Work for Home

Stanhope Primary School is committed to providing work for home within an appropriate context depending on the age of the child, with the purpose being to compliment the work in school and be a useful aid in developing the abilities of all children.

The purpose of Work for Home

• To develop a partnership with parents and to involve them actively in children’s learning.
• To consolidate and reinforce the skills and understanding developed at school, particularly in the areas of reading, writing and numeracy.
• To develop in older children the skill of independent learning and responsibility for the organisation of work for home.

The Type of Work from Home

• The main focus at Key Stage 1 should be on games, spellings, shared reading, number facts and learning and sharing nursery rhymes.
• The main focus at Key Stage 2 should be on learning tables, shared and independent reading, consolidating number work, information research, sustained written assignments.
• All homework is linked to the curriculum the children are studying at the time.

The Amount of Work to be done at Home

Work for Home should be organised on a regular basis and in amounts that are manageable for children of particular age groups and abilities.

Broad guidelines would be for approximately 3 evenings per week:

• Foundation Stage 2: 10 minutes shared reading and 10 minutes other activities.
• Years 1 and 2: 15 minutes shared reading and 10 minutes other activities.
• Years 3 and 4: 15 minutes shared or independent reading and 15 minutes other activities.
• Years 5 and 6: 20 minutes shared or independent reading and 20 minutes other activities.
• Year 6: There is an expectation that Year 6 pupils will take on an increased workload from January in preparation for the Key Stage 2 National Tests.

The Role of Parents and Carers

• To provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable environment to facilitate work at home.
• To support the notion that work for home is valued.
• To support the school by actively participating in work at home particularly with Key Stage 1 and early Key Stage 2 children.
• To support the school by positive encouragement to complete work at home by certain deadlines.

Feedback

Completed work at home tasks will be reviewed by teachers either individually or collectively as soon as is practicable.

Arrangements for transporting Work for Home

Children will carry their work for home using either a School Book Bag which can be purchased from the school office, or in the case of older children, a coloured document wallet. Work at home furthers the partnership between child, parent/carer and teacher. It should be seen as a positive encouragement to learning, not a cause of stress or disharmony amongst the various partners. Stanhope Primary School’s work for home policy will be reviewed regularly and the views of parents sought.