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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Homework

18 replies

Wysiwig · 17/02/2011 21:44

Was wondering how much homework 13yr olds get. My DS gets an amount that he can cover in his break!

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happygolucky0 · 17/02/2011 21:59

I have just been on to the school this week about this subject. They had set 10 pieces in a booklet but by the end of the term only five teachers bothered wanting the work or didn't change it. Too confusing for me!! So I told them lol My son gets less than that at 13 maybe only seen him doing aroun 45 mins a week. I don't understand as at his last school, last year he was having too much

happygolucky0 · 17/02/2011 21:59

*around sorry keyboard playing up!

Wysiwig · 17/02/2011 22:04

Happy...read on here someones son gets 1-2 hrs per day!!!

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londoner2 · 17/02/2011 22:11

One to two hours a day at least, most days, and considerably more at the weekends.

Last year it was more, but I think that she has become slightly more efficient this year.

londoner2 · 17/02/2011 22:12

One to two hours a day at least, most days, and considerably more at the weekends.

Last year it was more, but I think that she has become slightly more efficient this year.

Wysiwig · 17/02/2011 22:30

Londoner...is that a private or state school?

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somersetmum · 17/02/2011 22:33

Only one or two pieces a week, so no more than an hour or so. Last year he was doing an hour a night every night and another three hours or so at the weekend.

happygolucky0 · 17/02/2011 22:36

Not sure I could keep on top of 2 hours a night!! But think 4 or 5 hours a week at least they should be doing. The school will start panicing when the tests are due then start laying the law down and it all get out of hand!!arrrrgggg

shabbapinkfrog · 17/02/2011 22:42

DS4 (Year 9 but not 14 till the end of July) gets about 1 hour per night and goes to one of the roughest High schools in our area Sad - Is in top sets for everything and expected to do well in his GCSE's. Problem being that out of 2,200 pupils in the school I would say that about 200 could care less. They are the ones who do all the homework, who act like human beings and who watch while the majority of the other kids get taken on 'character building' weekends, days out, etc etc etc.

Think I have finally got through to him that working his wotsits off and getting good exam results may be his way 'out of here!!!' It certainly cant hurt.

I personally think that life as a teenager in this country at the moment must be very hard work! x

londoner2 · 17/02/2011 22:46

Private, moderately academic, not very selective but somehow very keen on homework.

Maryz · 18/02/2011 09:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BrigitBigKnickers · 18/02/2011 10:11

DD1 in year 10 (first GCSE year) gets around 1 and a half hours a night- some of it is assignments and some revising. I feel she gets less under the new system of controlled assessment)although there is some preparation for this).

DD2 in year 7 is at a grammar school and gets about 4 hours a week in total which I think is about right. Most of her homeworks seem to be practising skills she has been doing in class which I think is worthwhile. It's long extended projects which are not marked which I think are a waste of time but her school don't seem to go in for those.

Wysiwig · 19/02/2011 21:00

Thank you all for your replies..seems my son is getting way too little in comparison..

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Greenwing · 20/02/2011 00:21

My son had a couple of hours a week at High School in Year 8. When we moved him to an independent school he was shocked to have to do at least 1 and a half hours per night!

londoner2 · 20/02/2011 08:59

It isn't necessarily way too little. It depends what it is, and how he is doing it.

My feeling is that my children get way too much - that they are given it because the teachers feel that they must. It certainly isn't all valuable - lots of it is long drawn out projects, although this is getting less as they get older.

The level of homework has contributed hugely to family fights, and has made it difficult to pursue other activities - cultural and sporting.

Ordinary things which could and should be being done outside school hours, like for instance reading, have completely gone out of the window : whereas in earlier years they would have curled up with a good book, now the whole evening is filled with homework, nothing ever gets read.

It also makes it hard to impose things like music practice, or even just playing music for fun.

The children are at school from 8:30-4, get home at about 5 if there is no after school thing, later if there is, cram in food, and then do homework. When the homework is difficult or project based, it can take the whole evening, and then they go to bed.

It can make any pleasure you might take in your academic subjects feel instead very arduous. It also totally prevents anything useful like reading around a subject you love.

However, this is a luxury perspective from someone who is pretty sure that, because of the high homework demands, most academic bases are being just about covered. It somehow doesn't feel like much fun, and I am not convinced it is all necessary.

From a mother's point of view, it feels like a bit of a grind, and it is getting hard to get those things we talk about like "a love of learning".

inthesticks · 20/02/2011 10:09

I think it is not as simple as it looks. Year 8 sems to be a bit of an easy year.
Many children spend lunch and breaks doing homework.
Also some are a little over diligent in the quantity they do.

I have a DS in Y8 and one in Y10.
The 13 year old gets very little homework, about 2 hours a week I'd say. It started in September much higher so seems to me an indication of teacher attitude rather than school policy.

DS1 was the same in Year 8.
However in Y10 his workload has gone up several gears and he now spends about 7 to 10 hours a week on it. I am aware that some of the variation is down to effort as well. He finds his Maths too easy and will dash it off in a couple of minutes. He hates French and will prevaricate endlessly, whereas he loves Chemistry and will spend hours researching stuff.

cuckooclock · 21/02/2011 16:32

DD (14) year 10 gets about 8-10 hours per week plus music practice of about 3 hours per week.

lemonmousse · 21/02/2011 20:54

DD1 - year 7 gets IS (independant study) in a different subject each week. It's like a project to last Mon to Fri - average 1 hour per night.
It seems to work quite well as the challenges set often include alot of research to conclude in the design of a leaflet/poster/power point. Seems to hold her interest better than 'normal' homework in different subjects every night would and we know in advance which subject is set for each week.

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