Stanley Road Primary School

Homework Policy

Sept 2018

(to be reviewed Sept 2019)

Aims

At Stanley Road we have an approach to homework that enables children to reinforce their classroom learning at home and give parents the opportunity to help their child to make improved progress in their learning. In doing this we also strive to ensure that homework does not place onerous demands on children and their parents and we recognise that children should be able to take part in other after school activities in order to develop fully in their own areas of interest.

Statutory Requirements

There are currently no statutory requirements for the amount of homework that should be set in primary schools.

Guidelines

Early Years

Children in Nursery and Reception are expected to have regular experience of sharing and enjoying books with family members, practical maths activities in the home, and developing their language skills through talking about practical experiences they have had. These practical experiences might include –

Measuring ingredients while cooking Visiting family members Looking at labels and prices at the shops Going to the park Choosing books at a local library

Teachers in Early Years meet with parents to suggest relevant learning activities for their children.

KS1

Children in KS1 are expected to complete the following each week –

Spelling/vocabulary words to be practised and learnt (approx. 20 minutes)

Reading, which is logged in the child’s reading record (approx. 40 minutes over the week)

A piece of written or oral maths homework (approx. 20 minutes)

Learning Sections from the Knowledge Organiser (regular short bursts over the week)

KS2

Children in KS2 are expected to complete the following -

Spellings and vocabulary to be learnt (approx. 20 minutes per week)

Reading, which is logged in the child’s reading record (approx. 40 minutes over the week)

A piece of written or oral maths homework (approx. 30 minutes per week)

Learning Sections from the Knowledge Organiser (regular short bursts over the week)

We encourage parents of all our children to read to their children daily. We also encourage children to find the answers to questions that arise in class during the course of their learning.

Additional Homework Guidance

In addition to this teachers may give out more personalised homework to support children with their specific targets and gaps in learning. This additional homework should be brief and highly focused.

If children are taken out of school for extended periods teachers will provide the relevant homework that would take place over that period of time. It is not expected that teachers will prepare other work for pupils to take with them.

We acknowledge that different families have access to different resources at home to support them with their homework. Any homework set should be flexible to accommodate children with different resources at home. Any specific resources needed for homework will be provided by teachers or access to these resources will be given in school. Teachers do not expect children to have access to the internet or resources such as art and craft materials.

Children who do not complete homework on time are given the opportunity to complete the work during the school day with access to the resources they need. If children repeatedly forget to complete their homework then teachers will arrange a meeting with parents or carers to discuss the matter.

The Use of Computers

We encourage the use of computers to complete homework where it is appropriate. We also encourage children to access home learning resources such as Times Table Rock Stars, Purple Mash, BBC Revise Wise and other websites when they have the opportunity.

Inclusion

All homework given is designed to meet the needs of the pupils. Teachers ensure that children have the knowledge and support to complete any homework given. If children struggle with homework we encourage them to bring their work in to school and the teacher will find time to help them to understand the task. Parents are welcome to talk to teachers at the end of the day about any issues regarding homework. Homework tasks will always have clear instructions to help parents understand the purpose of the work and will generally be revision of what has already been taught in lessons. For example, in maths, examples of the methods that children use will be shared with parents to help them understand the correct strategy for the task.

Teachers ensure that children have sufficient time to complete any homework given.

Equal Opportunities

All children are provided with equal access to homework. We provide suitable homework opportunities regardless of gender, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background.