Homework & parent partnership policy
Christian Values
The specific Christian Values of Love, Respect and Courage underpin, and are intrinsic to the ethos and belief of Saint James Church of England Primary School.
Our Vision
At Saint James we accept challenges, take risks and work to make to make positive change in ourselves and our community. Focusing on building resilience and compassionate relationships allows everyone to flourish. Using our Christian values to guide us, we develop skills to navigate rough seas and transform our world. ‘Be strong and courageous and do it’ - 1 Chronicles 28:20
This policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies:
- Teaching & Learning
- Equal Opportunities
- Special Educational Needs
Rationale
Through the implementation of this policy we aim to:
- Provide opportunities for parents/carers, pupils and the school to work in partnership
- Improve and maintain strong links between school and home
- Build on the work being done in school
- Extend and support learning experiences through reinforcement and revision
- Provide a structured approach to homework throughout the school
- Enable children to develop the skills necessary for independent learning
Homework will be carefully planned alongside the work that children do at school. In order that homework significantly contributes to learning, the school will:
- Establish consistent practice in responding to queries on the homework
- Make sure that all pupils and their parents/carers are clear about what to do
- Plan and set tasks that are appropriate to the age and ability of the child
Guidelines
The school sets homework using the following Ofsted guidelines:
"Teachers set challenging homework, in line with the school’s policy and as appropriate for the age and stage of pupils, that consolidates learning, deepens understanding and prepares pupils very well for work to come."
Year Group Expectations
| Year group | Expectations |
|---|---|
| Year R | - Reading recorded in ‘Monkey Books’ 5x a week – Children will bring home their Phonics Book Bag Book or speed sounds matched to their level and a reading for pleasure book from the library. We encourage the children to choose from the 40 recommended books for their reading for pleasure book. - Weekly spellings on Spelling Shed. Times Tables Rockstars or Numbots. |
| KS1 (Year 1, 2, 3) |
- Reading recorded in ‘Monkey Books’ 5x a week – Children will bring home their Phonics Book Bag Book or speed sounds matched to their level and a reading for pleasure book from the library. We encourage the children to choose from the 40 recommended books for their reading for pleasure book. - Weekly spellings on Spelling Shed. - Times Tables Rockstars or Numbots. |
KS2 (Years 3, 4, 5, 6) |
- Reading recorded in ‘Reading Records’ 5x a week – Any children on Phonics, will bring home a Phonics Book Bag Book or anthology matched to their level and a reading for pleasure book from the library. We encourage the children to choose from the 40 recommended books for their reading for pleasure book. - Weekly spellings on Spelling Shed. - Times Tables Rockstars or Numbots. |
Saint James Primary School staff will
- Set homework on a Thursday, which will be due in the following Tuesday.
- Set homework following the agreed year-group programme.
- Set activities that help parents practice essential Reading/Maths skills with their child.
- Support children who have not completed the homework by giving them time in school to complete it.
- Reward with LRC’s praise the child when they have completed their homework and have worked hard to complete it well.
- The teacher will help children if they have struggled with their homework.
We expect parents to
- Support their child to complete weekly homework, including signing reading logs.
- Make homework a positive experience, praising effort, resilience and perseverance.
- Encourage good presentation and best effort when completing homework.
- Ensure homework is completed and handed in each Tuesday.
We expect children to
- Be positive about their homework as it is set to help them in their learning.
- Try their best to do the homework with positivity, independence, resilience and perseverance.
- Take pride in their work.
- Ask for help from the teacher if they are struggling with anything.
Children with Special Educational Needs
The school will consider carefully the needs of individual children and think about how they can best work with parents/carers to support their learning, including their personal and social development. The child’s class teacher will liaise with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) to make sure the level and type of activity is appropriate.
Instructions
Clear instructions will be provided to parents/carers. Year 6 will sometimes be given verbal instructions in preparation for secondary school.
Parents/Carers’ support
The school is reliant upon parents/carers to ensure that children establish a regular homework routine, that children are encouraged to complete tasks to the best of their ability and that their homework is completed on time.
Feedback
- The teacher will monitor the children’s progress in their homework and support any children who have struggled with their homework.