At Hollymount School, homework is valued as an opportunity for children, parents and teachers to build a shared responsibility for learning.
We believe that homework can:
- enable children to consolidate and reinforce their skills and understanding, particularly in English and Maths
- encourage children to develop the independence, resilience and self discipline needed to study on their own,
- build an effective partnership between home and school,
- enable parents parents to be involved in their child’s education,
- exploit resources for learning that may not be available in school,
- prepare older children for secondary school.
How can you help your child?
Parents and carers have an important part to play in ensuring that homework supports their child’s learning and development. By supporting their child with homework parents can have a significant impact on progress.
We ask parents and carers to:
- make sure they are aware when homework has been set and help ensure it is returned on time,
- make sure that children have the necessary time to do their homework and a quiet space to work,
- encourage their child and praise them when homework has been completed,
- be actively involved in joint homework activities,
- let the class teacher know if their child experiences any persistent difficulties,
- be aware of how much time children are spending on completing homework.
Reading
Children are expected to read on a daily basis as an essential part of their homework. Young children will have a book which matches their reading ability and a book to share with parents. They will also have access to online reading on Oxford Owl.
We ask parents/carers to read to their child regularly as well as hear them read, even when their child has become an independent reader. Young children also benefit from having stories read to them that they cannot read themselves.
English
Children will be asked to practice spelling at home. Teachers will monitor children’s spelling both in low-stake tests but also within their writing.
Times Tables
We ask children from Year 2 upwards to learn times tables for homework. Children work on these daily in school with a variety of low-stake quizzes and tests to check their recall. By the end of Year 4 it is expected that children know all their multiplication tables.
Topic related activities
Your child’s class teacher may set a variety of other activities for homework that link with their topic work. Please read the termly curriculum web which informs parents when the homework is due back.
If you have any queries about homework please see your child’s teacher who would be happy to answer your questions.