Homework and secondary school - survey

[roisin]

I would be grateful if you have time to answer these questions about the secondary school you work in and/or your children attend.

1. Do students get regular homework?
2. Is homework strictly enforced and defaulters dealt with?
3. If a school had a policy of not setting any homework at all, would that affect your decision to send your children there?

Thank you

Work in a secondary school

1. yes
2. yes
3. It would depend on how impressed I was with the rest of the school

Yes, between 1 - 3 pieces a night
Yes, after school homework detentions are given if it is not done
I would prefer him not to have homework at all!

Children's school -

1. Yes
2. yes - but not so frequently marked
3. Yes: I actually approve of H/W

My school -

1. In some subjects / from some teachers
2. In my lessons, yes and in the lessons of some other teachers/ as a school it is still very inconsistent though

thanks to all correspondents so far.
Twinset - could you also answer for your old school please? Ta

My old school had an awful homework policy, rarely set and done even less.

However as a head of year I took over the homework and had projects that were done over a week. My homework completion rate went from under 30% to over 80% and in the end everyone did it after detentions letters home.

1. Yes

2. Yes e.g. if not handed in on time, given until registration next morning and if it doesn't appear then detention

3. No. I wouldn't mind if they didn't set homework, as long as there were good opportunities during the normal day for proper independent learning (not 'google it and paste it')

Yes
Yes
Yes

1 - Yes

2 - Yes but it's a pity that not all work is marked and returned or in some cases actually asked for.

3- It would really depend on the school I know some schools have talked about extending the school day and doing away with homework.

1: Supposedly - but several subjects don't seem to set. Am encouraging ds to wrote none set in planner so I can chase this with SMT.

2:Depends on teacher

3: Not really. I think much homework is set because of school policy, not because there is a need. I only set it if I wanted them to practice a skill (i.e. grid referencing); or if they had an assessment coming up they needed to research and plan their essays, as I liked assessments to be done in class, without benefit of copy and paste. I obviously set revision for year 10 and 11 before exams.
Pet hate: homework being set over half terms and holidays as staff and students need a break.

1. yes
2. detention if not handed in
3. didn't think about when we were looking for schools.

In ds1's school homework is set regularly, marked promptly and feedback given. Defaulters are also dealt with. ds1 has largely done his homework enthusiastically, learned through doing it this term, but he is the kind of child who is always learning anyway.

At my school some staff put a lot of time/effort into setting homework and marking homework, and chasing up defaulters etc. But - as scaryteacher says - it often isn't "meaningful" tasks and no-one is really benefitting. Plus many of the students who do complete homework just do it in a very haphazard and rushed fashion (10 mins on the bus or similar!).

But our SMT apparently believe that one of the main things that parents consider when choosing a school is what the homework policy is. And that if we abandoned homework altogether the school would become more unpopular.

Yes, regular homework on particular days - almost always set.

Yes - 2 or more unexplained missing homeworks means detention.Although they are very understanding if the girls ask for (in advance) for extensions for good reasons. It's always marked fully and promptly.

Yes - I would be in there like a shot. If the children work properly and are taught properly during the day then I see no reason for homework.

For DD's school

1. Yes, but not the hours and hours I was expecting.
2. I believe so, but I have a swot, who has never handed in homework late!
3. I'm keen to see homework in Secondary schools, but not so much that it encroaches on being a child.

I hate homework. Eats into the time a child should be relaxing and with the family. Its like the tentacles of school following you home

1. Do students get regular homework? YES
2. Is homework strictly enforced and defaulters dealt with? YES
3. If a school had a policy of not setting any homework at all, would that affect your decision to send your children there? YES

1. No
2. No
3. No

Our DD's school refuses to set regular homework although there are projects that are given from time to time and research tasks for forthcoming topics etc plus a weekly online maths assessment.

Instead they prefer to concentrate on a very comprehensive after school enrichment programme (lots of sports/debating club/rock school/crafts/pet club/languages etc)

The schools belief is that if a child is struggling with a certain aspect of a particular subject, then setting homework is not beneficial as the child needs extra (posibly one to one tuition) with the teacher in school (which they will provide.

We LOVE the no homework philosphy, it is a very happy school and they are achieving good results academically.

Also, just to add following on fron cat64's point, the children are constantly being assessed so the parents and teachers know exactly how much each child is progressing.

Many of the year 9s will sit some of their GCSE's next year although only in those subjects where they have been assessed as 'ready' to take them. Supposedly clearing the way in years 10 and 11 to concentrate on the exams for the core subjects, the maths and the sciences etc.

Interestingly too, this school also refuses to stream the children by ability. I am a bit undecided about that!

Very interesting comments here. Thank you all.

For DD
no
no
yes: she moved away after GCSE, as did about 75% of her cohort.

For DS
yes
yes
yes. The year-group doubles in size for sixthform as people flock to the school.

The attitude to homework is, in both cases, symptomatic of the school's attitude to everything. Guess which school gets the better results.

1. YES
2. YES
3. YES but would depend on the child I suppose

I think my views are coloured by the fact that I got a lot of homework at secondary school myself - think it is a good way to keep them off the streets and out of trouble! Also might think differently at A-levels if they have a lot of study time during the day.

I think having a strict policy on homework can backfire sometimes though - I know of one child whose parents freely admit to doing her homework in one particular subject all through one year because she struggled so much with it...

Yes
Yes
Yes

yes, yes, yes

I approve of hw. I much prefer the children to be doing interesting, interactive work at school, and then to do the boring, solitary bookwork at home.

1. Yes

2. Sometimes - not consistent.

3. No, I don't think so.

I do agree with homework as long as it is relevant and not just given for the sake of it (in which case I'd rather they were just asked to read). I also think it's only really useful when the homework is marked and feedback is given.