Home Learning at St. Paul's CE Primary School

• Encourages a sense of purpose and achievement.
• Provides a point of contact with parents and takes advantage of all kinds of resources for learning at home.
• Is a means of reinforcing what has been learnt.
• Is a vehicle for parental involvement, developing an effective partnership between the school and parents and other carers in pursuing  the aims of the school. This is also, of course, the purpose of our home school agreements.
• Is a means of developing good study habits and the self-discipline needed to study on their own.
• Encourages a sense of ownership and of responsibility for learning.

There will be a gradual increase in home learning demands as the children progress through the school. Thus the transition to secondary school, where home learning is a regular feature, is eased.

We are aware of the interesting lives our children lead at home and do not wish to encroach upon this important aspect of their development. Teachers are sensitive to the demands made upon individual children when setting home learning. Time Allocation for Home Learning (as recommended by the Government).

Year 1 and Year 2 - 1 hour per week Year 3 and Year 4 - 1.5 hours per week Year 5 and Year 6 - 30 minutes per day Note: The daily reading, which the government also recommends for all children, can be done as part of home learning. Taking all the above into consideration, home learning at St. Paul's CE Primary is set as follows:

Reception: Reading Books go home every night and are changed once a week. Children also receive a home learning grid at the beginning of each half term with activities for them to complete linked to work we are doing in school.

Year 1: Reading books are taken home on a Thursday and returned on a Monday. Word lists are usually given every week - a list of words to learn to read and learn to spell in the homework book each Friday. Home learning sheets are given weekly based on either spelling, writing, reading, maths or another curriculum area. Home work to be returned by Wednesday.

Year 2: Reading books are sent home ach Thursday to return on a Monday. Spellings are given weekly either on Spelling Shed or within homework books. Maths homework is sent home weekly and comprehension tasks for some groups of children. 

Year 3: Reading books are to be taken home every day. Maths, English and Spellings will go home on Friday (spellings to be learned for their test the following Friday) 

Year 4: Reading books are to be taken home daily. Each Friday, English and Maths tasks will be sent home weekly. Tables and Spellings should be learned weekly.

Year 5: Maths, English and weekly spelling home learning is set every Friday to be returned the following Friday. Reading Books to be taken home every day. 

Year 6: Children will receive spellings every Monday and will be tested the following Friday Morning. Each Friday children will receive a reading comprehension and Maths work, which needs to be brought back by Tuesday. It is essential that children know their times tables so they are encouraged to access Times Table Rockstars every other day in addition to Reading Plus on alternate days. Your child may also be given short pieces of maths or English work on a regular basis to support their learning in class, if this is appropriate. 

In addition, all year groups a homework grid is sent home to each year group termly. These are full of activities for the children to complete linked to their school learning and also includes some of our 100 things to do at St Paul’s tasks.

 

The Role of Parents and Carers in Supporting their Children

 

In general terms, it would be beneficial for parents and carers to:

• Provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which the children can do their home learning - alone, or for younger children, together with an adult.
• Make it clear to their children that they value home learning and support the school in explaining how it can help their learning.
• Encourage their children and praise them when they have completed home learning.

 

Special Educational Needs

 

In addition, children receiving Special Educational Needs provision may need to practise at home or complete individual projects. Absence through illness or injury - Every effort is made to work with the family in these instances. Holidays taken in school time are actively discouraged. However, home learning is sometimes requested by parents; when it is suggested that the child could keep a diary or a scrapbook.

 

Holiday Period

Reading books can be sent home (not during summer break) or research could be requested. Staff are prepared to welcome anything children bring in from their holidays.

....."The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing....." Albert Einstein