Homework Policy

Policy written by: Joanne Haury

Presented to staff: Autumn 2017

Presented to and ratified by Governing Body: 5/10/17

This policy follows DfE & Local Authority guidance.

Review date: Summer 2018

Home support for Learning (Homework) Policy

Aims

To make all tasks set for home completion purposeful, enjoyable and supportive of learning in school.

To ensure that home learning includes both regular practise of key skills and also improves children’s thinking skills

To improve our children’s ability to speak confidently to others by asking them to explain to their friends / class what they have learned.

What we expect of your child:

  • All children will continue to be encouraged to read every evening for pleasure and to improve their vocabulary. Home reading is essential and of huge lifelong benefit;it is always noted that children who do very well in writing and reading in school are those who regularly read at home. Please note that Infant children will not be allowed to change their reading book unless a parent / carer has signed their reading diary!
  • All children from Reception to Year Six will be given home learning tasks to practise key skills that can only be learned through this sort of frequent regular daily practise. These include learning spelling rules and specific year group common exception words for example. KS2 are tested on spelling rules and year group specific words, handwriting (as part of spelling practise), number facts / tables, etc. appropriate to age. Each Year Group will separately detail their particular requirements to parents. It is noticed that children of whatever ability who have clearly practised their multiplication tables and number bonds at home in addition to school have a huge advantage in every area of maths. These key skills will be partly monitored through weekly tables and spellings tests.
  • All KS 2 children will be expected to complete a written / online Maths and English learning task once a week as a norm. Children are encouraged to access Mathletics & Reading + Online regularly at home. KS2 also have a written Literacy task too. This should be a useful reinforcement of learning and avoid the problems that can occur as outlined below.
  • Children will be set some occasional extra homework tasks reflective of current lessons, appropriate to age and learning needs. This may involve completing an exercise or task started in a lesson, practising a skill, or extending learning by finding out information to be used in the next lesson. Year Group teachers will determine the tasks set; they will bear in mind that children already have nightly reading, spelling and tables / number facts to practise when determining the frequency and length of such tasks. The age of the children will also be taken into account in terms of demands made and length of tasks; the amount set for Upper KS2 will be more than that for KS1 children. What tasks these are and when they have been set will be dictated to children via School Planners or by written note.
  • Practice homework is set so that the children can become more accurate in a skill they have already learned in school. This homework is not ‘new learning’ but practise of skills already learned in class and so children should be able to complete their homework without the assistance of parents. If you find that this is not the case, ask why! There will be some ‘problem-solving’ challenges where your child may appreciate your advice / ‘tips’ as long as you don’t tell them exactly how to do it / what the answer is...
  • Year Five children sit ‘English Speaking Board’ exams and they will have additional tasks set concerning practising a speech etc –their teacher will detail what is expected at the time.

Assessment

  • Teachers will assess spellings in tests as well as in your child’s everyday writing. Excellent results or concerns as to poor results will be communicated to parents through the child’s School planner.
  • Teachers will expect all other on-the-day homework tasks to be completed on time.