Downfield Primary School
Downfield Road, Cheshunt, Herts, EN8 8SS
Tel: 01992 629598 Fax: 01992 638614
email: [email protected]
Headteacher: Miss S.J.Goldsmith B’Ed Hons.
Introduction to the Policy
We believe that the partnership between home and school is vital for the successful
educational development of children. We want children to develop independent
learning habits but at the primary level a great deal of support will be needed from
parents.
We believe that playing games with children at home, taking them on outings and visits
and all the other normal events and interactions of family life, are a vital element in
children’s emotional, social and educational development as well as more formally - set
homework tasks.
Children and family time are precious and we are aware of the need for children to play,
relax and follow their own interests. Children may also wish to carry out research of
their own and this is always encouraged by the class teachers.
Homework should be supportive, not stressful. If parents have concerns we encourage
them to come and discuss these with us.
Purpose
The aim of our homework policy is to promote learning beyond the school day as an
essential part of good education. We believe that homework not only reinforces
classroom learning, it also helps children and young people to develop skills and
attitudes that they need for successful lifelong learning. It should support the
development of independent learning skills, including the habits of enquiry and
investigation, and it should help to foster the role of parents and carers as co-educators
of their children. We will make every effort to combat disadvantage, for example by
considering the need for after-school study support with access to resources such as ICT
and mentoring.
Main ECM outcomes: Enjoy and achieve; Achieve economic wellbeing
Research has shown that parental support is vital in:
 reinforcing the message that learning is important;
 providing a comfortable place to work e.g. sitting at a table without any
distractions;
 sharing books in the early years progressing on to daily reading for children as
they grow older;
 encouraging and helping where appropriate e.g. letting children do the
homework for themselves but helping when they experience problems;
 providing the important link between home and school e.g. supporting the
school by encouraging your child to be responsible for doing their homework
regularly, so they have a daily routine
The Aims for Homework
 to develop speaking and listening skills in conversation and discussion
 to practice and improve skills, particularly reading, writing, spellings and
multiplication tables
 to further develop their skills in specific areas
 to develop enquiry and research skills to broaden knowledge
 to develop children’s organisational and time-management skills
 to prepare children for the demands of secondary school
Relationship to other policies
The policy refers to commitments made in the home-school agreement, and also relates
to the curriculum policy, the teaching and learning policy and to the policy for
assessment, recording and reporting.
Roles and responsibilities of headteacher, other staff, governors
The headteacher will ensure that homework is:
•
an integral part of the curriculum and is planned and prepared alongside all
other programmes of learning
•
appropriate to the age, ability and circumstances of the pupils, taking into
account special educational needs
•
coordinated in order to be manageable for children on a daily basis
•
informed by DCSF guidance about time commitments.
Teachers will ensure that:
•
pupils and parents are given a timetable for homework at the start of each term
•
homework is set and marked in line with guidance and agreed standards
•
tasks are differentiated and well structured
•
pupils understand the purpose of the homework tasks
•
it is clear to pupils how their homework consolidates and extends the work they
are doing in school.
Pupils will be required to record the homework tasks, ensure their understanding of
them, and demonstrate a commitment to spending an allocated time completing the
tasks set. They will return their work on time.
Parents will encourage and monitor homework and inform their child’s teacher if an
issue arises.
Arrangements for monitoring and evaluation
Subject leaders/heads of department will monitor homework by checking lesson plans,
pupils’ work and student planners or home-school diaries. On an annual basis, a random
sample of parents and pupils will be surveyed for their views on the effectiveness of the
current practice, and the leadership team will review the effectiveness of this policy.
The governing body or its Curriculum Committee will receive an annual report from the
headteacher that includes the outcomes of work sampling and feedback from the
surveys of pupils and parents.
Expectations for Each Stage through the School
Pre-school
The children take books home to read. Parents are asked to read stories to their children
each evening. Children can also listen to story tapes and parents are encouraged to
teach their child nursery rhymes.
Nursery
We encourage the children to choose a book to share with parents, enjoying the story
and pictures daily.
The children are encouraged to play games which can be borrowed from the nursery
e.g. jigsaws and puzzles are essential tools for learning.
Parents should arrange quality time each day to listen and talk to their child without any
interruptions to develop their talking and listening skills.
Fine motor skills, such as mark making, drawing, cutting out are all valuable to children
in the Early Years.
Reception
Children should share stories and play games every night as well as develop their own
reading skills with their parents when they read their school reading book. Parents are
asked to write positive comments in the home/school reading record book and use the
reading support booklet, which the school has provided for each family in the Infant and
Junior departments (further copies are available from the school office).
Parents should arrange quality time each day to listen and talk to their child without any
interruptions to develop their talking and listening skills. It is important to read stories
to the children as well as listen to them read.
The children are also given sound and word activities to practise every night. Please ask
your child’s teacher for guidance for using these at home.
Practical activities are incredibly useful, such as model making, art work, cutting and
sticking etc
Year 1
Children should share stories and play word and phonic games every night as well as
develop their own reading skills with their parents when they read their school reading
book. Parents are asked to write positive comments in the home/school reading record
book and use the reading support booklet, which the school has provided for each
family in the Infant and Junior departments (further copies are available from Mrs
Pereira or the school office).
Parents should arrange quality time each day to listen and talk to their child without any
interruptions to develop their talking and listening skills. Parents are asked to read to
their children as well as listen to their children read.
Children may be given homework from the core subjects, science, ICT, maths or literacy
activities each week. Parents are asked to practise spelling or phonic activities on a daily
basis.
Simple times tables could be started.
Year 2
Children should read every night and spend time talking about books they enjoy.
Parents are asked to write positive comments in the home/school reading record book
and use the reading support booklet, which the school has provided for each family in
the Infant and Junior departments (further copies are available from the school office).
One or two other pieces of homework will be given each week and this should be
handed in on the day arranged by the class teacher. This will include maths, science,
literacy and spelling activities.
In this important year the children do their SATS tests and parents are encouraged to
ask the teacher to recommend support materials to do at home.
Homework will be set during the holidays.
Times tables should be practised regularly at home.
Year 3
In year 3 the children become independent readers and it is during this important year
that as much encouragement is given at home. Continued daily reading is vital and
children should be both listened to and read to by parents as much as possible. They
have a choice of more than one book to read. Visits to the local library are encouraged.
Children should discuss the books they read with parents and choose from a variety of
genre. Information books can be borrowed from the reference library on a daily basis
and parents are welcome to come into the library after school to read to their children.
Parents are expected to write positive comments in the home/school reading record
book and use the reading support booklet, which the school has provided for each
family in the Infant and Junior departments (further copies are available from the school
office).
Children will be learning multiplication tables and spellings in year 3. Two other pieces
of homework will be given and this will include writing, science and maths activities.
Other activities may be given during the week e.g. occasional finding out activities.
Homework will be set during the holidays.
Year 4
In year 4 the children become very independent readers and it is during this important
year that as much encouragement is given at home and parents keep supporting their
child with reading. Continued daily reading is vital and children should be both listened
to and read to by parents as much as possible. They have a choice of more than one
book to read. They have access to the reference library and the class library. Visits to the
local library are encouraged and it is useful if parents not only choose books with their
children to take home but they borrow books for themselves. This demonstrates to the
children how much parents value the importance of reading.
Children should discuss the books they read each night and at weekends with parents.
Parents are expected to write positive comments in the home/school reading record
book and use the reading support booklet, which the school has provided for each
family in the Infant and Junior departments (further copies are available from Mrs
Pereira or the school office).
Literacy activities will be given every week. This will include a writing activity which may
be connected with the topic work. It is essential that children practise writing as much
as they read at this age. They will also be given a maths activity and/or a science activity.
The children will be expected to practise their spellings and multiplication tables each
week as well as carry out their writing, maths or science homework.
It is important that homework is given in to the teacher on a set day so that the children
are given feedback from their teacher. Not all homework is marked because there often
isn’t time to do this. The teacher will give verbal feedback for each piece of work and
give instructions on how it might be improved the next week. The teacher assistant will
sometimes be asked to mark the homework for the class teacher.
The children will be asked to do their homework during playtimes if they do not hand it
in on time.
Homework will be set during the holidays.
Year 5
The DFES recommend 3 ½ hours homework a week for year 5 and 6 children.
The school believes that homework in year 5 is a good introduction to the work they
will be expected to do for their SATS in year 6
Parents should continue to share books with their children and encourage them to read
aloud every night, especially those children who are less confident. More confident
readers will need to read independently every night and aloud twice a week and at
weekends. By now they will have formed their own preferences as to where they read
at home and are asked to carry this out in a quiet environment with the TV, computer
etc. switched off. They should also be encouraged to talk about the book, the
characters, the plot, re-capping on what has happened, predicting what might happen
next. Parents are expected to write positive comments in the reading record book.
By now the children in year 5 should be familiar with all their multiplication tables.
Children should learn and practice quick recall of all multiplication tables regularly at
home. In addition, children in this part of the school will be given a mathematical
and/or a science activity every week. This will be balanced over the term. Each activity
will be at an appropriate level of ability. This may be substituted for another curriculum
subject but the emphasis will be on writing, maths and science skills.
Some homework may not always be marked by the teacher and this is because there is
not enough time to do this. The work will have been looked at by the teacher and verbal
feedback given. Sometimes the teacher assistant will mark the work for the teacher.
All children will have been given clear instructions about what is expected of them and
should be able to carry out the work independently.
If children experience problems in year 5 with their homework it is the responsibility of
the child to talk to the teacher the next day to sort out the problems. This prepares the
children for secondary school and helps them to take responsibility for themselves.
If parents are concerned about the home work their child is given they are welcome to
see the class teacher at the end of the school day or make an appointment through the
school office.
Year 6
The DFES recommend 3 ½ - 4 hours homework a week for year 5 and 6 children.
Parents should continue to share books with children in year 6 and encourage them to
read aloud twice a week. Less confident readers will need to read aloud to an adult
every night. All children are asked to read every night and at weekends. By now they will
have formed their own preferences as to where they read at home and are asked to
carry this out in a quiet environment with the TV, computer etc. switched off. They
should also be encouraged to talk about the book, the characters, the plot, re-capping
on what has happened, predicting what might happen next. Parents are expected to
continue to write positive comments in the reading record book every night, including
weekends and holiday times.
By now the children in year 6 should know all their multiplication tables. Children should
learn and practice quick recall of all multiplication tables regularly so they do not forget
all the hard work invested in the past. In addition, children in this part of the school will
be given a mathematical and a science activity every week. An English activity will be
given each week which will be at an appropriate level of ability. This may be substituted
for another curriculum subject but the emphasis will be on writing skills work in
preparation for their end of year SATS tests.
Some home work may not always be marked by the teacher and this is because there is
not enough time to do this. The work will have been looked at by the teacher and verbal
feedback given. Sometimes the teacher assistant will help with marking the work.
All children will have been given clear instructions about what is expected of them and
should be able to carry out the work independently.
If children experience problems in year 6 with their homework it is the responsibility of
the child to talk to the teacher the next day to sort out the problems. This prepares the
children for secondary school and helps them to take responsibility for themselves.
As a general rule we want all children to take responsibility to finish work set during
class time. However, occasionally in year 6 we may ask children to complete class work
at home.
In Year 6 extra work is given at times for reinforcement of class targets. This has to be
handed in the next day.
Time limits may be given so that over conscientious children do not spend all evening
working. Children need time to relax and rest well in the evenings so they are ready to
start the next school day.
Speech and Language Base children
Children attending the Speech and Language Base are asked to complete the following:
 Read every night
 Learn spellings and write sentences each week. These are given on a Monday
and the children are given a week to complete them.
 Speech therapy. This is given each week on a Friday and the children are given a
week to complete them
 Literacy and Maths. This is given every Wednesday and the children are given a
week to complete them.
The children may also be given work to complete for their class teacher, especially year
6 pupils in preparation for their SATs in science.
A homework package is sent home for the holidays, usually consisting of reading,
handwriting, spelling and tables practice.
Presentation of Work
Homework is to be completed in a homework book or on a work sheet and the standard
should be the same as that expected of work completed at school. The task will be
clearly explained and it will be the child’s responsibility to know what the homework
task is. It will be written by the teacher on the white board or given to the children in
some way appropriate to the age of the children.
If children do not complete their homework they will be asked to do it at playtime the
next day.
If children regularly fail to hand in their homework, a letter will be sent home and
parents will be asked to ensure that homework is completed. A meeting will be arranged
with the Head teacher to discuss how the school can help parents encourage their
children with homework at home.
All children are expected to read at home on a daily basis. Parents are asked to sign the
child’s reading record book every night.
Talking to your child about the story, about what happens next and their understanding
of the plot, is vital for good progress. Asking your child to read out loud is an excellent
way of gauging pronunciation and intonation. Every child will be asked to stay in for 5
minutes at playtime to ensure consistency if reading is missed on a nightly basis.
Date established by governing body
Date for full implementation
Date for review