Policy for Homework
This policy was revised in January 2003 by the teaching staff. It has taken into account the Government guidelines for homework which are non statutory. It was distributed to all families in the Spring term 2003.

What is homework?
At Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School we define homework as any work or activities which pupils are asked to do outside lesson time, either on their own or with parents or carers. The amount and type given will depend on the age and ability of the children. Homework does not just mean formal exercises carried out by children without help from adults. It is the involvement of parents and carers in joint activities, which can be very brief, that is most valuable in promoting children’s learning.

Aims
Through this policy we aim to:
 

• promote learning positively
• ensure consistency of approach throughout the school
• ensure that parents and other carers have a clear understanding about expectations
• raise standards and ensure the needs of individual pupils are taken into account
• make provision to extend the more able.
 

What is the purpose of homework?
At Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School we believe that homework:
 

• helps to develop an effective partnership between the school and parents and other carers in pursuing the aims of the school
• consolidates and reinforces skills and understanding, particularly in literacy and numeracy
• uses resources for learning, of all kinds, at home
• extends coverage of the curriculum by consolidating and extending the learning that takes place during the planned day, allowing preparation for future class work and where appropriate gives opportunities for assessment of progress and mastery of work
• encourages pupils as they get older to develop the confidence and self discipline needed to study away from school, and to prepare them for the requirements of secondary school by encouraging self motivation and an ability to organise learning time
• creates channels for home/school dialogue (diaries, reading records) and enables parents to see from first hand work expectations, thereby encouraging parental co-operation and support
 

Amount of homework
At the beginning of each term parents or carers will receive a Home/School communication letter from their child’s class teacher. This will inform them of curriculum topics which are to be covered in school and also homework requirements. Parents are asked to sign and return the acknowledgement slip at the bottom. Staff keep a record of returns. As much as possible there will be a regular routine e.g. homework folders and reading records in on a Thursday, so that children, parents and teachers know what is expected of them.

The precise amount of time spent on homework is much less important than the quality of the tasks done. At Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School we recognise that children have worked hard during the day and should have time to pursue other hobbies as well as complete school based tasks. For this reason, specific tasks will be allocated several days before they are required to be given in, from Thursday to Thursday. This allows for a degree of flexibility as to when tasks are completed.

We also recognise that at certain times of the year extra work at home besides the basics of reading and learning tables, is not appropriate. For this reason any homework given during the second half of the Summer term will be reduced in order to allow the children to make the most of the lighter evenings. This will also be the case at the end of the Autumn and Spring terms when we recognise that children are tired and need time away from school activities.

Pupils who are absent during term time due to family holidays will not be given ‘holiday homework’ to complete. On return to school they may be given work to catch up, but only if the class teacher thinks that it is appropriate and that the activity can be completed without a specific teaching input.

Type of homework
Daily reading to and with parents or carers is vital. Children at Prestbury St Mary’s Junior School are encouraged to read as frequently as possible to an adult. This is recorded in the home/school reading record. Teachers regularly monitor the reading that is being done and future targets are set when appropriate. It is stressed in the reading record that a variety of reading material is essential and examples are given. Reading records should be brought to school each day, it is important that they are not misplaced, as they are an important record of the reading that has taken place. Literacy homework mainly consists of work set from published Literacy books for each year group, although additional worksheets may be set when appropriate.

Homework set will be mainly literacy or numeracy based. Science and other subjects will only be added to the programme as children move up the school. Tasks will be carefully planned and structured to support progression in learning and curriculum consolidation. Numeracy homework may take many forms such as going shopping and handling money, learning tables or completing a worksheet that reinforces or revises a mathematical concept. We are developing a set of maths games which will be sent home regularly to help consolidate maths skills.

Year 5 and 6 pupils will have a new homework diary each Autumn which is filled in with homework requirements weekly. This diary is also used to remind children about articles which should be brought to school, deadlines for homework and general school events and activities that affect them and is a good preparation for secondary school. Year 3 and 4 pupils will have a pre-filled sheet which will give details of requirements for the week. Parents are welcome to write a constructive comment concerning homework in the diaries, or on the sheet, if they feel it is appropriate. All pupils will have a homework folder, which must be returned to school each Thursday.
 

Approx. Time Per Week

Possible Activities

Year 3

1.5 hours

Reading, spelling, number games and tables, specific literacy, numeracy activity.

Year 4 and 5

1.5 - 2 hours

Reading, spelling, tables, a specific literacy and numeracy activity per week occasional assignments in other subjects

Year 6

2.5 hours

Reading, spelling, tables, a specific literacy and/ or numeracy activity per week, science when appropriate, preparation exercises for SATs, occasional assignments in other subjects

These time allocations are very approximate: Children may choose to complete their homework activities in one evening. This is entirely up to them and is part of the self-motivation and discipline process. However, it is important that parents monitor the amount of time their children are spending on tasks and inform the class teacher immediately if they have any concerns particularly if they feel their child is taking longer than the suggested time.

Special Educational Needs
Whenever possible, children who have Special Educational Needs will be given similar homework to the rest of their year group. However, they may also have separate tasks in order to address specific learning difficulties. This will be monitored by the class teacher and the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

Equal Opportunities
Appropriate opportunities to do homework are made available to those children unable to complete homework at home for a specific reason.

The role of the class teacher
The class teacher is responsible for setting the homework and for monitoring whether the demands are manageable for children, parents/carers on a day-to-day basis. It is important that homework is also manageable for the class teacher as well. Extra homework will not be set when requested by parents apart from in exceptional circumstances and on consultation with the Headteacher.

It is important that children receive feedback on work done at home as soon as possible. This may be through class work, tests, verbal or written feedback. Work may be marked individually or as a class, depending on what is appropriate. Any difficulties or problems will be discussed. Teachers will give feedback to parents when necessary and preferably at first hand. Parents are encouraged to talk to the class teacher about any homework concerns either before or after school.

The role of parents and carers in supporting pupils
In general terms parents and carers should, in the Government’s view, be encouraged to:
 

• provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which pupils can do their homework - alone or together with an adult
• make it clear to pupils that they value homework, and support the school in explaining how it can help their learning
• encourage pupils and praise them when they have completed homework
• help them when appropriate, but not do their homework for them
• as far as possible become actively involved in joint homework activities with children
• try to provide some basic resources such as pens, pencils, calculators and dictionaries
 

Evaluation and review
The Headteacher will monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the homework policy by checking a sample of homework diaries and assignments on a regular basis. The key criterion used to assess its effectiveness will be the extent to which the policy is contributing to the progress pupils make at school and their attitude to learning.