Homework helps children to develop the skills and attitudes they will need for successful lifelong learning. Homework also supports the development of independent learning skills and provides parents and carers with an opportunity to take part in their children’s education. Research over several years has shown that homework can make an important contribution to the progress which pupils make in school. Government research has shown that there are enormous advantages in children spending periods of time (initially quite short) on different learning activities devised to support the work they are doing in school.

*Children are also set projects to complete over the holiday periods to learn about forthcoming units of work, or to extend their understanding.

Parents/carers are sent a ‘Termly Curriculum Newsletter’ informing them of the weekly Homework expectations. Within Nursery and Reception, children are encouraged to read at home and take part in real life enrichment activities, as well as completing short games and tasks to underpin their learning.

Pupils will only be expected to spend the recommended time on any homework task, though extension work may be included for pupils wishing to do more. Every encouragement will be given to pupils to complete the homework. Parents should inform the teacher (either through the homework/reading diary, verbally or by letter) if the task is causing any sustained problem to their child.

Differentiation

Homework for all children is differentiated where appropriate to meet individual children’s learning needs. Account is taken of children with Special Educational Needs and children who are working at Greater Depth. All pupils are challenged appropriately, to support and reinforce their learning in school.

How homework will be planned and co-ordinated

Google classroom is a vital resource for communication between the classroom and home. All parents are requested to accept the invitation for their child’s/ren class page signposting them to digital homework.

The class teacher will be responsible for ensuring that the demands of homework are manageable for pupils and parents/carers on a day-to-day basis. Homework will be organised differently through the year groups to meet the individual needs of the class, the class teacher will decide when homework will be sent home, when it should be returned and how it will be assessed. Parents will be informed at the start of each year as to how homework for their child will be set, and what arrangements will be made for marking and assessing the homework.

In order to reduce workload and to improve outcomes, including implementing EEF Research into digital homework, Governors have provided a range of online learning resources accessible on the school’s VLE including:

• Google Classroom
• TT Rock Stars
• IXL Learning IXL-Parent-Handout.pdf
• Purple Mash
• Maths Watch
• Oxford Reading Buddy (customer_introduction_parent_carers.pdf)
• Read, Write, Inc videos weekly

Parents and carers are encouraged to contact their child’s/ren class teacher if there are logins issues for digitally set homework.

Governors have also invested in quality physical ‘Home Learning Resources’ available to all children including:

• White Rose Maths Journals

• Phonics and Reading Material

The role of parents and carers in supporting pupils

Parents and carers are asked to try and find a reasonably suitable peaceful place where pupils can do their homework and where adults can help them where necessary. Parents should make it clear to the pupils that they understand the need for homework and that they support the school in explaining how it can help their child’s learning. Parents of all children are encouraged by the school to ask for any help they need to help their child with homework set and discuss with the class teacher any problems which the setting of homework may cause.

Homework and study facilities

St Giles School has provision for pupils to do their homework or to seek support to complete homework. The local library also provides facilities to research their homework. Pupils are encouraged to make full use of these facilities.

Feedback for pupils, parents, carers and teachers

Children who involve their parents in homework will get the best, and most immediate feedback on the work they have done. Often the main point of homework is the involvement between parents and child. Parents are encouraged to record the fact that they have read with their child in reading record books. This tends to be the case more frequently in Key Stage One. This may sometimes be in the traditional way by the teacher or Teaching Assistant, looking at each piece of work individually, and making a comment on the work. It is more likely, however that the work set will be discussed by the class as a whole. Clearly, where pupils have misunderstood the work set, teachers will be prepared to set time aside to help them understand their errors and misconceptions.

Arrangements for monitoring and evaluating policies

The efficiency and effectiveness of homework policies needs to be monitored and evaluated. It is important to regularly check what homework is being sent home and evaluate what effect the homework is having on improving standards amongst pupils. At St Giles, we will review the arrangements for homework throughout the school year on a yearly basis. Yearly questionnaires to parents are also undertaken to help us to evaluate how parents feel about the arrangements currently running.