11 Plus Exams Forum

Dd is in Year 10 at a girls indie. I am quite surprised and a bit worried about the lack of work she seems to have had this half term. Friends' children at other schools in the same year seem to be working really hard. I have been encouraging dd to revise and go over stuff but she has had very little set work.

I don't know if they are just easing them in gently and it will pick up after half term...? I'm worried that they haven't got the pace right and it will go from one extreme to another.

They do iGCSE for Maths, English, Sciences and languages if that makes a difference.

My boy is in yr 10 in a boys grammar. He doesn't get much homework at all, an hour at most, some evenings none at all. However at the beginning of term both parents and boys were told that the expectation was they would review their own school work and go though past papers etc. at home. They should be spending 1 to 2 hours an evening working. In reality in our house it's less. The school are either trying to encourage independent learners or nagging parents!

He's always had less homework than friends in other schools, but I trust that the school are getting things right.

As an aside I've just added the book 'Mindset' by Carol Dwerk to my reading list.

Same as above for us. We have told son number one it's about self learning but it falls on deaf ears, he just thinks he is being given a break! They have to learn the hard way and his end of half term test results are not exactly lighting any fires at the moment. There will reach a point when I simply have a colossal row with him, but I suspect that won't work either, they have to find their own paths.

DS1 never had much homework. I think quite often homework is finishing stuff left over from the lesson, so if they are quick they don't end up with any. DS2 is in year 10 & doesn't seem to get much either (or so he says )

I've got a DD in year 10 at a girls Grammar school and she doesnt seem to have much homework at all. Perhaps in year 10 the schools prepare them for independent learning and encourage them to go over what they have been taught at school, but knowing kids, they will take this to mean free time!

Actually I think it's a cop out on behalf of the school to say they should be independent learners at the start of year 10. Instead of setting carefully planned homework ( and marking it!) the staff are leaving it up to 14 year olds. I wouldn't be happy.

The staff should be setting homework that checks understanding of the topic and provides an opportunity for extending the more able. It's too early to just be doing past papers - to be any use the staff need to pick out appropriate questions for work covered to date.

I'd be interested to know how the staff are monitoring progress and setting targets and how they would respond if you asked them how your child was getting on so far this term..... Hopefully class work is being marked at least.

Sorry - sounds very grumpy!

I agree with KB.

They at least should be setting some direction for independent study. Maybe if some dc's went to the their teachers and asked them what more they could do...?

I also agree with KB.

My DS was definitely being set homework last year and I was hearing about it from the school if it hadn't been done to the required standard.

All well and good to take the independent learner route with self-disciplined motivated DC but frankly not all DC are like that and letting them slip through the net at this age is unacceptable.

Thank you, I do sort of agree too. Moving towards independent learning should be a gradual thing, certainly by 17/18. But expecting a 14 year old just to get on with work with little support is not on. And I'm paying £5,000 per term for it!

I'll see how things go after half term, maybe things will pick up.