Should Homework Be Banned in Primary School? — Persuasive Writing — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 5 persuasive writing writing prompt.
Year 5 · English · Persuasive Writing
Should Homework Be Banned in Primary School? — Persuasive Writing — Answers
The prompt
Some people believe homework should be banned in primary schools so that children have more time to play, exercise and spend time with their families. Others believe homework builds good habits and helps students remember what they learn.
What is your view? Write a persuasive text to convince your school's parents and teachers.
A good persuasive text has:
• A contention (your main opinion) stated clearly in the introduction.
• Three arguments, each in its own paragraph, supported by an example, a reason or evidence.
• A rebuttal: name the other side's best point and explain why it is wrong or less important.
• Persuasive devices: rhetorical questions, emotive language, facts and statistics, repetition, inclusive language (we, our, us).
• A conclusion that restates your contention and ends with a call to action.
Persuasive devices
Identify the techniques you will use.
- Rhetorical question
- Emotive language
- Inclusive language
- Evidence or statistic
- Repetition
- Expert opinion
- Do we really want tired, stressed nine-year-olds?
- We all want what is best for our kids.
- Time to play. Time to read. Time to be a child.
- Many studies have found little benefit from homework in primary school.
- Teachers across the country say reading at home matters more than worksheets.
- Children are being robbed of their precious childhood.
Answer: Rhetorical question → Do we really want tired, stressed nine-year-olds?; Emotive language → Children are being robbed of their precious childhood.; Inclusive language → We all want what is best for our kids.; Evidence or statistic → Many studies have found little benefit from homework in primary school.; Repetition → Time to play. Time to read. Time to be a child.; Expert opinion → Teachers across the country say reading at home matters more than worksheets.
- ASome people disagree with me but they are wrong.
- BSome argue homework builds good habits; however, habits can be built just as well through reading for pleasure and helping at home.
- CI do not care what other people think about homework.
- DHomework is bad and that is my opinion.
Answer: Some argue homework builds good habits; however, habits can be built just as well through reading for pleasure and helping at home.
A strong rebuttal names the opposing view fairly, then explains why it is weaker than your argument.
Plan
Fill in your contention, three arguments and a rebuttal.
Answer: Homework should be banned in primary school because children learn more from play, reading and family time.
Answer: Children already spend six hours learning at school. After that, their brains need rest and movement, just like athletes need recovery.
Answer: Homework causes stress at home. Many families argue about it every night, which harms the relationship between parents and children.
Answer: Free time builds other skills. Playing sport, cooking and building things teach teamwork, maths and problem solving in real life.
Answer: Some say homework builds good habits. However, reading for twenty minutes each night builds better habits than worksheets, and it does not feel like a chore.
Write
Model answer: Picture a nine-year-old at seven o'clock at night, hunched over a worksheet, tears on the page. Is this really how we want our children to end their day? Homework should be banned in primary school. Children learn more from play, from reading and from time with their families than from any photocopied sheet, and it is time our schools recognised that.
Success criteria:
- Contention is stated clearly in the introduction
- Three arguments in separate paragraphs, each with support
- A rebuttal fairly names the opposing view and answers it
- At least three different persuasive devices are used deliberately
- Linking words organise the argument (firstly, furthermore, however, in conclusion)
- Conclusion restates the contention and ends with a call to action
- Sentence punctuation, paragraphing and spelling are accurate
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.