Homework Policy
At Blooming Heritage School, homework is seen as an important aspect of the learning process involving parents, teachers and children in a partnership aimed at raising standards of achievement and maximising educational opportunity.
Aims
To aid each child’s progress towards achieving his or her potential with the assistance, support and co-operation of parents/ carers.
By setting a little homework on a regular basis and on an increasing ratio from the Foundation Stage to Year 6, to adequately prepare children for the demands and responsibility of secondary school
Objectives
- To provide an enjoyable and purposeful supplement to class work.
- To provide opportunity for the child to practise what has been learnt in class, including the development of the basic skills e.g. tables, spellings, independent research skills etc.
- To provide a practical opportunity for parents to become involved in the academic development of their child.
- To provide a practical opportunity for the child to begin to take responsibility for organising their own workload.
What is Homework?
Homework is not necessarily written work. It is any task that a child is asked to complete at home. It may consist of reading, learning by heart and reinforcement of class work, research and project work or further practice of skills learnt in class.
Good primary practice requires that we give credence to other developmental needs of the child. At Blooming Heritage School we appreciate the value of extra-curricular activities, (sport, music, dancing, drama, swimming, cooking, hobbies etc.) A well-balanced healthy child should be encouraged to develop their particular interests in many of these activities in their own time.
As the primary educators of their children, parents are encouraged to support and
reinforce the shared expectations by as many means as possible. Learning is a shared responsibility between children, parents, teachers and teaching assistants. Children are encouraged and challenged in their learning as they aim for excellence. In order to achieve this goal, we at BHS, work with parents and guardians as a partnership, expanding the curriculum, extending the curriculum into the home and building on experiences shared outside the school.
How staff at Blooming Heritage School support this policy:
- by providing a range of homework tasks and activities to consolidate and extend learning in class;
- by ensuring that the children have a clear understanding of the tasks involved and a common understanding of the high expectations held of them individually, according to their ability;
- By communicating with parents about homework through Parent Open Day, reports, newsletters etc. Keeping parents informed of children’s progress, projects, topics to be studied and targets, which have been negotiated.
Pupils are expected to:
- tackle home tasks promptly and with a positive attitude;
- take pride in presentation and content, acknowledging the high personal standard expected;
- be organised so that necessary books and equipment are not left at school;
- Take responsibility for handing in the completed task on the agreed day.
How parents can help to support children:
- Provide somewhere peaceful for children to work without the distractions of television, other family members.
- provide encouragement and support to children when they require it;
- support the school in explaining to children that homework is valued and aids learning;
- encourage their child and praise them when homework is completed;
- Giving due importance to non-written tasks such as reading and assisting in the learning of tables and weekly spellings.
- Keeping the staff informed of any changes in the child’s circumstances, which may affect their learning.
Guidelines
Homework is given to provide positive reinforcement of work done in school. It is seen as a definite need and not as a time filler.
Homework is considered an integral part of the curriculum. It enriches and consolidates, develops research skills and cultivates the mind to nurture the seeds of knowledge. Therefore children are expected to complete all given homework.
For this discipline to be of value it is important that work is handed in on time.
The average amount of time spent on homework each evening, including non-written tasks such as reading, learning tables etc., should be approximately:
| Stage | Duration ( Minutes) |
| Early Years | 10-20 |
| Year 1 & 2 | 30 -40 |
| Year 3&4 | 40-50 |
| Year 5&6 | 50-60 |
Early Years children will be set homework as follows
Home work is sent twice in a week. Numeracy, Literacy and Science.
ORT books are sent 2 to 3 days a week for Nursery and Reception.
Key Stage 1 and 2 children will be set homework as follows;
- Daily reading, to be recorded in the reading record book.
- Mathematics and English homework will be given daily. ( On Club Days home work will be reduced)
- Spellings; pupils will be given new spellings to learn every Monday. These will be tested on Friday.
- Daily Task Book- Children will be asked to complete task daily. Activities will consist either a spelling Task A or B and Multiplication Table.
Activities will be completed in the TASK note book.
- Geography History science and PSHE task will be given within the week depending on teacher’s judgment.
- A piece of project may be send home on Friday. This can run over one to two weeks before submission.
Holiday homework:
At the end of each half term children will be set a piece of homework to complete during the holiday. This piece of work will link with the next topic that children will learn.
The homework will be an extended writing project allowing children to research and be inspired by their next topic and start the topic with knowledge and questions to investigate further.
Star home learning boards:
Each classroom will have a display board dedicated to ‘home learning.’ When children complete a piece of work at home that is exceptional the teacher will display and celebrate such work within their classroom.
Exceptional pieces of work will be celebrated in House Point assembly on Monday.
Exceptional effort with homework should be rewarded through use of house point. Children should be given adequate feedback regarding how well they have done and where appropriate, what they need to do to improve.