11 Plus Exams Forum

My Year 6 son has had no homework at all this term. The kids that the school are concentrating on to get to their next level (be it 4 or 5) came out of school on the last day of term with thick folders of SATs practice work. His teacher has told me that once the SATs are over they will concentrate on all the fun stuff that they haven't been able to do, like PE and art, because these have bitten the dust to make way for SATs practice. So I guess he will finish his time at primary having had two terms with no homework whatsoever.

My son is going to a grammar school in September where I know from experience that they will hit the ground running with homework and really pile it on for the first half term. It really irks me that, not only has he been swinging the lead during school hours all year going over endless prep for SATs, he's got completely out of the habit of doing homework too. Is it too much to ask for primary schools to prepare children for secondary school? Or maybe other schools are doing this and we're just unlucky. I'm all for the final months of primary being fun, but a little bit of stretching homework would surely help prepare the ground for secondary?

Our child had regular homework throughout Year 6 - and this year there is a big focus on transition work in English, Maths and Science so at least they'll do some work after the tests

My daughters's homework consists of spellings (doesn't normally need to learn them as she already knows them), tables (knows them too), a piece of literacy (quite boring) and maths (far too easy).

We ignore tables but concentrate on squares instead. We quickly look at any spelling not known. Literacy - try not to fall asleep - and Maths it can take less than 2 mins so I supplement it with something a lot more challening and worthwhile (Bond or Rising Stars).

Daughter looks forward to tutor's homework as it is more interesting than school.

I have told the school teacher of this and it goes straight over her head! I give up with her.

DS has had 4 pieces of homework for the Easter hols-a maths SATS paper,write a balanced argument on any subject,design a bin and some literacy work on similes.

Homework has been constant for year 6,sometimes 4 pieces a week so it has definitely kept him(amd me!) busy!

GM

My son (now a very lazy year 10) had hardly any homework during year 6.


Art and PE should not have been shelved for SATs , they are part of teh curriculum too. This annoys me surely the children will be able to concentrate better if they have some physical activity to break up teh revision?


mind you on a personal note I don;t equate PE with fun stuff!!

My daughters's homework consists of spellings (doesn't normally need to learn them as she already knows them), tables (knows them too), a piece of literacy (quite boring) and maths (far too easy).

That's also what my son's homework looks like . PE has been literally scrapped, which equals to a disaster in my son's eyes. Continuous test bring tears to his eyes (tests are often checked in class, which takes about 45 min for each test) . After the SATS Year 6 will be preparing a production - one of the West End shows - relentlessly, until the end of term.
As for the lack of homework, I do not worry too much. My son worked so hard all last year to get into QE Boys - Grammar, that I think he deserves a rest before hard work starts again. After the initial shock he will adjust.
However I disapprove the fact that he is bored to tears at school.
My remedy: I will let him stay at home now and then (going to Legoland?)and end him on hols to Granny 2 weeks before the end of term. Some may dissapprove , but I am sure my son will love it.

That's the downside of it. However this is the last time he can have a normal (meaning longer) hols like kids in other European countries have (and US) and experience some real freedom, which you cannot have in London.
Nobody from his class is going to the same school, but I think he will keep in touch with the few of his old mates next year.
The only attraction he is going to miss is going to the park with his class (!!). I must mention that the park is across the street from school and should be used on daily basis for PE lessons etc. But no!...HEALTH AND SAFETY!!

My DS's school is next to a park too but they only use it fot Sports Day!
Have sent you a pm.

Zorro,
Sorry. I have read my e-mails before logging on Elevenplus. We are also St. , but not Mary.