Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Homework in year 10

45 replies

Ferniebrook · 17/10/2023 20:24

What are people's experiences of amounts of homework in year 10? My son is doing around 5-7 hours a week and has three after school extra lessons for additional subjects. How does this compare?
Also, the homework is a battle every time. What have others tried? Sometimes feel tempted to just leave it, but want he to feel he did his best..grateful for comparisons

OP posts:
NotDonna · 17/10/2023 22:34

I’m intrigued as to why he has 3 lessons after school every week. Just being nosey!
DD has a 2 week timetable, the norm is 10 GCSEs and they’re given 2 hours per subject per fortnight, so around 10 hours a week. It seems like a lot and I’m not sure my others had as much. Tricky to know as this DD does a crazy amount of after school sports (9hrs weekdays & 4hrs Sat), whereas my other two probs did half that.

eurotravel · 17/10/2023 23:27

I'd love to know what's normal

Rollinghill · 17/10/2023 23:32

My child is doing 2-3 hours every day. It's too much in my opinion.

shamoola · 18/10/2023 06:23

All these examples are far more than my child got in year 10. It all seems like a lot and I'm not sure whether that's sustainable.
However I think my son could have with done with getting a bit more so that year 11 is less of a shock.

FallingAutumnLeaf · 18/10/2023 07:09

School have said it's expected to be 2 hours a night for KS4 (I'm unclear if that's 5 or 7 nights a week tho).
DS is probably doing half a hour a night. So 2-3 hours a week, currently.

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:28

He has an extra hour for Further Maths, Separate Sciences and for this half term only RE (they do the GCSE a year early)

OP posts:
Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:29

That's what my son's school said. I think even if they were doing 2 hours a night and nothing at weekends it's still a lot after school.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:30

Thanks for all the answers sounds like 5-7 hours is possibly about mid range. I think I'll stick with trying to ensure he does that amount.

OP posts:
redskytonights · 18/10/2023 07:32

DD had between 5-10 hours a week.

DS had about 2.

They went to the same school and the school didn't change their homework policy in between times - point being that it's partly down to individuals how much they spend on homework. DD was a perfectionist and liked to get ahead with things like revision notes (which is a good habit). DS liked to do the bare minimum.

2weekstowait · 18/10/2023 07:34

My son in Year 10 seemed to have less homework than before! Perhaps the same amount of pieces, but shorter. He barely spent any time doing it, maybe a couple of hours a week max.

arethereanyleftatall · 18/10/2023 07:40

I see Dd doing about one hour a week if that.

I don't get it. She's at a grammar school, is in Set 1 for everything, they would tell me if she didn't hand homework in, and we're told they should have 1-2 hours per night.

Sonething doesn't add up. I assume she's copying it on the bus but she insists she's not, absolutely insists, and she's on track for 10 x 9s so I just don't know!

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:46

only 10 subjects? My son is doing 11 and was doing 12 until he opted out of the 12th at his comprehensive...

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 18/10/2023 07:47

5-10 hours is the normal range.

But I'd expect the bulk of that to be due in after a weekend to allow pupils who have other activities the chance to attend them and do homework.

I think 4-6 hours of homework a weekend isn't too bad in gcse years as that's 2-3 hours a day at weekends which can be split into 4 x 1-1.5 hour sessions.

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:48

That seems right to me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:51

How much did it increase in year 11?

OP posts:
Sirzy · 18/10/2023 07:52

I think if he can’t cope with the expectations of the normal time table then maybe doing extra subjects isn’t the best plan for him. Better to stop the after school subjects and do well in what he is doing than do mediocre across the board.

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:54

He's doing very well in all his tests etc so no worries there. Just curious on the homework comparisons.

OP posts:
FallingAutumnLeaf · 18/10/2023 08:15

9 GCSE's is standard at our Comp.
DS is doing additional (further??) maths, as he's top set, so that makes 10 for the top set maths kids, 9 for everyone else.

Neilhugs · 18/10/2023 08:17

My year 10 gets about two hours a week in total. I have always been surprised at just how little he gets. I did about three hours a night at his age. Does it depend on the type of school? On the plus side, my son is very happy at school and appears to be doing well.

Sirzy · 18/10/2023 08:24

Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 07:54

He's doing very well in all his tests etc so no worries there. Just curious on the homework comparisons.

But if he can’t keep up with homework how long will that last?

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 08:28

He is keeping up. But tends to leave it late to sit down and do it. Maybe he relies on my nagging! Was curious if he is doing more/ less than others. The school report all his homework is done well and he is top of class in everything. Been the way throughout secondary. Was just curious if 5-7 hours is average which sounds like it is.

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 18/10/2023 08:34

Tbh I wouldn't be nagging a 14/15 yr old to do their homework, or getting involved at all. In my mind, the point of doing homework is learning to self motivate. You can't keep babysitting them.

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 08:40

Maybe you’re right! However my parents took a very relaxed approach, despite being teachers, and some of us regret not working harder. But I do see what you mean!

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 18/10/2023 09:04

@Ferniebrook 3 extra lessons and 7 hours homework? Sorry- that sounds an insane amount for year 10 if he's engaging properly in school!

Original poster
Ferniebrook · 18/10/2023 09:11

I’d say 5-7. As you can see above some are doing more. The school said they should all do two hours a night which I thought was ridiculous!

OP posts: