Church of England
Wetheringsett VCP School Date of Policy: October 2009 Date of next Review: Summer 2010
Contact Person: Head teacher and Senior Teacher Headteacher Mr David Simington and Mrs Elaine Miller Chair Ms Siobhan Goodrich Governors Committee: Curriculum
Notes: This document contains the original policy plus an appendix which indicates the change of focus for homework in 2010. The issue of homework is under discussion and is a focus for review by all stakeholders during 2010/11
SCALTBACK MIDDLE SCHOOL HOMEWORK POLICY.
HOMEWORK
A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL. We believe that the children will benefit greatly from developing a positive homework habit. Effective homework is an important factor in developing independent study skills and enhancing the quality of learning. Homework may take several forms, such as: · Practice of work done in class. · Preparation for future classwork. · Finishing off classwork. · Extending classwork. · Independent research/study · Making up for work missed through absence. ORGANISATION Homework tasks should normally last up to about half an hour per subject. As they progress through the school the children will find that they are expected to complete more homework. If you feel your child is spending too little or too much time on homework please let us know. Homework Diaries are issued to all children and should be used to record work that has to be completed. They can also be used as a means of communication between home and school. Parents and Teachers need to monitor these carefully to ensure that the children are keeping up to date with the demands of the work. It will not suit all families to have children doing homework every night, and so some flexibility must be expected, enabling there to be "nights off" or free weekends. Whenever possible homework will be set with at least 3 days notice before the deadline. The Homework Timetable is a useful guide for parents, showing when to expect homework to have been set. Some subjects will set occasional homework whilst others will have a more regular programme. All children should be expected to routinely spend time reading, spelling and practising multiplication tables/mental arithmetic skills. Routine learning of French Vocabulary should also take place. There are three key groups of people involved in ensuring that homework is a successful and integral part of the children's education: The children themselves, their parents and their teachers. It is useful if the roles and responsibilities of each person are clarified:
1. Children should: · write down details of all their homework in their homework diary, clearly indicating the deadline by which the work must be completed. · show their parents their homework diary on a regular basis to let them know what work will be required. · show their parents their completed work. · complete their homework by the deadlines. · regularly practice basic skills such as reading or multiplication tables. Some children may need support from teachers, TA’s and friends. This may involve a friend helping to write down the task, or perhaps finding time during the lunch break or homework clubs to seek help and advice. 2. It would be helpful if Parents could: · help their child to plan their homework so that they are not overloaded on any particular evening. · discuss the work with their children ( If the children know their parents are interested and involved in the work it will help them to accept the importance of the role of homework.) · whenever possible provide a quiet environment in which their children can complete their work. · encourage their children to make full use of local resources such as libraries or museums. · sign the homework diary to show that they have seen the completed work. · inform the School of any concerns about homework as soon as they arise. In this way problems can be “nipped in the bud” before they become serious issues. Advice for anyone willing to support pupils, including friends and parents, about helping with homework: Do not be tempted to do your child’s homework for them. It is important that your child should have the opportunity to learn from the work. Your child needs to learn who to ask, and when to stop asking (or listening!) and start working on their own. Some children have great difficulty in organising their work and will need support. Your aim should be to enable them to become independent and well organised. Doing the organising for them won’t help them progress. It is a good idea to let your child take responsibility for their learning. They must accept the consequences of making mistakes or failing to meet deadlines.
Some children are very good at organising themselves and will require very little help with their homework – if your child is like this you are very lucky! It is also helpful if dictionaries, atlases, encyclopaedias, etc can be made available. The golden rule is simply to take an interest in what your child is doing, and ask him/her to talk to you about the work. 3. Teachers should: · set homework in line with the school's homework policy, making sure that it is of suitable length and difficulty. · make sure that the children have plenty of time to write down all the necessary details and have access to appropriate resources. Homework should usually be written on the board. If pupils need additional help, teachers should build this into the homework setting periods. · check that homework has been completed. · make sure that children are not being overloaded with too much work at any one time. · make sure that homework is marked according to the school marking policy (part of the assessment policy), acknowledged and/or followed up appropriately. · Display of homework will encourage all pupils to join in and positive rewards will highlight and support the teachers intentions in setting tasks.
Appendix 1 Homework Journals From April 2010, we will be working with homework journals. These books enable pupils to reflect on their learning over the course of the school week or sometimes holiday times. The journals will mostly be teacher directed, as above, but opportunities will be provided for pupils to carry out their own homework tasks and research projects. These journals will offer pupils the chance to think about what they have been learning and what they would like to learn next. These journals will supplement rather than replace the practices outlined above. We will be sharing the principles and practice of these journals with all stakeholders, during the course of the Easter Term 2010.