our homework guide
For an overview of our approach to homework, please take a look at our homework guide:
our approach
Children love reading and being read to, so we strongly encourage reading at home. We also find that children's confidence grows when they learn their times tables at home and we celebrate their successes in school.
We will support you to help your children learn at home in a number of ways:
Reception
A speech bubble is sent home at the start of each half term along with questions to facilitate discussion at home about a particular topic. The children can then bring their completed speech bubble in for further discussion. Reading diaries are sent home and they double up as phonics books because the phonemes being learnt are put in the reverse of the book to support practice. Reading is expected at home every day, with reading diaries collected and written in every time the teacher reads with the child one-to-one in class.
KS1 & KS2
Maths: Maths number skills sheets or times tables are sent home on Fridays and collected on Thursdays. All Children also have access to Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars .
Reading: A reading book is sent home and changed regularly. If appropriate, a decodable Rhino reading book is sent home on a Monday and changed on a Friday. Daily reading is encouraged but our expectation is that children read or get read to at home at least 4 days a week. Reading diaries have phonemes and common exception words inside the front cover to help the children at home, and the diaries are checked in school on Mondays and Fridays.
Spelling/Phonics: In KS1, spellings (linked to the phonics being studied in class) are sent home in the reading diary in the form of a bookmark along with some adult guidance. In KS2, ten spellings (linked to spelling patterns being studied in class) are sent home every Friday.
Please note optional homework suggestions related to science or foundation subjects are available in the form of homework grids on the school website.
It will not be possible or necessary to mark every piece of homework but successes will be celebrated and it will support children's learning in school.
common questions
What if you are busy and your child does not have time to complete the homework?
We completely understand that family life is busy and at times a child may not have an opportunity to complete the homework set. We ensure that the children still benefit from online resources like Times Table Rockstars within the school day and we have lunchtime clubs where children can complete homework tasks.
What if your child is reluctant to read?
The following may help to encourage reading:
- Read a page each or read the book to your child.
- Set a time limit g. 10/15 minutes – if your child is still not engaged postpone (but not abandon it) and try again another time.
- End on a positive note and your child’s confidence will grow. Avoid extending the session because it is going well because it may discourage future reading.
- Encourage and celebrate each achievement.
What if your child wants to learn more and enjoys a challenge?
Here some suggestions, but please see our homework grids too for ideas relating to the wider curriculum:
- Use spellings and write sentences – nonsense and real ones
- Use a thesaurus for synonyms and antonyms
- Help your child learn times tables up to x12 so they have quick and accurate recall, including related division facts e.g. 6x4=24; 24÷4=6
How does homework help your child?
By helping your child with homework it can help them to:
- learn how to organise and manage their time, developing good study habits;
- take more responsibility for their own learning;
- consolidate and reinforce what they have learned in school;
- build resilience to work independently and solve problems; and
- prepare them for some of the expectations at secondary school.
HOMEWORK GRIDS
Homework grids support your child's learning at home. If you need further information or a paper copy of the grid, please ask your child's teacher.
