Why do you love chb..help me choose

[JaneEyre]

Jane
Where do you travel from or better question how long is the journey?

I sent you a p.m.

[HappyRobot]

I spoke to the school and they said that year 7 get 3 subjects x 20 mins each night of homework. If it takes longer, they are doing it wrong or didn't listen in the class properly.
They are expected to finish off what they did in class, eg for science experiments, they would write up the results.

[DenDe]

I spoke to the school and they said that year 7 get 3 subjects x 20 mins each night of homework. If it takes longer, they are doing it wrong or didn't listen in the class properly.

That is all well and good in theory but I don't think any teacher could hand on heart say they know a particular piece will take only 20 minutes.

I understand where Jane Eyre is coming from in her homework concerns. It does seem to be a steep learning curve for the boys in Yr 7. Particularly, there are quite lengthy projects which require mature time management which not all 11/12 year olds will possess. I know I spent time last year working out time management plans with my DS with regard to projects with a long hand in date.

On a positive note, his skills in this area have really improved.

[HappyRobot]

for most of our state school dc...one hour a night is a huge leap from 20 - 30 mins a week.............

[Paramjeet]

one piece of advice that I will pass on is I now get my DC to undertake the homework on the day it is set rather than the evening before it is to be handed in for. This has released a lot of time during the week for other activities.

[JaneEyre]

That is all well and good in theory but I don't think any teacher could hand on heart say they know a particular piece will take only 20 minutes.

I am happy to see that I am not the only one tho think that 3X 20 mn is just a theory! Let's shake hands, Dende!

for most of our state school dc...one hour a night is a huge leap from 20 - 30 mins a week.............

Don't be so much concern by that... I am sure that your DS studied more that 30 mn per week to succeed in the 11+, didn't he?

Even if your DS study just 1 hour per night at his GS, he'll still have time to enjoy himself, won't he?

In France where we used to have daily homework in primary, the government is scraping that and most of the parents who have degrees are completely against this new reform!

If it takes longer, they are doing it wrong...

However, as soon as there is some research to be done, that takes time... especially if somebody like my DS changes his choice of topic in the course of his work because he finds that his first idea was great but there is not enough documentation about it.

Also, all depends at which level your child wish to work... level 4? 5? Or 6? The year 7 pupils had to write a fascinating essay in RS during the half term. My DS certainly spent several hours doing that – enjoying himself and discovering lots of interesting stuff . He even used a GCSE revision book to understand the difference between ‘theory’, ‘evidence’ and ‘proof’ ... I have no idea though if his essay is good or not; the future will tell me... and him and if he has got that wrong, I hope that he’ll learn from his mistakes.

In a nutshell, I do really feel the teachers are giving the pupils topics to ‘grow’ intellectually. After that, each child will size these opportunities in his own manner... What is important is that the opportunities are given and that the children are pushed to ‘think by themselves’. Maybe that’s why at GCSE and A level, the results of CH are so good... I have no idea... I am interested to read parents who have children in year above and have a good knowledge of the school.

If it takes longer, they [...] didn't listen in the class properly.

Not necessarily.... I don’t think so... There are just different types of student profiles. It just seems to me that my DS is a perfectionist. It‘s great in some aspects but at the same time it is a heavy burden (too heavy at times ). Sometimes, I really would wish him to take shortcuts instead of aiming at too unrealistic goals!!!

[HappyRobot]

thanks Jayne....I guess I need to give my ds some credit and not worry

he did around 15 - 20 mins 4 - 5 nights a week since end of march for the 11 plus...so he's had some good homework practice in...good point!