The Homework Policy and How to help your child at home

1. The Homework PolicyandHow to help your child at home Tuesday, 28th February

2. The Homework Policy The Homework policy and Guidance can be found on the school website. Look on the left-hand panel for documents and then go into policies. Charlton-on-Otmoor Website

3. The Homework Policy-Why? ‘The effort pupils put into completing homework tends to be determined by parental expectations and involvement’ This policy has been written to: • Ensure that parents are clear about what their child is expected to do. • Encourage pupils and their parents to share and enjoy learning experiences. • Ensure consistency of approach throughout the school. • To use homework as a tool to help continue to raise standards of attainment. • Improve the quality of the learning experience offered to pupils and to extend it beyond the classroom environment. • Reinforce work covered in class by providing further opportunities for individual learning. • To practise or consolidate basic skills and knowledge, especially in Numeracy and Literacy. • Encourage children to develop the responsibility, confidence and self-discipline needed to study independently. • To prepare Year 6 pupils for the transfer to secondary school.

4. The Homework Policy-What? What activities may be set as homework and how can children be supported? Reading • Throughout your child’s school life there will be an expectation that they practise reading at home. It is as important in year six as it is in the FSU. • It is important to listen to your child read and help them to understand the words and their meaning. Don’t jump in too quickly when your child can’t read a word but give them time to self-correct. After reading, briefly discuss what you have read to check that your child has understood the overall meaning. Don’t turn this into an inquisition or it may affect your child’s enthusiasm for reading. • Always remember that school reading scheme books are not the only books. These books have a specific purpose and are good at structuring the acquisition of skills. BUT they are limited in the extent to which they can generate excitement and enjoyment, which are important elements of learning to love reading. Choose books with your child, that you will both enjoy. Share the reading or just read to your child. • Choose a relaxed time to read with your child, when you both have time to enjoy it. Finish when your child becomes restless and shows signs that they have had enough. If reading is fun then your child will enjoy it and want to become a reader. ‘Reading is the gateway to learning’ ‘Reading with your child needs to be a fun, shared experience if either of you is to get anything from it’

5. The Homework Policy-What? Spelling • Sometimes children will be given lists to learn, as a prelude to a test. At other times they may have spelling patterns to investigate. When you practise spellings with your child, put the words into sentences that give a clue as to the word’s meaning. This helps children to not only learn how to spell the word but recognise its likely context. Sadly children can often learn spellings for a test but fail to spell the words correctly when using them in their writing. Spllng s mprtnt. Vnwhnwrdsrn’tspltprplyt’spssble t ndrstndthwrtng s lng s thlttrs r n thrghtsqnc.

6. The Homework Policy-What? Many parents struggle to help their child with maths homework because now children are taught to understand maths. Their parents were taught methods, without the understanding needed to be able to help their child. Maths activities • A lot of maths learning is practical and having one to one support can be very helpful, so undertaking these activities at home can be very beneficial for your child. Playing games that develop maths skills can be especially good at home because the family atmosphere helps to make it fun and having an adult helps to keep the activity on track. • Where the homework involves solving problems or answering questions a parent can offer help. It is important to support rather than give answers, so that your child can get the most out of the activity.

7. The Homework Policy-What? Project work • Sometimes topic related work will be set that asks the children to undertake a project. They will be given guidance and a structure for this work. Parents can help by pointing children in the direction of sources of information. They may also help with ideas for the layout or suggestions for presentation. People are more productive when they have control over their work and how they do it. Teachers know parents help children with homework. In fact they expect it. BUT, no matter how much you are enjoying it, don’t take the editorial control away from your child.

8. The Homework Policy-How long? How much time are children expected to spend on homework?

9. Homework-the Shocking Truth! “There is no good evidence that homework produces better academic achievement.” “More homework is being piled on children despite the absence of its value.”