Common questions/problems

I keep getting into trouble for not doing my homework

If it’s just for one subject and you feel able to talk to that teacher and explain that you are struggling to do the homework, see if they are able to do anything to help you. You can speak to a trusted member of staff and ask them to speak to the teacher for you.

I am too far behind

If you feel like you have too much homework to get back on top of it, speak to a member of staff, be HONEST about how far behind you are and they will be able to make a plan for you. Such as stopping you from getting any more homework set or speaking to your teachers so you only have to complete some of the homework until you have caught up.

What should I say to my teacher?

If you have not done a piece of homework you or your parent can;

• Email your teacher to explain.
• Email your tutor
• Call the school

 You can go and see your teacher before the lesson, the sooner the better.

All my school’s homework is online and I do not have access to the internet at home.

You should not be punished for not having the internet at home. Speak to your tutor to make sure that they tell all of your teachers that you should not be set any online homework.  All homework and any resources you need to complete that homework should be given to you.

The homework is too difficult for me

• Speak to your teacher or a trusted staff member and explain that the homework is too difficult
• Ask the teacher to set you something you can do
• Ask the teacher to give you a time during school that they can help you with your homework.
• Ask a parent to contact the school to speak to them about your homework.

I do not have a computer at home to complete my homework

• Speak to your teachers to see if there is a laptop that they can lend you. Ask for them to print out and give you any resources and information that you need, so you can do the work on paper.

Homework makes me want to skip school or not go to my lesson

• If you feel like you cannot go to school or you want to miss lessons because of homework you can;
• Talk to a trusted member of staff at school so they can talk to your teachers
• Talk to a parent and ask them to explain how you are feeling
• You won’t get into trouble for explaining how you are feeling but you will get in trouble for skipping school or your lesson.

Remember you will get into more trouble for not attending lessons. If homework is stopping you from feeling like you want to be in school, talking about it will help the school to find a way for you to feel happy about homework and school again.

I get too much homework

• Make a list of all the homework you have been set each week.  (You can do this on your phone/ use a voice note/ if you don’t like to write)
• Write down how long you are spending on each piece of work.
• You show this to a trusted staff member at school or ask your parents to show this to them.

By showing the school this information they can find a way to reduce the amount of time you are spending on your homework. Remember if you have spent the correct amount of time on your homework then you can stop and get your parent to sign it with the amount of time you spent on it.

I can’t get help with my homework at home

• Explain that you cannot get help with homework at home and ask if the teacher can set aside time for you to get help at school.
• You can also ask to be set homework that you do not need help with.

Tips and tricks

• You can set up text alerts or reminders for when your homework is due so you don’t forget
• If you need more time then go and see your teacher before the lesson
• Set some time aside in the week to do your homework. Tell your parents and ask them if they can make sure that you have this time each week.
• If homework is piling up and you are starting to get in trouble, go and speak to a trusted member of staff so they can help you to come up with a plan.
• You can speak to your parents to arrange a meeting at school to come up with a plan for your homework. If that plan does not work for you, then the plan should be changed until the school finds something that works for you.

Useful Links

Information to come