AS children return to school after the long summer break, a survey has revealed many parents are dreading the return of homework.

Nearly a third told a poll for the Netmums website that homework is “a bit of a chore” and said it is difficult to fit into busy evenings.

Around a fifth said their children receive too much homework but 29 per cent disagreed and said they believe their children should be given more homework.

And some suggested children need time to switch off and should not get any homework at all.

“Parents are not against homework yet the reality is that so many are struggling to find the time to help their children with homework,” said Netmums co-founder Siobhan Freegard.

“So many of us are out at work all day and coming home at the same time as the children with a number of household tasks to get done, so it’s no wonder that one in three admits that homework is another chore to be squeezed into a busy evening.”

The poll also revealed that many parents find it difficult to help their children, particularly with maths.

But it concluded that parents are very competitive and some “go way over the top and produce things that look like the child has had virtually no input”.