Homework Year 6
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faitaccompli
- Posts: 357
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Homework Year 6
My DS started his new primary school in April (year 6) this year. In his old school he would have between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours of homework a night. And definitely a couple of hours over the weekend - projects, research as well as standard English, maths and science.
At his new school, the first week or so he had a SATS test to practice a couple of evenings a week. But for the past 3-4 weeks or so, he has had no homework at all. And says that he is not doing anything new in class either. I am now really worried that when he starts GS in September he will be way behind where he needs to be as the school seems to have switched off totally now that the SATS are over.
I had always had it in mind to let him go back to the tutor he had for a few weeks in January before he took the 11+ as she was great and is excellent in maths and science - but the cost is quite high and I had been hoping I could get away without doing this. But I am now concerned that my mid table (in his old school maths groups) child is now top table here and resting on his laurels as there is no real need to do anything.
What is everyone else's child up to now? Are they still learning (it is maths that I am most worried about as I always find this is difficult to catch up on if you are not on top of things).
I think I am going to have to go back down the tutor route as DS is already ahead of me in the maths stakes and is just beginning to realise it! (due to my inadequacies rather than his brilliance I hasten to add!)
At his new school, the first week or so he had a SATS test to practice a couple of evenings a week. But for the past 3-4 weeks or so, he has had no homework at all. And says that he is not doing anything new in class either. I am now really worried that when he starts GS in September he will be way behind where he needs to be as the school seems to have switched off totally now that the SATS are over.
I had always had it in mind to let him go back to the tutor he had for a few weeks in January before he took the 11+ as she was great and is excellent in maths and science - but the cost is quite high and I had been hoping I could get away without doing this. But I am now concerned that my mid table (in his old school maths groups) child is now top table here and resting on his laurels as there is no real need to do anything.
What is everyone else's child up to now? Are they still learning (it is maths that I am most worried about as I always find this is difficult to catch up on if you are not on top of things).
I think I am going to have to go back down the tutor route as DS is already ahead of me in the maths stakes and is just beginning to realise it! (due to my inadequacies rather than his brilliance I hasten to add!)
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hermanmunster
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Re: Homework Year 6
Year 6? My kids did zilch (well no homework anyway) from January to July ... it was great! (school didn't do SATS).
They were fine at senior school and it was great break before they started.
They were fine at senior school and it was great break before they started.
Re: Homework Year 6
I don't think any Y6 children will be learning anything new at school now that SATs are over. Both mine are getting/got no homework at all from about April of Y6 and hurrah for that! The last term at primary school is for playing with your friends, putting on a school play, reading on the grass in the sunshine, going on school trips and generally building happy memories of your time at primary school. How lovely.
There will be plenty enough homework once he gets to GS, don't worry.
There will be plenty enough homework once he gets to GS, don't worry.
Re: Homework Year 6
Both my older children say that Year 7 is a breeze compared with Year 6 so I don't think you need have any concerns whatsoever on that score.
You can probably predict the rest of what I will say so I shall keep it short. It is sunny at last. Let him play.
You can probably predict the rest of what I will say so I shall keep it short. It is sunny at last. Let him play.
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ourmaminhavana
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Re: Homework Year 6
Beautifully put, Cairo!cairo wrote: The last term at primary school is for playing with your friends, putting on a school play, reading on the grass in the sunshine, going on school trips and generally building happy memories of your time at primary school. How lovely.
Re: Homework Year 6
DS2 is also in Y6. From September they did 1 piece of Maths and 1 piece of English per week - Maths took about 10 mins and the English a little longer. From Easter they were told to do 1 hour per night "SATs revision" 
. The work they were given took him less than 15 mins and if they weren't given work to complete he did nothing. DS1 (now Y9) went to the same school and the homework was about the same, although I don't remember him being asked to revise for SATs.
At DS1's school they call Y7 "Foundation Year" and use it to bring all the boys in line as they will all have had different primary school experiences. Your DS will not be disadvantaged by not doing homework or new school work at this stage of Y6. The only downside to no homework is it comes as a bit of a shock to the system in September!
Y6 is for learning lines for the end of year production, preparing for the residential trip, helping with the younger children, induction day etc. For now, let him play out in the sunshine
Edited: Just noticed other posts - great minds think alike
. The work they were given took him less than 15 mins and if they weren't given work to complete he did nothing. DS1 (now Y9) went to the same school and the homework was about the same, although I don't remember him being asked to revise for SATs. At DS1's school they call Y7 "Foundation Year" and use it to bring all the boys in line as they will all have had different primary school experiences. Your DS will not be disadvantaged by not doing homework or new school work at this stage of Y6. The only downside to no homework is it comes as a bit of a shock to the system in September!
Y6 is for learning lines for the end of year production, preparing for the residential trip, helping with the younger children, induction day etc. For now, let him play out in the sunshine
Edited: Just noticed other posts - great minds think alike
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faitaccompli
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Re: Homework Year 6
He is definitely making the most of the lack of homework - I have had a succession of knobby kneed boys traipsing through the house and then disappearing "up the tree". He has a better social life than anyone else I know ...
OK - I shall relax (a little) in that case - I was fearful that he would be at a disadvantage in September - particularly after he spends 3 weeks with his father in Spain and the child that is returned to me generally borders on feral ...
OK - I shall relax (a little) in that case - I was fearful that he would be at a disadvantage in September - particularly after he spends 3 weeks with his father in Spain and the child that is returned to me generally borders on feral ...
Re: Homework Year 6
Sounds like the best kind of child to me - 'up the tree' and 'feral' are what small boys should be.faitaccompli wrote:He is definitely making the most of the lack of homework - I have had a succession of knobby kneed boys traipsing through the house and then disappearing "up the tree". He has a better social life than anyone else I know ...
OK - I shall relax (a little) in that case - I was fearful that he would be at a disadvantage in September - particularly after he spends 3 weeks with his father in Spain and the child that is returned to me generally borders on feral ...
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faitaccompli
- Posts: 357
- Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:44 pm
Re: Homework Year 6
Up the tree is fine - as it playing football, yelling loudly, randomly leaping in the air and falling over ... not keen on full blown feral though!Amber wrote:Sounds like the best kind of child to me - 'up the tree' and 'feral' are what small boys should be.faitaccompli wrote:He is definitely making the most of the lack of homework - I have had a succession of knobby kneed boys traipsing through the house and then disappearing "up the tree". He has a better social life than anyone else I know ...
OK - I shall relax (a little) in that case - I was fearful that he would be at a disadvantage in September - particularly after he spends 3 weeks with his father in Spain and the child that is returned to me generally borders on feral ...
When he was 5 he came back from Spain and had "forgotten" how to read and write". When he was 6 he had "forgotten" how to use a knife and fork and stuck his head straight into a bowl of pasta in a restaurant ... actually, he was nearly 7 then I think!
Re: Homework Year 6
The break sounds good.
I would only be doing something with my child at that stage if I knew they were going to secondary school woefully unprepared for it e.g. had some reading, writing or maths difficulties etc etc.
And then I'd be even more pleased that school was not setting a one size fits all homework that took hours and stopped me doing what my child really did need.
So I say - no homework in year 6 - great!! We get hardly anything at all in year 3 and that really is fantastic. It would be nice to know that they were doing something that was related to learning in class though!!
I would only be doing something with my child at that stage if I knew they were going to secondary school woefully unprepared for it e.g. had some reading, writing or maths difficulties etc etc.
And then I'd be even more pleased that school was not setting a one size fits all homework that took hours and stopped me doing what my child really did need.
So I say - no homework in year 6 - great!! We get hardly anything at all in year 3 and that really is fantastic. It would be nice to know that they were doing something that was related to learning in class though!!
