Set school work read badly (8)
I believe the answer is:
prepared
'set' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'school work read badly' is the wordplay.
'school work' becomes 'prep' (private school term for homework).
'badly' indicates an anagram.
'read' anagrammed gives 'ared'.
'prep'+'ared'='PREPARED'
(Other definitions for prepared that I've seen before include "All set" , "edited" , "Waiting" , "Made or got ready" , "Ready for action" .)