Home Learning

We value all of the enthusiastic and supportive guidance parents give to their children at home and we want to assist with this to ensure all children meet their potential.

 

Basic routines and frequency

  • Reading: at least 3 times a week. Pupils should read regularly and often. This includes parents hearing children read and/or children reading independently. Reading books and reading records for all year groups need to be brought in on a daily basis. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 should also complete 30 minutes of Reading Plus each week.
  • Mathematics: issued weekly to be practised several times a week. Children have a mental maths focus each half term that will be sent home to practise and learn. Children should practice using Numbots, Reflex (Years 4 and 5) and Times Table Rockstars (TTR).
  • Phonics:  issued weekly to be practised several times a week. Activities are provided using the Read, Write Inc portal
  • Spelling: issued weekly to be practised several times a week. It is essential that children complete this as it is a continuum of the phonics/spelling learning in school as well as supporting our assessment of pupils’ learning. Spelling practice includes:
    • Reception and Year 1: action words (common exception words) will be sent home for pupils to practise and learn.  
    • Years 1 to 6: spellings will be sent home each week in line with the spelling focus that has been taught in school.
  • The wider curriculum: sent occasionally as appropriate. Pupils may be sent pre-reading or post activities to consolidate their learning in the wider curriculum. These tasks will be posted on Tapestry/Seesaw.

Teachers will check online learning platforms at least weekly to ensure children are using any online activities.

 

The importance of reading

Pupils are encouraged to read regularly and often, both for their own development and also for enjoyment. Confident readers may read alone or to an adult. Less confident readers should read aloud to an adult.

The frequency that books are taken home from school varies with age:

  • Nursery: pupils will be able to choose a book once a week to read and share with their grown-ups at home.
  • Reception: children will take home 2 books. One book is phonetically matched to their ability and one choice book that can be read to them for pleasure.
  • Years 1 and 2: children will take home 3 books. Two books are phonetically matched to their ability and one choice book that can be read to them for pleasure.
  • Years 3 to 6: children independently choose a new age-appropriate book pitched at their level of understanding. These are to be bought in daily and changed when completed.

 

Reading in Reception

We regularly set phonics (Read, Write, Inc) practice and have an Early Years reading record that has some suggestions for how parents and carers can support children at home. Parents and carers are also be able to add any learning done with children on their online journals (Tapestry). In Nursery, phonics resources begin to be sent home during the Spring Term.

 

Reading Records

Every child from Reception to Year 6 will have a reading record. These may be filled in by the adult who hears them read or by pupils who read independently. This enables us to see how frequently pupils are reading at home. Reading records should be bought in daily so that children’s frequency of reading and their responses can be checked. These will be checked in class at least once a week. Class teachers will initial these to indicate that the check has taken place.

Each reading record entry should include:

  • the date
  • the title of the book being read
  • the pages that were read (e.g. pp12-21) and
  • comments about the child’s reading (e.g. their expression, any difficulties, responses to the text).

 

Mathematics

Early Years and Year 1 

Children have access to Numbots to practise their number facts.

Years 2 to 6:

Children have access to Times Table Rockstars, an online learning platform, to practise their multiplication bonds. Teachers set appropriately challenging times tables questions according to National Curriculum expectations and individual ability. Teachers will periodically check the online platform to identify children who use the programme particularly well those who access it less frequently.

Year 4 and the Multiplication Tables Check:

It is the National Curriculum expectation that all children will know a range of multiplication tables and facts (at least up to 12x12) by the end of Year 4. To support this, children are provided with daily practice in Year 4 using Reflex. All children also have access to a half-termly instant recall facts document. This provides songs, games and vocabulary to support learning at home so children become fluent mathematicians.

 

Holiday homework

We require that pupils attend school regularly and that they work hard during term time, including their completion of home learning. We support the work-life balance of our pupils and their families and so do not routinely set homework during school holidays. Children are encouraged to read independently and log this in their Reading Record. We also continue to make Numbots and Times Table Rockstars accessible should parents wish to make use of these resources.  An exception to these arrangements is in Year 6, where we provide revision-based tasks over the Easter holidays in preparation for their statutory assessments in May.

 

Pupils who are not engaging with home learning

Overall, the responsibility for ensuring children complete their Home Learning rests with parents, and this forms part of the home-school agreement that parents sign when pupils start school.  We do however encourage parents/carers to talk to class teachers if a child is unable or unwilling to complete Home Learning tasks independently, so we can offer further support. Teachers will discuss any concerns about Home Learning tasks initially with children and then parents in order to find out the reasons behind incomplete tasks.

 

Reporting

We will provide parents with information about how pupils meet our home learning expectations as part of our formal pupil reports.  We will also discuss these within parents’ evenings.