Is homework necessary?

At St Brides Major School we appreciate how important the links between parents and teachers are and the need for us to work together to ensure that children develop a positive attitude to work and for them to make the most of their education years. We believe that it is important that children begin to bring “work” home from a fairly young age to help them to learn and reinforce basic skills and for them to see parents and teachers working together. However, we also appreciate that our pupils are in the primary school and that regular, set homework is not beneficial. Children still need to have time to relax, play and spend time with the family. As your child gets older the “work” becomes more important as it changes in nature to encourage independent study.

Our approach to homework, therefore, varies through the school according to the age of the child. The one thing that remains constant throughout is the fact that it can only benefit your child if we have your support and work together.

How can you help?

Each pupil has a Home/School Message Book and this will be a means of keeping you informed about anything that may affect you and your child in school. It will also contain information about homework. Years 5 and 6 have separate Homework Diaries.

Please sign these books, and comment if you wish, when sent home.

• Read with your child
• Ensure that homework is completed in the best possible environment
• Avoid ”battles” over homework – we would prefer it returned undone, than your child becoming unnecessarily distressed
• Leave opportunities for non school activities
• Many children will need time to get over the school day and others will need company and encouragement before they can establish a routine for themselves
• Test what has to be learned
• Ask your child to read back what has been written
• Check presentation for neatness and accuracy
• Take your child to the library
• Encourage sensible use of the internet
• If your child is genuinely stuck, then try to provide some guidance, sufficient to overcome the problem, rather than give the direct answer.

If you are unsure about how to approach a piece of homework, please ask. After all methods of education have changed since we were in school. We are here to help.

What homework can I expect my child to bring home?

Reception

Each week children will bring home books for reading together with parents; phonic sounds and key words to learn; number formation and recognition.

Year 1

Home reading books will come home weekly with high frequency words, letter formation and phonics; number formation and bonds to 10/20.

Year2 – 6

Multiplication tables as follows:

Year 2 – 2s, 5s, 10s

Year 3 – 3s, 4s

Year4 – 6s, 7s (for speed tests)

Years 5 and 6 – all from 2-12 inclusive

Weekly tests are given in tables.

Reading books for individual and shared reading; spellings for weekly tests; research projects and topic work.

All years

Personal and life skills, such as tying laces, telling the time, using a knife and fork correctly. There will also be times when unfinished work is sent home.

Curriculum News

Each term you will receive a Curriculum News. It contains all the curricular activities for that term. For each year group there is a synopsis of the class work as well as planned visits and a section on how you can help. This section outlines how you can support your child’s learning by following up certain ideas, skills and request for specific help.