Homework - supporting learning at home
We value the partnerships that we develop with our children’s parents/carers and the benefits that these partnerships have on their children’s learning. Learning at home enables children to share learning experiences and fosters their love for learning.
Homework refers to any work or activities which pupils are asked to do outside lesson time, either on their own or with parents or carers. The main purpose of homework is:
- to encourage pupils to develop the skill, confidence and motivation to study independently at home effectively;
- to consolidate and reinforce the skills and understanding developed at school;
- to extend school learning through activities such as additional reading and research;
- to develop and sustain the involvement of parents in the management of their child’s learning and to keep them informed about their child’s learning and progress;
- to capitalise on the wide range of resources for learning at home eg: internet, library, adult knowledge and newspapers;
- to maintain good channels of communication between home and school;
- to offer pupils the opportunity to extend their learning by including optional, additional challenges or open ended questions.
To ensure that homework is not detrimental to a child’s love of learning yet provides appropriate challenge for all pupils, tasks are set on a MUST, SHOULD, COULD basis.
MUST – these are activities that all children must complete weekly.
SHOULD – these are activities that children should be able to complete on a regular basis.
COULD – this will usually be a project-based homework that allows children to research and apply their skills creatively. This homework could be done by children providing they have completed their ‘must’ and ‘should’ activities.
MUST |
SHOULD |
COULD |
|
Reception |
Read three times a week 5 minute phonics activity 3 times a week. | Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic. | |
Year 1 |
Read three times a week phonics based-task for 10 mins, 3 times a week. | Maths or English homework set on Purple Mash – 1 piece a week from February half term. | Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic. |
Year 2 |
Daily reading. Practise for weekly spelling test. | Maths or English homework set on Purple Mash – 1 piece a week. | Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic. |
Year 3 |
Daily Reading, practise for weekly spelling test, practise times tables. | Maths or English homework set on Purple Mash – a maximum of 2 pieces a week. |
Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic. |
Year 4 |
Daily Reading, practise for weekly spelling test, practise times tables. |
Maths and/or English homework set on Purple Mash – a maximum of 2 pieces a week. |
Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic |
Year 5 |
Daily Reading, practise for weekly spelling test, arithmetic activities. |
Maths and/or English homework set on Purple Mash – a maximum of 3 pieces a week. | Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic |
Year 6 |
Daily Reading, practise for weekly spelling test, arithmetic activities. |
Maths and/or English homework set on Purple Mash – a maximum of 3 pieces a week. |
Half-termly project-based homework focused on whole-school theme or year group topic |
Reading
We also encourage children to read books and use the internet to undertake their own research into the topics that we are learning about in school. This inspires children’s learning; providing meaningful opportunities to read for the purpose of gaining knowledge whilst promoting children’s love of reading.
Children in Reception and Year 1 must also read their reading book at least 3 times per week and complete their phonics activities.
Children in Years 2 – 6 must read their book every day at home for around ten to twenty minutes dependent on age.
Children should be supported with understanding and applying punctuation when reading as well as being supported with reading the words. Children should also be helped to understand how bold or italic words are read differently.
Parents can support children with their comprehension of the text by asking them questions about what they have read.
In Reception and KS1, parents are asked to keep a log of home reading in their child’s Reading Journal.
In KS2, children are encouraged to keep a log of their home reading. Children are also encouraged to read for different purposes; such as undertaking research to support their learning in subjects in school.
Times Table/Arithmetic Practice - Numbots / TT Rockstars
Every child in YR / KS1 has access to Numbots. Every child in KS2 has access to TT Rockstars. Your child should access this regularly to support their fluency and accuracy with number skills and their multiplication tables.
The following are the national curriculum expectations with regards to children learning their times tables:
- By the end of year R, all children need to learn their number bonds to 10,
- By the end of year 1, all children need to learn their number bonds to 10 and to 20.
- By the end of year 2, all children need to learn their 2x, 5x and 10x tables fluently.
- By the end of year 3, all children need to continue to practise their 2x, 5x and 10x tables but to also learn their 3x, 4x, 6x, 7x, 8x and 9x tables.
- By the end of year 4, all children need to consolidate their times tables and improve the speed of their recall and learn what the corresponding division facts are. For example, 7 x 6 = 42. Also 42 ÷ 7 = 6.
- Throughout Year 5 and 6, children need to practise and consolidate their knowledge of multiplication facts and the associated division skills – they need to maintain their speed and accuracy for both multiplication and division and then link this knowledge to areas such as finding fractions of amounts and working out percentages.
Handwriting
As a school we use the Letterjoin handwriting scheme.
Your child will receive a log-in to enable them to access letterjoin at home. Pupils can log in to the Letter-join website on iPads and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers at home. There you will find the same, easy-to-use handwriting resources that we use at school.
Purple Mash
Every child in the school has access to the Purple Mash platform for online learning.
Dependent on your child’s year group, there will be a Maths and/or English piece of homework set weekly. These will often be set using Purple Mash. Children can complete and submit their homework online Purple Mash. Children can also access Purple Mash independently to use the tools and resources to support their own learning at home. Children can also use the tools on Purple Mash to complete and submit project work.
My Maths
Every child in KS1 and KS2 has access to the My Maths platform for online maths learning. Dependent on your child’s year group, there will be a Maths and/or English piece of homework set weekly. Maths homework will often be set on My Maths. Children can complete and submit their homework online My Maths.
Children can also access My Maths independently to use the tools and resources to support their own learning at home.
Project Work
Project work allows children to further develop their creativity by enabling them to choose how they will present their work. It also provides further autonomy for children to develop their own learning about aspects of the topic that interest them.
Parent support for homework
The class teacher will aim to provide children and their parents and carers with clear guidance to support children to complete homework tasks.
Parents and carers can show children that they value homework and the time and effort that children spend completing it by:
- providing a suitable place in which their child can do their homework, preferably with an adult to discuss, encourage and support;
- making it clear to th child that they value homework and support the school in explaining how it can help learning;
- encouraging their child and praising them when they have completed work set;
- checking their child spends a suitable amount of time on homework.
- Informing their child’s class teacher if their child finds the work too difficult or too easy so that the teacher can use their professional knowledge to make any necessary adjustments to future homework.
Additionally, you can support your child’s development by:
- visits to libraries, museums etc.;
- cooking with them;
- taking your child swimming or to other sporting activities;
- playing games, e.g. board games, cards, ball games;
- watching informative TV programmes together;
- Providing opportunities for craft activities, e.g. cutting, sticking, sewing, painting etc.;
- gardening and growing plants;
- using the internet to research something with your child (following guidelines for safe
internet use); - attending any school workshops that may be on offer designed to enable Parents/Carers
to support their child’s learning at home.
