Homework

Learning at home is an essential part of good education. Regular homework is important, since it gives pupils the opportunity to practice at home the tasks done in class, and helps them work towards improving important skills. It also encourages children to become confident and independent in their learning, which will help throughout their school and adult life.

 We aim to:

• Ensure consistency of approach throughout the school.
• Ensure progression towards independence and responsibility.
• Ensure parents have a clear understanding about expectations for themselves and their children.
• Extend and support children’s learning.
• Provide opportunities for parents and their children to work in partnership and enjoy learning experiences together.

Reading

• We place a great deal of importance on developing the child’s reading skills. Children will bring home a reading book each week. We ask that adults hear the child read and support the development by completing the reading record. 

EYFS

Foundation stage (Reception) – Reading and phonics. Class teachers will also set relevant work linked to the areas of learning via Class Dojo. 

KS1 (Y1/2)

All children will have a reading book each week. Please read with your child and record in the reading record. Children will access Timestables Rockstars (Username and password are required). All children will have a weekly set of spellings which they will take home to practice to be tested at school.

KS2 (Y3/4/5)

All children will have a reading book each week. Please read with your child and record in the reading record. Children will access Timestables Rockstars (username
and password are required).  All children will have a weekly set of spellings which they will take home to practice to be tested at school.

• In addition – Y4 and Y5 will have online access to Mirodo (username and password are required) and the teachers will set work accordingly.

KS2 (Y6)

All children will have a reading book each week. Please read with your child and record in the reading record. Children will access Timestables Rockstars (Username
and password are required).  All children will have a weekly set of spellings which they will take home to practice to be tested at school.

• In addition – Y6 will have online access to SATS companion (Username and password are required) and the teachers will set work accordingly.

How staff at Brownmead will support:

• By providing a range of homework tasks and activities to consolidate and extend learning in class.
• By ensuring that our children have a clear understanding of the tasks involved and a common understanding of the high expectations of them, according to their ability.
• By communicating with parents and keeping them informed of their child’s progress, projects and topics to be studied (termly information packs) and their child’s levels and targets.

How you as parents can support:

• By providing somewhere appropriate for your child to complete homework, away from distractions.
• By providing encouragement and support when your child needs it.
• By supporting the child in what you say about homework – that it helps learning and must be valued.
• By praising your child when homework is completed.
• By being actively involved in homework, particularly with younger children.

How our children can support:

We expect them to:

• Make full use of the opportunities that are presented to them in school.
• Tackle homework promptly and with a positive attitude.
• Take pride in their work both in school and at home, acknowledging the high expectations and standards expected.
• Be organized, so that necessary books, equipment, kit etc. is never left at home.
• Be responsible for their homework – handing it in on the agreed day.

Homework feedback to our children:

It is important that feedback is given to children on their homework as quickly as possible. This can be given in a number of ways:

• Immediately by parents
• Discussion in class where homework is part of the class work.
• Testing e.g. spellings, times tables.
• Comments from teachers on written work.
• Children reviewing their own work in small groups (self assessment)
• Presentations of their work to other children in class, in school assemblies.

Teachers need feedback too!

We are interested to know how children carried out their homework – was it too hard, too easy, interesting, boring even!! The reading record is the ideal place for parents, and teachers to record their comments. Parents may also like to tell us whether the time allocation was appropriate, or whether the activity was too short, too long etc. As with all school activities, any concerns can also be discussed with the child’s class teacher, or the Head Teacher.