Homework Approach at WVPS
We believe that homework gives children the chance to consolidate their learning at home, develop further and gives you an insight into what they have been doing at school - we know they don’t always tell you! We want homework to be something that continues to inspire the children after they leave our grounds so that they can share their learning with you. It is a good habit to get into, particularly in preparation for the move to secondary school. Reflecting on our homework approach and responding to feedback from parents and teachers, has led us to consider a slight change in approach this year, particularly for our younger children.
- All children in KS2 will receive weekly homework from their teacher - this will be set via Google Classroom.
- Children in KS1 will have a greater focus on reading as we believe that this is the foundation for all of their future learning.
- Our children in Y2 will have a steady introduction to the use of Google Classroom in the summer term and we will hold an information session at the end of April for parents to support both you and your child as they progress into KS2.
Please see the information below which outlines our approach to homework across the school.
Foundation Stage and KS1 (Years 1 and 2)
The focus for our younger children needs to be on reading. Your child will bring home a book each week that should be read multiple times. Re-reading texts at this stage is an important part of their reading development as it allows them to develop their decoding skills, fluency skills and understanding how to add expression through echo reading. They could focus on a different element each time you read together. Once they have decoded the words, they benefit from hearing you demonstrate adding expression and seeing the difference this makes to a text. Please record any home reading in their reading record. Additionally, they will have a book to share together, taken either from the classrooms or the library - this is a text that we don’t expect the children to read independently, but to share together allowing for opportunities for book talk about the characters, storyline, make predictions etc.
Children in FS and KS1 will also have access to Numbots which is an excellent programme to develop early numeracy skills through counting, subitising, addition and subtraction. We recommend that the children find a little time to access this during the week. Through playing the short games, they will progress and develop rapid recall of their number bonds which will be extremely useful with their future mathematical journey. Children in year two will be introduced to Times Tables Rock Stars at the appropriate time and this will then take the place of Numbots.
Children in FS and KS1 will continue to have KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) set each half term. These will be promoted during the 3rd week of term, in line with the rest of the school, but are present in reading records so they are something that can be revisited all half term when there are a spare 5 minutes!
KS2 (Years 3 - 6)
Homework is set using Google Classroom. Teachers will set 1 or 2 tasks each week. For all KS2 classes, the tasks will be set on Monday and they will be due on Sunday. We hope that this enables children to complete their homework at their most convenient time. Each task will be set as a single post.
Homework is set in a structured approach so that there is a balance between subjects and approaches:
| Week 1 | Maths and English |
|---|---|
| Week 2 | Maths and English |
| Week 3 | KIRF / Handwriting |
| Week 4 | Theme homework (set as a two-week homework). The children will be given some ideas to choose from to reflect on and share in furthering their theme learning at home. These tasks are likely to be more open. |
| Week 5 | |
| Week 6 | Challenge at home / Alternate Times Tables Rockstars or Spelling Shed challenge |
N.B. If there are more or less than 6 weeks in a term, this may vary slightly.
We want to set a very manageable amount of homework because we understand the importance of children resting, playing, socialising, exercising, taking part in extra-curricular clubs and having family time when they are not in school. Depending on the age and academic ability of your child, teachers will aim to set a reasonable amount which enables them to access every task and achieve well.
Alongside any tasks set on Google Classroom, teachers will also set your child games or challenges on learning websites/apps that the children use in school, such as Spelling Shed, Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) or Numbots. For KS2, children will be set a specific number of games to complete, over the course of the week, on Spelling Shed and TTRS as outlined below. These are set as a minimum, but children are encouraged to use these games more where possible or to ensure they are carrying out further practice to work on their times tables or spellings. There will also be opportunities for ‘Battles’ on TTRS when they may be encouraged to play more.
| Years 3 and 4 | Years 5 and 6 |
| 5 games on Spelling Shed 5 minutes on TTRS |
10 games on Spelling Shed 10 minutes on TTRS |
Teachers will be using a range of strategies to praise and reward the children who have put extra efforts into their homework plus they will be giving a feedback comment via Google Classroom each week.
If you or your child have a question about your child’s homework, please post a private comment on your child’s assigned task and the teacher will be able to respond when they check the work. However, if your question is more pressing, then please contact the school office.
Homework Club
With the busy pace of life, we know that it can sometimes be tricky to complete homework at home. Therefore, the school operates a Homework Club, before school from 8.15am on both Monday and Thursday, every week. It is led by a member of staff in our IT Suite and all KS2 children from the school are welcome to attend. If you are bringing your child to Homework Club, please enter by the front office.
If you have a technical issue with the online homework, then you can go to the ‘Help’ tab on the Home Learning section of the school website for advice and an online technical support form. https://sites.google.com/wvps.northants.sch.uk/home-learning/technical-support
If you need any help accessing the online platforms, or your child would like to do extra work, then please utilise our school website as we have many fantastic resources in the Learning Resources section.
Thank you for supporting us and your child with their homework!
