How much home does your yr7 get?

[nicknamerunout]

My yr7 dc doesn't seem to have much homework weekly? Just wonder if that s normal?

Sorry it should be 'homework'.

At a recent homework evening, the school told us approx. 30 mins should be allowed for each subject each week - my DD certainly spend more than this on hers, but some of this could be due to the fact she wants to ensure she's covered all points in detail. We were also told this would gradually increase.

Do you have a link to your son's marks and homework online - this may show you what is due in. You could always have a word with the school, like ours, they must have an idea of what they expect/would hope for.

2 subjects per night x 4 nights per week with Wednesday off for catch up and project work (also match days so home later anyway). School posts the homework on the intranet so you can check what they have and when it's due. pupil is supposed to write it in their homework diary too. Hope that helps.

Sorry that was 2 subjects per night each for 30 minutes

8 year old (every day):
1 sheet of math (10 mins)
1 sheet of spelling or handwriting (10 mins)
And must read for 20 mins

10 year old at same school (every day):
Read for 20 mins

bizarre

Hi nicknamerunout:

Tricky question. Like Madmog we were told roughly 30 minutes per subject per week - working out between 30 minutes - 1 hour per day on homework. School also encourages additional reading for pleasure on top of this.

However - in practice homework time estimates aren't really happening. This is partly because a lot of the homework is meant to be finishing things started in class. So we seem to be in a situation where the brighter students whizz through the work in class and have very little to do at home and those struggling, seem to have lots of homework.

Now whether this is the school 'leveling the playing field' as it were - or just coincidence I'm not clear on - and basically won't be privy to that information from the school.

As a parent I'm a little [skeptical] that the school is really 'planning' ability appropriate homework when in fact 9 times out of 10 all pupils are assigned the same work. I think this is where the school is rather letting both ends of the spectrum down - as friends with children who are struggling complain the homework is too hard/ takes too long and people like me with a strong student (in maths at least) have next to no homework - and they're getting practically everything correct on the work they whizz through in class.

I'm so battle worn - I just ask what more could we do. If we get suggestions (and sometimes we do) we do that - if not I ask teacher friends here or in the US for ideas.

Our solution has been to do more on our own. Especially in Maths - DD1's favourite subject and sciences. Fortunately there's a lot out there on-line that's accessible:

Maths:

Corbett Maths 5 a-day: corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/ - problems are for GCSE revision at 3 difficulty levels. Right now DD1 (who is in Y7) is accessing Numeracy/ Foundation problems. We look at higher - but often have no clue. The answers are provided & worked - so that helps when she does get something wrong.

NRICH Maths puzzles: DD1's teacher suggested she do this. You can send in your answers and your name & school appears - which DD1 really loves - so she is happy to do more.

School subscribes to on-line maths tutorial: My Maths - DD1 plays games and does Level 6 maths work on her own - viewing lesson & doing homework. Teacher can see she does it - but it doesn't interfere with class assignments.

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Science:

MIT K-12 videos: corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/

Royal institution Christmas Lectures: www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures - & wonderful my favourite element series - there isn't a link but if you type my favourite element into their search box you can get there.

Periodic table of videos from wonderful team at University of Nottingham: www.periodicvideos.com/

Smarter Every Day - videos of odd/ interesting science experiments - from Alabama USA - kids adore it: www.youtube.com/user/destinws2 - a lot of this is simple observational physics - it's a bit kooky and that's probably it's appeal.

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we also tend to encourages DDs to watch documentaries on topics of interest to them. BBC is great for this.

As ever BBC bitesize can give you further information/ clips/ sometimes games for more practice in subjects as well.

HTH

Homework should be set according to the needs of the child. Therefore finishing work is appropriate for some, but doing extension work is appropriate for others. My DDs had about 20-30 minutes per subject at that age. They were at boarding school, so prep time was timetabled. Sometimes there were 3 subjects per evening and sometimes 2 with work at weekends. If a child is not doing homework because they have completed the work in the lesson, the notion of homework to enhance learning is clearly ludicrous. Neither is the teacher differentiating the work given to the pupils. They are clearly not all at the same level of ability. The teacher must know they are not marking homework from every child so I would definitely talk to the school because the work given is not matching ability. In my view, this is lazy teaching and the school should know about it. You should also check what the homework policy says.

Milly:

Yes I think you're right - but this is our lot at state comprehensives my dear. We 'plebs' who can't afford boarding schools must bear it as best we can.... I rather get the impression the DfE's ambition for this type of student is 'service industry worker'. Thus no need to offer triple science at all schools in England (e.g. www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30983083) - and of course many parents have no clue and just blindly trust in local schools to be doing their job.

From the school's point of view they are marking homework from every pupil - they're just not engaged with when/ where that work is completed. They can show it to OFSTED and argue that even their worst pupils are accessing the same work as their brightest - and are rewarded for it. (Not that I'm saying OFSTED inspectors can have the wool pulled over their eyes or anything....). I don't know - but my impression is it is unlikely that OFSTED would take a school to task for not doing more with their able pupils. Because of selection - by default those in the state comprehensive aren't 'the able cohort'.

DD1 achieved Nc L6 at KS2 SATs. She adores maths. Yes at one level I believe a good school should be doing more with her - but this is England - and the class system being what it is - as she's not at an independent sector school and although she made one of the King Edward Grammars - she didn't like the idea of travelling so far by herself (nor did DH). So we opted for good local senior school - and by Birmingham standards it's amazing.

I suspect at some point differentiated/ tougher homework will feed through - most likely as GCSEs near. The school has some of the highest GCSE results in Birmingham outside grammar/ private schools (which has probably outed me) - but for now in Y7 - it's all mixed ability and pretty lackadaisical.

What I will say is we have friends whose eldest went to a senior school in special measures (struggling to even get 40% of pupils to 5 good GCSEs) - but they supported her to achieve great GCSE results and she transferred to one of the King Edward Grammar Schools (state sector) for sixth form. So my belief is - that it's what it is for now - and that from about Year 9 - they do focus on the brighter cohort a bit more. Their advice to us was to not rely to heavily on just learning through the school - if there's no homework - try and do a bit yourself each night/ read ahead/ read lots for pleasure.

Having said all that DD1 is ridiculously happy there, making friends and enjoying her sports (which are a real passion) - which as parents we hugely value. We have friends with DDs at the grammar schools who report their kids are really struggling and very unhappy. So swings and roundabouts.

How much? Too much!

My y7 DS is doing homework 5-6 days a week. School uses Show My Homework site in conjunction with planner so we always know what has been set and crucially, when it's due. Homework detentions are enforced.

Unlike past only science is the "finish this sheet" type of homework. Quite technical theory at present - he's waiting for it to get exciting so he can make strange exploding potions or dissect something.

Estimates are of limited value, as who is the average child? Some stuff takes longer than others. He spends most time on the subjects he likes and for teachers he likes.

Some of the girls spend ages making their stuff look pretty - he doesn't!

OP enquire with form tutor. All y7's I know, at a range of schools, are complaining about how much homework they get. Your DS may of course be completing all his in school or in after school h/w club?

Notinaminute is the my homework site useful?

Phil We find the Show My Homework site really useful as my DS does sometimes forget to write stuff in his planner. Teachers can attach helpful resources, links to websites, copies of worksheets etc - great if hard copy gets 'temporarily mislaid'.

It is only as good as the users though - I think we're quite lucky in that all but the science teacher use it for all homework set. Science teacher will email homework to the class though.

This is a state comprehensive in a socially mixed area of South London. They are not all as painted by Past in her blanket statement;

"...but this is our lot at state comprehensives my dear. We 'plebs' who can't afford boarding schools must bear it as best we can.... I rather get the impression the DfE's ambition for this type of student is 'service industry worker'."

Thanks notinaminute

Thanks for your responses my dc said she complete many hw while in classes. I can only take her word for it.
But recently the school displayed those kids'names who have managed to make 25%+ progress. As it happened her name s one of them. So may be she s just keeping her head above the water.
Psbd one of the reasons I m so concerned dc was the fact she have a fear of maths. It was an unfortunate experience of being in bottom set while in primary. I just cannot make her to have any interest in maths whatsoever. Now I just constantly pray that she would meet a good maths teacher to change her attitude towards maths or anything that involves numbers. I did try very hard to help her in primary but now being in secondary it really is very little I can do other than nagging.