St. Martin’s Church of England Aided Primary School

Homework Policy

The main purposes of homework are:

  • to further develop our links with parents
     
  • to help parents and other carers to understand more clearly what their children are learning at school
     
  • to give children the opportunity to practise and consolidate their learning, particularly in literacy and numeracy
     
  • to encourage self discipline and perseverance
     
  • to help children to learn to plan the wise use of their time; to develop confidence and self-discipline
     
  • to develop ‘the homework habit’ in preparation for secondary school
     
  • to increase pupils’ self esteem and the realisation that their achievements are regarded as important by home and school
     
  • to inform parents and other carers of approaches and techniques used in school
     
  • to make use of all kinds of learning resources at home and in the wider community e.g. libraries
     
  • to extend school learning.
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    Aims

    All pupils at this School are encouraged to work to the best of their ability during the course of the school day. However, we recognise that the setting of homework may:

  • reinforce and consolidate content learnt in school
     

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  • prepare pupils for regular homework set at secondary level

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    Guidelines

    Teachers set homework and will always give feedback to the child about work completed but this may not always take a written form.

    When pupils are lent books and equipment to complete homework, all resources should be returned to school in the same condition as when they were borrowed.

    No work should be set that relies on resources that may not exist in the child's home.

    Reading is a homework activity for every pupil that should take place every day for at least ten to twenty minutes. Reading record books are designed for parental comment.

     

    In recognition that young children tire towards the end of the school day, homework may not be set on a daily basis but is introduced gradually until Year 6, where a more structured approach is adopted. Every care is taken to ensure at all times that work set is possible within the home situation and that there is no overload for pupils. Emphasis is placed on children who have completed homework not on children who have not. As part of the Home School agreement, parents agree to take an active part in supporting their child when they work at home by providing guidance, a quiet working environment, etc. However, completion of homework is the responsibility of the pupil not the parent.

    For children at Key Stage 1 the focus will be on developing a partnership with parents or carers by utilising opportunities for learning at home. Short activities e.g. maths tasks, word games, learning spellings and enjoying reading together will be the nature of KS1 homework. Great emphasis will be given to the importance of parents and other carers reading with children, as children need regular opportunities to practise reading and listen to others reading. For some children who are ready for more challenging work, tasks designed to take about twenty minutes will be sent home when appropriate. Overall, the time spent on homework in Key Stage 1 will be about 1 hour per week.

    In Key Stage 2 the main purpose of homework is to provide opportunities for children to develop the skills of independent learning. By the time children reach Year 6, their homework programme will cover a wide range of tasks and curriculum content. The school will liaise with the secondary schools, to which most of the children will transfer, to ensure a realistic level of continuity. The time spent on homework tasks will be commensurate with the individual pupil’s ability and will extend to a minimum of 30 minutes a day in Year 6. Whenever possible, homework will be set regularly so that both parents and children can organise their routine at home. Year 6 homework is recorded in homework diaries. Daily reading is also requested, either as part of the homework or in addition to it.

    Each class teacher is responsible for ensuring that the demands of homework are manageable for pupils, parents and carers. When necessary, teachers will allow more than one evening for homework to be completed. This would, for example, be particularly important when tasks require children to research information and also takes into account children who are involved in out of school activities.

    Reviewed by Staff September 2004

    Reviewed by Governors February 2002

    Next review : September 2005

     

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