Homework
We aim to create a positive attitude towards homework and help set good habits for secondary school. As far as possible, homework is related to class topics. This is important as it helps parents to know more about what is going on in class and to support enthusiasm for learning. We try to ensure that homework is of interest to the children and matched to their ability. We ask that parents support their child with any homework that is set.
Homework tasks will be a combination of open-ended creative tasks, maths tasks, reading and spelling. You can help by encouraging, discussing ideas and by ensuring your child has a good working space at home. Please contact your child’s class teacher with any questions or concerns.
Your child is expected to learn to read and spell words from a list. Learning the spellings for just a short time each day is more effective than leaving it all to the last minute.
Reading on a daily basis is also expected. Reading aloud with an adult is important throughout the primary years. Even if your child is a fluent reader, having a discussion about the story (for example, the characters’ personalities and actions, the ‘wow words’ used by the author) is a valuable way to develop reading skills.
Homework routines begin in EYFS with the expectation that children read at home each night and are also read to. There will also be simple tasks to complete at home such as learning key words and phonics.
From Year 2 there is more; broadly a maths task and an English or topic related task. Daily reading and times table practice are expected. At the start of year class meetings, parents are informed about the specific routines for the new class. Expectations build up until Year 6 where children are really expected to be managing tasks independently.
For children in Year 3 to Year 6, practising times tables is also extremely important: by the end of Year 4, children should have a rapid recall of all multiplicatino facts to 12 x 12 and also the division facts eg 7 × 8 = 56 and therefore 56÷7= 8. ‘Rapid recall’ should be within around three seconds – they should not have to count through the tables facts to get there.
We realise that circumstances will arise when children are unable to complete the set homework or it becomes a negative experience for all. We re-assure parents not to worry about this, as we do understand. However, we do ask that any problems relating to homework are discussed with the class teacher as soon as possible.