Home Learning Guidance issued September 2024

                    Home-Learning Issued September 2024

Expectations and Guidance

We ask parents to support their children at home with the following home-work tasks on a weekly basis.

Reception	A choice of weekly activities covering the children’s seven areas of development.
Years 1 and 2	Daily reading Weekly spellings linked to phonics to be practised daily Weekly times tables
Years 3, 4 and 5	Spelling Shed 3x weekly Daily reading TT Rock Stars 2x weekly
Year 6	Maths tasks marked in class Grammar tasks marked in class or using Spag.Com on line Spelling Shed 3x weekly 6 writing tasks through the year

 

There are a number of other benefits that home-learning provides to pupils, which include:

•      Parent involvement/discussion about what the children are learning.

•      Pupils can practise skills at home to help consolidate their classroom learning.

•      To extend the partnership between home and school.

 

The quantity of homework our school expects children to complete is not excessive but serves to support children to develop the vital skills of reading, basic arithmetic skills and spellings. 

 

When is it a Good Time to do Homework?

It is important to choose the right time to do home-learning.  There should be a generous time-window so there is not a need to rush or feel under pressure to complete it quickly.  (Avoid doing home-learning just before you or your child is about to go out).  At the time chosen to complete the home-learning, your child should sit down in a quiet place, free from distractions.

It is a good idea to check that your child is not hungry, thirsty or tired before doing home-learning as this could cause stress and lack of concentration.  Some parents find that choosing a regular time each week to do home-learning works well and others find that completing home-learning as soon as it is set works well because the child can more easily remember the instructions.  Plus, the feeling of giving in home-learning early is an extremely positive one!  Parents/carers giving a small reward, such a sticker, can be further positive encouragement.

Reading

Reading is, by far, the most important skill your child needs to practise to help their learning across all subjects (and this includes maths because maths problems are written in words).  De-coding (reading words) and comprehension (understanding the meaning of texts) are both important skills. Building your child’s confidence to read is important.

Children should be encouraged to read with adults at home, and this can be in a range of ways:

•      Reading together at bedtime.

•      Your child reading to you.

•      Taking it in turns to read.

•      Getting your child to ask you questions about a story.

•      Read your own book at the same time as your child reads theirs.

It is a good idea to complete your child’s reading diary every time they read – not just their usual reading book but also include toy instructions, cookery books, etc

Spelling in Infant Classes

In Key Stage 1, pupils will be set spellings to learn every week that are directly linked to the phonics they are currently learning.  Depending upon the stage your child has reached, they may receive different or less spellings from other children in their class; this is to ensure that your child is learning at the appropriate level to suit their confidence.

Ideally, spellings should be practised on many occasions throughout the week – repetition enables the spellings to enter your child’s long-term memory. [It is not a good idea to only learn the spellings the night before the test. Although children may score highly using this approach, the learning may only enter their short-term memory and can quickly be forgotten].

If you child has difficulty with spellings - and many children do - you can speak to their class teacher.  Some suggestions are: write the spellings on cards and place them somewhere in the house (kitchen, etc), get your child to test you, make a scrabble game with the letters.

 

Spelling In Junior Classes

Key Stage 2 spellings are set using the Spelling Shed App.  This is an exciting digital app that gives children the right spellings to progress their skills and fill any gaps in learning. The spelling are set weekly by class teachers and are specific to your child’s needs. The Spelling Shed App includes puzzles, games and competitions and is exciting for the children. 

 

Language to Encourage your Child

The school uses “We Are Positive” language at school to encourage the children with their learning across all subjects.  These are phrases that are regularly discussed and used in the classroom to help the children stay focused and to raise their self-esteem.

 

WE ARE POSITIVE SLOGANS:

•      “Just be the best you can”  

•      “If I try, I will feel good”

•      “Everyone’s best is different,” 

•      “Mistakes are how we learn,”

•      “We support each other, always.”

 

It is a good idea to use these slogans with your child and encourage your child to say them out loud.  They can be applied to any activity, such as swimming, reading, running, art (not just home learning).

It is best to avoid negative comments such as: “I was useless at maths when I was at school, too!”  This serves to reinforce that it is ok to give-up. Instead, a positive approach raises confidence and self-esteem.

 

Maths

Basic arithmetic skills will be set by your child’s class teacher. These will consist of multiplication times tables, number bonds, basic arithmetic.  Sometimes, this home-learning will be set using the TT Rock Stars App (or similar) to provide exciting and fun activities for the children to engage with and develop their learning/skills.

 

What do I do if my Child finds the Home-learning too Difficult?

If a child has been absent from school, it is possible that they have missed the learning needed for them to complete their home learning.  The adults in school work hard to help a child catch-up on missed lessons, but it is not possible to replace the whole learning experience on a one-to-one basis while the rest of the class move onto new learning.  If this is the case, then different home learning may be given to your child.  Please arrange to speak to your child’s teacher if you have any concerns.  

If your child finds the challenge of starting home learning too tricky, then please arrange to speak to their teacher so that a strategy can be put in place to support you and your child.  

Teachers realise that sometimes there are special circumstances when it is not possible to complete home learning. If this is the case, please tell your child’s teacher so they can understand the reasons; this will reduce the anxiety children feel if they have not completed their home learning on time.  Please don’t be anxious about letting your child’s teacher know – they will be understanding and it helps school to support your child.

 

Parent/Carer Concerns

If parents or carers have any concerns about home learning, then please ask for support from school.  We wish to work with our families because together we can provide the best education for your children.