SW London Private and Grammar - applying for Year 7 in 2023 (part VII)

[QuiteAJourney]

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www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4739261-sw-london-private-and-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023-part-vi?page=40&reply=124308644

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@SamPoodle123 Sounds very similar to LU!

Very similar story at WHS. An afternoon in June for the DDs, a separate afternoon for the parents. Then, in September, bonding couple of days (with overnight stay).

@QuiteAJourney oh that sounds very cool! The overnight stay :)

DD is really excited about all, especially that part!

@QuiteAJourney an over night stay in always fun! Dulwich take them away for a week at the beginning of term.

What ever the official policy is, girls use their phones whenever they want outside of class time. Older girls, will even conceal and use them during class. More importantly, whenever a class calls for laptops to be used, which is often, a quarter of the class is playing video games during class. It might seem odd, but the reality is that the school's ethos is to treat them as adults from day one. If a student doesn't want to pay attention, then that's her decision and she'll deal with the consequences. At first, I felt uneasy about it, but now I embrace it. You take responsibility for your studies, not the teacher or parents. It's a great place for some, but for those that need hand-holding and close monitoring, it's the wrong place.

Just curious how everyone else's dc are with doing their hw now? I feel like my dd is just not interested and I keep having to remind her. She says it is a waste of time. She is from state school, so I get she already has done this because of the 11+, but good to go over things again I guess. Anyway, I am curious if perhaps this is the norm after completing the 11+ and halfway through the year?

She is very excited about going to secondary. I just get nervous how she will be with homework once secondary starts. I really hope she will be on top of it herself and I will not have to tell her a million times to do it.

@SamPoodle123 I seem to recall that you had previously mentioned that she had very little homework (some 1/2 hour per week?). Is that the homework that you are referring to? If so, I assume that it does not get that much convincing to get her to spend 1/2 hour per week for a girl motivated enough.
If you are referring to going beyond what the school gives her and continuing with whatever regime you had in place for the exam period, I would say that it is normal to relax after the exams. But from what you have posted before, I got the impression that her prep had not been particularly intense (again, feel free to correct me if wrong).

No, you are right. She does not get much homework. It has increased slightly so perhaps 45 mins now? But it usually takes a lot of me asking her to do it a million times. If she would just do it when I ask instead of leaving it until last minute I would feel less stressed. That is the thing, she is not motivated at all to do her homework. She says she will be motivated in secondary school. I really hope this is the case! And you are right, her 11+ prep was not intense. And I def don't give her additional work. I just want her to do her hw without me having to ask her to do it several times.

And when I say 45 mins, that is for the week!

@SamPoodle123 my DS is also in a state primary. I can't say I've experienced this with him or my other two who are in secondary. I'd encourage her to put in the same effort she's always given her homework.

@SamPoodle123 Quite difficult to comment without knowing the child and whether she is a procrastinator in other areas or not, for instance.
My DD is probably less motivated but still uber-compliant and knows that she can be forgetful and/or things can happen so has got used to doing her homework as soon as possible to 'get out the way'. Maybe you can let her be, see what happens (i.e. sometimes people need to 'fail' to learn and this seems to be quite a controlled environment) and whether she changes her attitude after that.
As whether it is telling about how she would behave in secondary school, I do not think it is necessarily the case.. but if you think so, even more of an incentive for the 'controlled failure' behaviour now.

@QuiteAJourney perhaps you are right and I need to just let her to it. She needs to learn to become more responsible. She is the type who forgets to return her books as well. And she needs to learn this now before secondary. Her teachers have emailed before when she has forgotten to bring back her books.

@Daydreamscometrue you are lucky. My ds is slightly better, but I still have to tell him to do his hw as well. It gets done, but I also still sit with him while he does his hw (year 4). When I was in school, I always just did my homework and on my own early on. My parents never reminded me and they had no clue about my homework. But I guess it is also because we wrote down our homework at school so knew exactly what to do and it was for next day. At my dc school homework is given online and once a week, due the following week.

@SamPoodle123 DD's homework is mostly online too - she now got into a habit of checking and doing straight away.
Interesting that the school is emailing you about the books - at my DD's prep, the conversation happens with the DC and there are consequences (e.g. time taken from free time, etc). I think that it helps with personal responsibility. If school not doing it, perhaps you can adopt at home.

@QuiteAJourney yea, I think if they gave consequences, that would help. She said they just suggest she write a reminder on her hand or piece of paper. That does not seem to work, so they ask me to remind her.

@SamPoodle123 perhaps you can 'create' the consequences - i.e. if have to remind her, perhaps have some quite of impact on privileges?

Yes, good idea. Something needs to be done, so she learns this before secondary school.

At my dd prep there are no more homework, nor work lool, it s all about fun, plays and enjoying the end of primary.

Same for us. Lots of fun and also life skills - first aid course, volunteering work with local charity, educational visits, staging a play, art show, etc. DD is loving it!

Same here! My DS does have homework but less than before and lots of great things to do now- think they really need this!

That sounds like a lovely idea! I wish they would do the same at my dd school. They are doing a lot of fun activities though within the school and have done a couple fun things in the evenings. Amazing for them. But they keep up with the homework, I assume for the SATs. My dd gets everything correct or one wrong whenever they do the mocks for this at school, or the ones they ask you to do at home. I think that is also why my dd is bored. SATs is way easier then the 11+ and that is all they seem to be prepping for. Ah well.

@QuiteAJourney @sugarcookie5 Yes, I agree less homework would be great so they can really enjoy the last of the school year. They should make the SATs in Jan! At least they have been doing some fun things and outings, so it is not all work and no fun.

Our prep was very chilled and no homework but fun stuff. Upon entering Year 7, we discovered other preps continued with English and Maths weekly homework. Those kids are at the top sets and doing extension works and finding homework easier due to essay writing skills and maths which DC forgotten some topics due to lack of routine and practice because there was nothing for 6 months.

It's very busy in our state school with Sats practice. They're working as hard as ever at this point.

@SamPoodle123 it's a shame that your DD is bored though. That won't help her motivation to do her homework.