unreasonable school project?

Absolutely ridiculous as it will obviously not be the completed work of a 5 year old but their parents/grannies/siblings etc - so in reality a Mother's Competition and I would refuse to do it quite frankly .....

DGs primary 1 has a project book for the term, one per week. Nothing too difficult, mainly collecting things explaining the use, where he got them etc.
It is almost the norm here that both parents work, DD does not so has more time, but homework is limited to take family into account.

Lily65

This sort of homework is complete bollocks!

It achieves nothing and is obviously going to mainly be done by the parents (probably mothers) and it simply highlights those children whose parents are not in a [position to help them.

This sort of project should be done in school - the associated homework might be to gather the basic materials together, where possible, or to make a list of the things that you think you might need and your ideas.

As to the "fashion show" - there will the children whose parents have made something wonderful and those with barely anything - how humiliating!

Children's homework that requires parents to do it is just the pits.

This really is utterly absurd. A five year old has zero chance of completing this project from start to finish on their own, so it is nothing more than a competition for the parents/grandparents. And the school obviously knows this.
Setting this sort of homework completely ignores the fact that most parents work and have little time to spend on these complex projects. It also ignores the fact that half-term is a break from school - families may indeed have a holiday booked. Children as young as five should not be put under such pressure outside of school hours. As someone else said, it is no wonder mental health issues are so much on the increase
I would be contacting as many parents as possible about this, as I'm sure the majority will be feeling the same. And try to get them all to write in saying their child will not be taking part as this project is clearly, as the teacher must know, beyond their capabilities.

I'd like to see what the boys in the class come up with!

I agree with everyone else of course. This is far too much for a 5 year old and the parents should get together and protest to the head teacher

I think whilst they are still in the womb there is so much wasted time. Why not try to get a foreign language in there or perhaps some hand/eye coordination exercises.

Factor in 'superhero' days, 'spotty' days, 'going on a school trip but dressed as a victorian' days, alongside reading for 45 minutes each night and regular homework..

Izabella sending hugs.
I can remember classes of 45+ . Some kids had no shoes and certainly no change of clothes for gym, - knickers and bare tops!
There has been a quiet revolution in teaching.
All those clothes being cut up and glued together goes against the grain for me. Make clothes ofcourse but to wear please. A poor child in Bangladesh probably made those jeans.

Sympathies OP, I can remember ridiculous projects which very young children don't have the wherewithal to make/compile on their own. One such one that I remember when one of ours was about five or so, make an instrument out of cereal boxes . I remember it because I'd just gone back to work for my husband and resented the time given over to farting about with cardboard and elastic bands until I managed to cobble together something that looked like a guitar. Pointless really because as I gathered from fellow mothers at the school gates it was incumbent on us as the parent to pretty much do the work for them. A delegation of parents did go into the school to complain about an "in depth" project on a European country of their choice when one of them was aged 7, requesting that "age appropriate" homework be set, that isn't reliant on parents' efforts.

I've emailed the school a couple of times and had no response at all.
No surprise to me, sadly.

I stopped my child’s primary school doing it. I stood up in a meeting and pointed out that it was hardly fair when researching a famous painting that we had visited the National Gallery and some children couldn’t even get to the library.

I think the ’We ended up making.........’ says it all - especially when only a 5 yr old child.

I too am a retired primary teacher and agree with others who find this inappropriate for a young child.
BUT unless the school gets feedback from families they will continue along this line.
There is no point in complaining but not communicating with the school just as there is no point in buying in to the competitive parents nonsense.

My son came home in year 7 or 8 with a half term project to male something to do with the Industrial Revolution. The teacher was ‘tired’ of marking essays. My son informed me that one friend was going to make a video of the Iron Bridge Museums and another was making a working model of a steam engine. We ended up making a board game where the players were children in the 18th century. The weavers child lost fingers, the chimney sweep got stuck and the rich child a,ways got across the board. We still have the board.

Wow!!! What a creative lot you are. There should be a gransnet remakery, or whatever these workshops are called. Then all those with projects could come and make them together.
I thought you were going to say your DGD was 15 not 5.
When mine were 5 they studied the Greeks and Romans at school and made outfits with the help of parent helpers but in school certainly not at home.
My DS taught us how to make stuffed dates, which is what the Romans ate.
We still make them sometimes.

I used to teach in a primary school and I think this is nonsense. At 5 years old they should be learning simple tasks not making elaborate designs.
Controversially I don’t believe in teaching reading and arithmetic until they are 6.

I was a teacher and think it is ridiculous homework.
I would definitely take it up with the school. Meanwhile Twin2 has an excellent idea with the scarves.
A 5 yr old doesn’t need any homework other than reading. I particularly hate that sort where some parents won’t have the resources and some will go way OTT and the child won’t have touched it! I can’t see the point of it other than to give a prize to the most imaginative parent or grandparent.

I have taught 5 year olds and I can't imagine how this piece of homework got the green light from senior teaching staff. Class challenges are nothing new, but in Year 1 the result of an individual challenge like this should be evidence of the following:

Can the child think of some ideas of their own?

Can the child explain what they want to do?

Can the child use pictures and words to plan?

What has been described in the OP is exceedingly ambitious and without adult help I would say almost impossible. Below is what one school has set out as appropriate homework for this age group and you will see that there are options graded according to difficulty with the most difficult being considerably easier than what is described by anxiousgran.

www.stnicholasprimaryschool.org.uk/perch/resources/documents/homework-year-1-spring-term-1-2019.pdf

Of course.
A five year old won't be able to Google things, cut out, (leaving space for a seam)
Its fine if they have a parent who enjoys and has time to spend time on a project like this, but some don't.
I wish my grandson had an aunt or Nan, or someone to spend time doing all these things, but he hasn't, and I don't feel up to it.

Looking at the Twitter feed from some of my DGC's school I wonder how many of the creative homeworks have been done by parents or grandparents. Most of them I guess, including DGD's mostly created by me. 6 years old, she cannot cut through thick card for some of the models she has had to make (eg a pyramid) and of course She needs help to produce the different shapes. I have to provide paints, brushes, glue, stickers etc etc. Luckily her latest, a rocket for a space project was easily made with a Christmas cracker, glue and sparkly tape from present wrappings. She still needed help to get the cone shape at the top though.

You say “but the project idea will have to come from me as she will probably dream up a Cinderella outfit if left to herself.” Why is that such a bad idea? It’s about the child’s imagination and if that’s what a five-year-old imagines that’s perfectly fine.

This may not be such a problem if you start small scale. Does she have any Sindy/Barbie dolls? Take a look at this video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=okqzi57RXZk

A folded shape, three small cuts and a ribbon.

This too: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpGQAW3oYtE

And this: mycrafts.com/diy/diy-barbie-dresses-with-balloons-making-easy-no-sew-clothes-for-barbies-creative-fun-for-kids/

Measuring a doll will be easy. Finding small bits of fabric easy too. The maker of the video says stretchy fabrics are best but she could try out these small scale versions with all kinds of fabric as part of the evaluation. Dusters, J-cloths, old T-shirts. All fine but only for Cinders before the ball. The ball dress will need something with a bit of shine and sparkle.

Once she has the hang of making tiny dresses she’ll be inspired to make one for herself. A visit to a charity shop should find something with enough fabric to make a dress to fit a five-year-old. If you ask staff, there are probably donated garments and linen out back that are not fit for the shop floor but they will let you have for pennies or nothing. Discussing what she chooses is also part of the evaluation.

I don't see the project as being about sewing. The teacher isn't expecting Zandra Rhodes or Alexander McQueen. It's about looking at different fabrics, what they can be used for and a bit of simple measuring.

Yes, you will have to give her some assistance but I think it sounds fun.

I remember a similar occasion with my son. He was dreadfully upset because we just didn't have the facilities (it involved technology)
I wrote to the school telling them I was not going to allow him to take part and, if necessary, would keep him off school on the specified day. I added that I was sure they could come up with an alternative which did not marginalise those children without the required equipment.
They did.

And as long as families buy into this nonsense without complaining, it will get worse!

I think the parents should get together and just say NO, this is unreasonable and none of us will be helping our children to do it.