A HOMEWORK ban would be supported by many parents in south Essex - but not by Deanes School acting headteacher Desi McKeown.

Teachers at Philip Morant School and College in Colchester have abolished homework for all students this year.

It is believed the school is the first in Colchester to undertake the controversial move.

The school has argued that teachers will be able to use the time previously spent on setting and marking homework on planning lessons more precisely to ensure the individual needs of each pupil are met.

Extra learning will still be encouraged through an online portal with prizes offered to the most dedicated students.

Principal Catherine Hutley said: “If, for any reason, we start to see this new approach to homework is having a negative impact on students’ progress, we will do something about it.

“But I do not believe that will happen.”

But Mr McKeown, acting head of the Deanes School in Thundersley, said although not critical of Philip Morant’s decision, his school would not be following its lead.

“I can understand why Philip Morant has done this and the school knows its pupils and what works best for them,” he added.

“For our pupils, they work best when they are guided and given extra work by their teachers.

“We see that homework is important for children to do away from teachers.

“I think Philip Morant wants children to learn responsibility and self control by having this system of not setting homework but having voluntary extra learning in place.”

He explained that the school had recently unveiled an app which allowed children and their pupils to see what homework had been set.

This enabled parents to ensure that children did all homework set and was a vital tool for the school to check the amount and standard of homework that was being set.

He added that those in Year 11 were expected to do several hours of self study per night, while those in younger years would do between an hour and two hours.

Many parents said they would support a homework ban.

Full-time nanny Hazel Hever, of Canvey, said: “I never believed in homework.

“Six hours in school is enough, especially for the younger ones.

“They learn from play and everyday things and parents should do more with them.”

Emergency medical technician Mike Cox, 47, of Billericay, added: “There must be a good reason for this and the school must think it will assist the learning of its pupils.

“This would relieve this stress of the pupils and teachers to get the extra work done by the pupil and to mark the work from the teacher.”

Science teacher Kirsty Radwin, 29, of Westcliff, added: “I think this would work.To be honest, reading any book or even a magazine a child might enjoy is the best thing for homework as it expands vocabulary, enhances spelling skills and improves grammar.”