Homework

Homework is anything that children do outside of the normal school day that contributes to the children’s learning in response to guidance from the school.

As children mature, homework can play a positive role in raising a child’s level of attainment; therefore, we feel that setting accessible, short, weekly homework tasks is the right thing to do for our pupils at this stage of their education and development. As children progress through the school the amount of homework they receive is likely to increase. Children in year six will have additional revision homework to undertake in preparation for Key Stage Two SATs tests that occur in May.

Regular homework also helps to foster good habits of organisation and self-discipline that children will need to have developed to meet the demands of homework at high school.

This is why homework at BVS is compulsory for all children.

However, we also recognise the importance of play, free time and accessing out-of-school clubs, organisations and activities for our children’s growth, wellbeing and wider development.

We believe that our approach to homework supports this balance, is not onerous

We ask that parents and carers support their child with their homework by discussing tasks, giving help if needed and by providing a set time and quiet space for homework to be completed. We are here to help, so please speak to your child’s class teacher for advice and support with homework.

As we expect all pupils to attempt, the homework set by their class teacher before the given deadline, we provided our children with the option to attend a weekly, supervised, lunchtime homework club.

Pupils who do not complete their homework at home, or attend homework club, may be asked to complete missing homework at break or lunchtime. If a class teacher is concerned that a child is not completing homework regularly, parents and carers will be asked to discuss the reasons for this.

If a child is unable to complete a weekly homework tasks, for a particular reason (such as a big weekend family event or holiday), parents and carers are encouraged to let the class teacher know, so that the child can be excused homework that week.

Some parents and carers wish for their children to complete additional learning out of school. For these families, we recommend that they refer to the core knowledge material that can be accessed via planners and the school’s website.

This substantive knowledge can be revised, quizzed and revisited time and again to help pupils retain this important information. Best practice would be to focus on current and past content, rather than moving on to learning core knowledge from future year groups.

Parents can also access additional home learning material via the school’s website and by visiting Oak National Academy: https://classroom.thenational.academy/

As school, we set the following English and maths homework expectations/tasks: Reading: Reading aloud a fiction or non-fiction book a minimum of  3 x per week, for 10 to 20 minutes each time; We encourage children to read aloud to parents and carers and for parent and carers to do the same. Sometimes alternating responsibility for reading a paragraph, section or page; We encourage families to have weekly chats about the books being read and the vocabulary within them. Discussions can be had about favourite authors, genres and illustrators; All reading homework should be recorded in children’s planners (provided by the school), as this will be monitored by class teachers. Reading Challenge: Children will be rewarded for the variety of books and authors they read. The challenges they choose to complete must be based on new books they have read for the first time. All details of our reading challenge can be found in the BVS planner. Big Spell: A Big Spell word list to learn (use Big Book Spell book to practise). Times Tables: Times Tables (TT) Rockstars practice for a minimum of 20 minutes per week; TT Rockstars competitions will also be regularly available for children to participate in, both in and out of school; We strongly encourage all children to regularly log into TT Rockstars to practise and develop their multiplication tables knowledge and fluency, as application of this essential knowledge will really help children’s mathematical understanding and attainment to improve; Login details for Google Classroom and TT Rockstars can be found in BVS planners. Maths Quiz (Upper Key Stage Two only): A weekly maths quiz on Google Classroom; Login details for Google Classroom can be found in BVS planners.

Access to Technology

We recognise that for some children, access to a device or the internet may be a barrier to completing homework out of school. For these children time can be given in school for them to complete their homework on a school device. Copies of maths quizzes, for children in years five and six, can also be printed and sent home with the child on request.

Parents and carers are encouraged to contact the school if access to technology is a barrier stopping children from accessing learning at home. The school may be able to work with community partners to provide appropriate support.

Children with a Special Education Need (SEN)

Homework is provided for all children, so we try to ensure that all tasks set are appropriate and adapted to the needs of the child. Parents and carers of children with SEN should communicate to the child’s class teacher and SENDCo if homework

Homework Issues

If parents have, any problems connected to children’s homework they should, in the first instance, contact the class teacher. If questions are of a more general nature, they should contact a senior member of staff of the head of school.

If parent or carers wish to make a complaint about the school’s homework policy or the way it is being implemented, they should follow the federation’s complaint policy.