be realistic.

Halleluah for sex hormones. DS has acquired a female interest who is A) Prefect in the yr above and B) ambitious on several levels. We just pray her attitude will rub off on him.