Hello, we too are weighing up the pros and cons of Judd and Skinners. They both seem fantastic and little to choose between them other than location.

However I did read the new parents guide on the Judd website which stated that on average, a year 7 student can expect 3 subjects a night which should take them 90 mins. 90 minutes a day seems excessive, especially if they want to encourage participation in after school clubs.

I found something similar on the Skinners site (albeit from 2017) which said they usually set 2 topics per night - totalling 45 mins. That still seems a lot to me (!) but still, a huge difference between the two.

Does anyone have any experience of either school and know how much time their son's homework actually takes out of their day in year 7 and 8.

Any insight, greatly appreciated.

I have a son in year 9 at Skinners. They have a homework timetable so the amount and when they get homework is regulated by that. In other words if the teachers stick to it, which most do, they are only set one homework per night which is supposed to take 45 minutes. The boys are normally given a week to complete the homework so if they are busy doing clubs/sports etc there is plenty of time to get the homework done on other evenings or at the weekend.

In year 7 my son found the homework hard going, it is relentless and as a year 7 getting used to a new school and travelling he struggled a bit with the volume. However in year 8 it was a doodle. I don't know if they set less homework or whether my son got more efficient at completing it. There was probably the same amount but perhaps he just grew used to it and managed his time better.

He is now in year 9 and so far it has been completely manageable this year too. What I would say about the homework is it all seems to be meaningful. He learns from them all, there is rarely a homework set that seems like a waste of time. (apart form making models in year 7 - God I hated making models!)

The other aspect worth noting about the homework is that it is constant from September until Easter and then there is barely anything in the summer term. The boys have end of year exams straight after the May half term so from Easter until the exams no homework tends to be set as the teachers expect the boys to revise. After May half term and the exams are over then again very little homework seems to get set for the rest of the summer term. The boys will have worked very hard all year until that point and are then given a rest for the last 6 weeks which is very nice.

My son is in Judd for 4 years and I never saw him working every day even for 30 min, forget abt 90 min. There cd be odd day when he may have done it but very rare. Typically the night before the tests I have seen him working in the evening but apart from that very relaxed. Hope this helps.

Absolute rubbish! I have two sons at Judd, one in Y8 and one in Y10. There are usually two pieces of homework a night in Y7, each will take around 30 minutes to complete. Sometimes it's a question of finishing off something from class earlier in the day, sometimes it's a chunk of online maths, sometimes a big project to carry on working on eg the infamous geography Weald one which can take a couple of weeks to complete. My experience is that in Y7 homework is given very regularly and it's expected it will be done and to a good standard. There are quite severe penalties for quite minor infractions in Y7 too - eg youngest son got an instant detention on day three for forgetting a text book, then the following week got his phone taken away as it rang in class. He was absolutely mortified at both, but it taught him a lesson and he's never been in trouble since... as far as I know, at least

NWA40, I have shared my experience. Have always seen my son quite relaxed about homework or studies in general. Have never heard any complains from his teachers and always told he is doing quite well and his predicted GCSE scores are also very good. He is quite sporty and does rugby and cricket for A team. In fact he does cricket at much higher level than school and typically out two evenings during the week for doing trainings etc (summer months). I have never seen any problem with him being away those two evenings and has always managed whatever homework given to him (without me even noticing). Also playing cricket for school, district and other teams mean that most of your Saturday and Sunday is also gone during the season and there is not a lot of time even during weekend.

Not saying that he doesn't get any homework, but for sure my experience has been quite contrary to my original belief (before my son started) that Grammar school will be quite stressful with lot of home work etc. There has been occasions when my wife and I have discussed whether it is normal to be so relaxed for a school like Judd but we have never discussed the other way around.

As mentioned this is our experience and how our son deals with it.

Y7 at Skinners seemed to be fairly consistent - 2 subjects a night with a good smattering of projects (which I also hated!) but my son enjoyed. I think they like to encourage them into good habits of consisent study, and by doing something every night, you stay on top of things. Y8 slacked off a lot, and then slowly in Y9 they ramped it back up again. Now in Y10, there is a lot - this half term, DS has done something every day, for at least an hour - but he is very conscientious and likes to stay on top of things. They have also drummed into them that there is very little time in the GCSE curricula (?) to go back over things, so you have to know each module really well by the time you finish it.

I can't comment on Judd. But one big benefit of us living so close to the school is that he can be home 10 minutes after the bell goes, get his homework done and then head off to Scouts, or the pool, or to see friends - if you have a lot of travelling to do AND lots of homework, then it could be limiting. Hard to think beyond Y7 when they start, but homework does increase dramatically the further up the school they go although Skinners' is very good about encouraging the boys to have a life outside of study too.

Thanks all, that's put my mind to rest a lot.

It's definitely a quick step up from primary but sounds manageable. An hour a day at the most sounds okay. *gulp*

Also good to know it's not all year round and they get a bit of a break in the summer term and really pleased to hear the kids seems to adjust and learn to manage their time accordingly.

Don't know about him...I better start brushing up on my model making skills by the sound of it!

And your poster art skills. Both DS seemed to make a lot of posters in yr7!

I can back up what's been said about Skinners' both my DS found the homework in the junior part of the school very manageable. You have a lovely decision to make OP so I would choose the school that is the best fit for your DS.

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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !

Both my ds at Judd seem to be managing well with their homework - so far. Homework and projects vary from 15 mins to a few weeks and are never due the next day. The homework scheme is clear and easy to follow by all. Parents are required to sign their dc's planners on a weekly basis to confirm homework assignments have been completed. There’s a portal for parents and students to log on to and check homework status and access links to resources or worksheets. You will also receive email notifications whenever homework is issued by their teachers. However, you shouldn’t need to monitor them so closely as it’s expected that they’ll become more independent.

In terms of coping with it all, I suppose it depends on your dc. DS1 takes great care in the work that he produces and as a result of this he sometimes take longer than necessary to complete his homework. DS2 has always had a good work ethic and a structured approach to learning, and he tends to tackle his homework immediately and head on so that he can have a free evening (cue Fortnite as a self-reward).

Both my ds are very sporty and musical in and out of school, including weekends playing in rugby matches, football and running etc. Nevertheless they’ve somehow managed to complete their hw on time and up to, and occasionally above if they at least try, the standards required.

Homework and revision time will be progressively increased towards Y10 and 11 but similarly your ds’s organisation skills will gradually improve over time alongside this. The key is to stay organised and to always be on top of it as it can build up quickly, and to avoid penalties.

Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds a lot more manageable than the parent guide suggested.