Co-op Academy Glebe

Home Learning Policy 

Introduction

The school policy for homework was developed and agreed by the whole staff and has the full agreement of the Governing Body.

Aims

Through this policy we aim to:

• Ensure that parents are clear about what their child is expected to do.
• Ensure consistency of approach throughout the school.
• To use homework as a tool to help continue to raise standards of attainment.
• Improve the quality of the learning experience offered to pupils and to extend it beyond the classroom environment.
• Provide opportunities for parents, children and the school to work together in partnership in relation to children’s learning.
• Encourage pupils and their parents to share and enjoy learning experiences.
• Reinforce work covered in class by providing further opportunities for individual learning.
• To practise or consolidate basic skills and knowledge, especially in Numeracy and Literacy.
• Encourage children to develop the responsibility, confidence and self-discipline needed to study independently.
• To prepare Year 6 pupils for the transfer to secondary school.

The Nature of Homework

It should be noted that home learning can be set in many different forms with many different expectations and outcomes. It is important to remember that when expecting and setting home learning there are a number of points to consider:

1. The nature and type of home learning changes throughout a pupils school career.

2. Amount and frequency of home learning should increase as a pupil gets older but this may also vary through the school year and be appropriate to the ability of the child.

3. Homework should not cause undue stress on the pupil, family or the teacher.

4. It will not necessarily come in the form of a written task.

5. Homework should be set regularly from the Foundation Stage to Year 6.

Recommended Time Allocation

Homework should never be too onerous nor should it ever create stress within the pupil’s family. If parents have any concerns they should not hesitate to contact the school. Normally, six days will be allowed for the completion of a homework task, except where daily practice is to be encouraged e.g. reading, spelling and times tables. Homework will be set every Thursday during term time and will be expected to be submitted by 9am the following Tuesday.

The following are government recommendations as appropriate time allocations for homework activities.

Years 1 and 2 - 1 hour per week

Years 3 and 4 - 1.5 hours per week

Years 5 and 6 - 30 minutes per day

Homework Tasks

Listed below, for each Phase, are a number of example tasks and activities that might be given as homework. This is by no means an exhaustive list and is open to constant change, although many of these tasks and activities will be used on a regular basis. Homework activities will change to meet the needs of the pupils involved and activities that might be occurring in class. All homework tasks and activities will have a clear purpose and assist pupils in the process of their academic development

Role of the Class Teacher

• To provide an explanation of home learning tasks to children and, when necessary, to parents and give guidance of how they might assist their child. This may be done by a note with the work, at a pre-school parents meeting or at an open evening if possible.
• To set up regular home learning in an easily followed routine on the class dojo page. This will explain the half term weekly expectations. The half term home learning information will also be emailed to all parents via Parentmail  during the first week of each half term
• To set home learning that takes equal and racial opportunities into account.
• To ensure any home learning is purposeful and links directly to the curriculum being taught.
• To reward and praise children who regularly complete home learning tasks.
• To mark home learning appropriately, when necessary and give feedback to pupils.
• To keep parents updated on the regularity of completed home learning by their child

Whilst there is a legal responsibility for a school to set homework on a regular basis, the school cannot enforce the completion of homework and therefore, will not punish children for failing to complete some, or all of their homework.

Role of the Principal and Governing Body

• To check compliance of the Policy.
• To meet and talk with parents when appropriate.
• To discuss with staff and monitor how far the policy is being successfully implemented.

Role of Parents/Carers

• To support the school by ensuring that their child attempts the home learning.
• To provide a suitable place for their child to carry out their home learning.
• To encourage and praise their child when they have completed their home learning.
• To become actively involved and support their child with home learning activities.
• To make it clear that they value home learning and they support the school by explaining how it can help learning. 
• At Glebe Academy we are very keen for parents to support and help their children with homework. We take the view that children are likely to get more out of an activity if parents get involved as long as they do not take over too much. However, there are times when we will want to see what children can do on their own. It is particularly important, as they get older, for children to become increasingly independent in their learning. If a parent is unsure about what their role should be, they should discuss it with their child's teacher.

Racial Equality & Equal Opportunities

All children have equal access and inclusive rights to the curriculum regardless of their gender, race, disability or ability. We plan work that is differentiated for the performance of all groups and individuals. Glebe Academy is committed to creating a positive climate that will enable everyone to work free from racial intimidation and harassment and to achieve their full potential.

General

• Wherever possible staff should try to mark any home learning that is returned by pupils via their dojo portfolio. This will help to give the whole process of setting and completing home learning a higher profile and status. It will also send out the message that home learning is an important and valued aspect of school life.
• Marking home learning is a way of keeping track of who has completed their home learning, and giving them feedback on how well they have met the objectives of the work. However, marking may be done in a variety of forms, some of which will not be written. Feedback may be given to individual pupils, or to groups of pupils within the classroom.
• If children are absent due to illness, parents must inform the class teacher
• If a child is absent for a length of time the teacher and the parent will agree what should be done, how it should be marked and what sort of help needs to be given. In such circumstances the teacher should consult the Principal first.
• Parents/Carers who have queries about home learning should not hesitate to make an appointment to see their child’s class teacher