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Homework guidelines for primary and secondary schools

The emphasis is on how homework helps your child to learn, rather than on whether it takes a certain amount of time. The guidelines for primary school children are:

• Years 1 and 2 – 1 hour per week
  
• Years 3 and 4 – 1.5 hours per week
  
• Years 5 and 6 – 30 minutes per day
  

The guidelines for secondary school children are:

• Years 7 and 8 – 45 to 90 minutes per day
  
• Year 9 – 1 to 2 hours per day
  
• Years 10 and 11 – 1.5 to 2.5 hours per day

Your child shouldn’t be expected to spend significantly longer on homework than the guide times. It doesn’t matter if activities don't take as long as the guide times as long as they are useful. Schools should organise homework carefully so that children are not required to do too much on any one day.

Homework activities

All homework activities should be related to work that children are doing at school. However, homework should not always be written work. For younger children it will largely be:

• reading with parents or carers
  
• informal games to practice mathematical skills
  

For older children homework may include

• reading
  
• preparing a presentation to the class
  
• finding out information
  
• making something
  
• trying out a simple scientific experiment
  
• cooking
  

Helping your child with homework

Schools are happy for you to support and help your child with their homework. However, they will also want to see what your children can do on their own. As they get older, it is particularly important for your child to become more independent in their learning.

Children are likely to get more out of an activity if parents get involved as long as they do not take over too much. If you are unsure about what your role should be, you should discuss it with your child's school.

Doing homework outside of the home

Your child will have the opportunity to do homework either at school or in supervised out of school hours clubs. This could be through study support or extended schools services.

Feedback on your child's homework

Schools are expected to make sure children are given feedback on their homework. It should be given in a way that lets your child know:

• how well they have done
  
• how they could do better

This may not always happen through written comments from the teacher. Sometimes work will be discussed in lessons or teachers may give written comments on just one or two aspects of a piece of work. If you are concerned about the feedback given to your child you should discuss this with the school.

Help with revision

Exams are one of the most stressful things in any child's life. You can help your child do well by:

• providing a quiet space for them away from distractions like TV and games consoles
  
• keeping younger children out of their way
  
• making sure they have a revision timetable of manageable pieces of work and checklists for them to work to
  
• encouraging them to attend any special revision classes on offer
  
• making sure they take regular breaks and that they get to bed at a reasonable time, especially the night before an exam