1. Homework Parents’ Meeting 24 th November 2015

3. Homework Advice 1998 DCSF A good, well-managed homework programme helps children and young people 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 with an opportunity to take part in their children's education. It is good practice for headteachers to regularly review the management of homework in the curriculum and to bring DCSF guidance to the notice of staff, governors and parents. They should also consider the amount of time that pupils of different ages and aptitudes spend on homework and how the school involves parents and their representatives in discussion and evaluation of homework policy. Effective homework Learning at home is an essential part of good education. Regular homework is important as it gives pupils the opportunity to practice at home the tasks covered in class, and helps the pupils work towards improving important skills. It also helps children and young people to become confident and independent in their learning, which will help throughout their time at school and in adult life.

4. School homework policies The best way to ensure that everyone understands what is expected is for schools to have a written homework policy, which should be publicly available on request. Homework policies should set out clearly what the purposes of homework are, and should include information regarding: developing a home-school partnership consolidating and reinforcing skills and understanding extending school learning. In primary schools, the focus of homework should be on the important skills of literacy and numeracy. Regular reading at home, especially reading with parents, should be encouraged. Older pupils in primary schools should be given other tasks such as finding out and preparing information as well as traditional writing tasks. This helps to ease the transfer to secondary schools.

5. Recommended time for homework Every school will consider how much time is appropriate for pupils at each stage, according to their aptitude. The Government's recommended time allocation, based on current good practice, is set out in Homework: Guidelines for Primary Schools and Secondary Schools, as follows; Years 1 and 21 hour per weekReading, spelling, other literacy work and number work Years 3 and 41.5 hours per weekLiteracy and numeracy as for years 1 and 2, with occasional assignments in other subjects Years 5 and 630 minutes per dayRegular weekly schedule with continued emphasis on literacy and numeracy, but also ranging widely over the curriculum

6. Implementation Schools will ensure that homework is an integral part of the curriculum and is planned and prepared alongside all other programmes of learning. Pupils will record and ensure their understanding of the homework tasks and demonstrate a commitment to spending an allocated time doing the tasks set and handing the work back on time. Parents and carers will encourage and monitor homework and inform the school if an issue arises. Homework policy should be promoted throughout the school, and its implementation and effectiveness should be reviewed annually. This is to ensure that teachers and parents are completely clear about what is expected of pupils in terms of homework and how it should be organised and managed.

7. Michael Gove scraps government homework guidelines 5 March 2012 Head teachers in England are to be given greater discretion over how much homework their pupils are set. Education Secretary Michael Gove has scrapped the guidelines for home study introduced by Labour in 1998. It follows parents' complaints that too much homework is limiting family time and opportunities for play and sport. Education officials said head teachers should be able to make decisions free from "unnecessary bureaucratic guidance". Labour's guidelines recommend an hour a week for five to seven-year-olds, gradually rising to 2.5 hours per night for pupils aged between 14 and 16. Now, the decision on whether to set homework at all - and if so how much - will fall to head teachers. A Department for Education spokesman said homework was "part and parcel of a good education". "We trust head teachers to set the homework policy for their school. They know their pupils best and should be free to make these decisions without having to adhere to unnecessary bureaucratic guidance." Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "Homework is like most things in education - it is quality that counts, not quantity. If homework is properly connected to lessons, and regularly marked, it works. "Just setting large volumes of homework for the sake of meeting targets doesn't work. Sensible discretion on the part of head teachers, to ensure the schools' homework policy reinforces their teaching strategy, is fine."

8. St Thomas’ survey of parents 2014

9. June/July 2015 Working Party (All parents invited) Parents Teachers Governors HT/DHT

10. What was the outcome? Collectively we couldn’t agree: In essence ‘the time set for homework appeared appropriate but teachers weren’t sticking to this.’ Please stick to the policy. What was the most important aspect of homework? Parents and pupils working together. Reading underpins all learning. Importance of ‘speaking and listening’.

11. Having considered the views of the working party This is what we decided

12. Homework Policy 2015-2016 At St Thomas’ we believe that parents are the most important people in their children’s development. We know that children, whose parents actively support their education, make consistent progress. We see homework as part of this overall involvement. Homework encourages parents to work with their children at home and to be specifically involved in their children’s learning. It provides children with opportunities to practise skills they are learning at school, helps to reinforce facts learned in the classroom and encourages children to be independent learners outside the school environment. We hope that doing homework will set patterns of study that will benefit your children now and throughout their school lives. The amount of homework set for pupils does, of course, increase as children progress through the school. We expect parents to take responsibility for the homework that their child is set and ensure that an appropriate amount of time is spent on their child’s education. We also believe that children should be encouraged to take part in other activities outside school time e.g. Brownies, Sports and Creative Arts clubs etc.

13. AIMS OF HOMEWORK:- To extend learning beyond the classroom. To encourage parental involvement in pupil’s education. To foster a responsible attitude to learning. To provide children with opportunities to be independent learners. To provide children with opportunities to develop investigational/research skills. To promote the skills of memory. To give time at home for consolidation and practice.

14. Homework will, where possible, be given to the children and a deadline set for it to be returned, allowing parents and children the opportunity to undertake other activities without the pressure to complete homework each evening. The school hopes to achieve:- Consistent setting of homework across the whole age range. Greater parental involvement in their children’s learning. A higher standard in the homework being completed by children because they are taking a more responsible attitude to their learning. Higher attainment in spelling and mental arithmetic including multiplication tables. If you as parents/ guardians, feel there is a reason why your child should not complete homework for a particular week then please write a brief note to your child’s class teacher explaining the reason/s. Where no explanation has been provided by a parent or guardian your child will be expected to complete the homework which has been set during their break or lunch time.

15. Reception and KS 1 All children in this age range are expected to read to their parents/ carers for up to 10 minutes each evening. Children are to read either their reading book or one of their choice from home. Parents can place emphasis on reading with expression and discussing what the child has read. Each of the children is given a Reading Record Book so that parents can record the amount of reading the children have done and add any relevant comments and encouragement. The children are also encouraged to add their own comments. All children in KS1 have a homework folder which is sent home on a weekly basis. Each week Reception class children will be given an exercise specific to their reading.

16. Year 1 & 2 children are given spellings each week or Grammar and Punctuation work. Occasionally Year 1 and 2 children may be given a selection of the following activities to support learning in all areas of the curriculum. For example:- Gathering information relevant to a topic they are studying; for example in R.E. looking at pictures of when they or their parents were babies or were baptised. Number activities such as learning their number bonds or multiplication tables or gathering information for a mathematical investigation, for example measuring various items. Practical activities which support their Science projects for example looking at different items in their home and classifying them in terms of metal, plastic etc. As reading is such an important skill and the ability to read permeates every other area of learning, it is important that your child reads to an adult for up to 10 minutes per evening for a minimum of 5 evenings per week. Reading Records should be signed by an adult to show that reading homework has been completed. Homework tasks should as a guideline, take about one hour per week.

17. Year 3 and 4 LKS 2 In this age group children should read for up to 15 minutes per evening for a minimum of 5 evenings per week. This can be evenly split into reading out aloud to an adult and reading independently. Reading Records should be signed by an adult to show that reading homework has been completed. A relevant comment from parents related to the childrens’ reading would be appropriate. Sometimes children are given specific reading which is accompanied by a workbook or worksheet which must be completed. Children in this age group are usually given weekly spellings relevant to their ability. The number given is normally between 10 and 20 and children are expected to learn them and to practise using the words in context by maybe putting them into sentences or into a short story. The children may be given Grammar and Punctuation work linked to their spellings or set this type of work instead of spellings.

18. Each week the children are also given number bonds or multiplication tables to learn for a weekly test which assesses their quick recall of number. Sometimes a further mathematical activity will also be given to extend or reinforce the learning taking place in school. This could be a worksheet or practical investigation, for example measuring their bedroom. Occasionally children will be given a task which will help them to develop their research skills, enhance the skills of note taking or give practice in preparing factual information to present to other class members. This task could be in any area of the curriculum. Homework tasks should as guideline, take about one and a half hours per week.

19. Year 5 and 6 UKS 2 Children in Year 5 and 6 are expected to read each evening. Whether they read to their parents will depend on individual needs. Some children of this age still need this support while they develop fluency whilst others simply enjoy reading to an adult. The emphasis is on encouraging children to develop their reading skills along with developing the habit of reading for pleasure. In this age group children should read for up to 20 minutes per evening for a minimum of 5 evenings per week. This can be split into reading out aloud to an adult and reading independently. Reading Records should be signed by an adult to show that reading homework has been completed. Each week the children are usually given 10 to 20 spellings to learn which reflects their competency. They are expected to practise these and attempt to put them into context. The children may be given Grammar and Punctuation work linked to their spellings or instead of spellings.

20. The children are also given a weekly mental arithmetic test, which may include multiplication tables this is designed to develop their ability to apply mathematical knowledge. Sometimes a further mathematical activity will also be given to extend or reinforce the learning taking place in school. This could be a worksheet or practical investigation. Occasionally an activity will be given to extend children’s knowledge and encourage them to be independent learners. This can be in any area of the curriculum but is usually tied to the study unit they are working on and includes the use of reference books or internet sites. It may also be used to revise a concept. Children may occasionally be asked to prepare and present a report on a current topic being studied in class. Sometimes they will be required to gather information for a debate. As a guideline homework should take about two and a half hours a week with the emphasis on Literacy, Numeracy and Science.

21. Role of Parents/ Carers To sign each piece of written homework their child is asked to complete To support the school by ensuring that their child attempts the homework. To provide a suitable place for their child to carry out their homework. To encourage and praise their child when they have completed their homework. To become actively involved and support their child with homework activities. To make it clear that they value homework and they support the school by explaining how it can help learning.

22. At St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School we are very keen for parents to support and help their children with homework. We take the view that children are likely to get more out of an activity if parents get involved as long as they do not take over too much. However, there are times when we will want to see what children can do on their own. It is particularly important, as they get older, for children to become increasingly independent in their learning. If you find that your child is taking far longer to complete their homework than the guideline which is set, please inform your child’s teacher by writing a short note in their homework book and noting the amount of time you spent on the task. If a parent is unsure about what their role should be, they should discuss it with their child's teacher. Parents/Carers who have queries about homework should not hesitate to make an appointment to see their child’s class teacher.

23. Special Educational Needs Teachers’ will take into account the needs of different groups of pupils. Sometimes the expectations of the pupils will vary. At other times, the tasks for groups of children will vary. Where practicable differentiated activities will be set depending on the ability of each child or group of children. Marking Homework will be marked appropriately to the task set and in accordance with our School Marking Policy.

24. Any questions?