Homework

Reading, Spellings and Timestables/Number Bonds are compulsory pieces of Homework we ask you to complete with your child. We appreciate parents have differing views of Homework, so we also provide Maths and an optional tasks grid (including English tasks) for those parents who wish to extend their child’s classroom learning.

Completing homework is also a useful skill for children to practice ready for their time in Middle School and beyond!

For Years 1-4 (Birch to Oak), homework will comprise of the following:

1) Reading at home to an adult, at least 3 times a week

2) Spellings which will be set on Spelling Shed

3) Number bonds or Multiplication Tables – Number bonds will be sent home in paper format and Multiplication Tables will be set on Timestables Rockstars. Number bonds can also be practised using a free app called “1-Minute Maths”.

4) An optional weekly piece of Maths homework set on My Maths

6) An optional tasks grid. Children should bring any completed pieces of work in on a Friday. These will then be shared and celebrated with the class

Logins for Spelling Shed, MyMaths and Timetstable Rockstars will be provided by your child's Class Teacher.

Please note, if your child is in Chestnut Reception, your child’s class teacher will inform you when other homework, apart from Reading at home, will begin and how you can access it.

MyMaths homework will be submitted electronically to your child’s class teacher once it is completed. As your child completes it, you will be able to see which questions they get correct. The system automatically collects your child’s responses and interaction with the system which the teacher will analyse and use to support them in assessing your child in Maths. No further feedback will be provided to children/parents apart from the results the system provides at time of completion.

The termly optional tasks grid is designed to be completed by children of any age group, with younger children needing more support from parents to complete the activities. Where children are pre-writers/pre-readers, parents can scribe ideas or responses for them, which can then be brought in and read out by the Class Teacher, instead of the child. Drawings, instead of written work can also be produced as an appropriate response for some tasks. As children complete tasks, they can bring in their work or pictures of their work etc. to share with their class and their teacher on a Friday. No further individual feedback will be given other than when it is shared with the class. Children will then bring their work back home. Children will be awarded a dojo every time they bring in evidence of these completed tasks!

Spellings and Number Bonds/Timestables will come out at different times of the week, depending on the arrangements in your child’s class. These have usually been communicated via the Curriculum Letters to parents which can be found here:

https://www.clophillstmarysschool.co.uk/Curriculum/Class-Curriculum-Letters/

Spellings and Number Bonds/Timestables will also be tested on different days of the week for different classes. Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you are unsure which days the Spellings and Number Bonds/Timestables are released or when they are tested.

Reading at home to an adult for all pupils, including children in Year R/Chestnut Class once they receive a book, should ideally occur daily but must occur at least 3 times a week. As a school, we monitor how often children are heard read at home. It is essential that children read at home as much as possible to practice this important skill, which is why we ask for a minimum commitment of hearing your child read 3 times a week. To support you with hearing your child read, we have produced parent booklets which can be found here:

https://www.clophillstmarysschool.co.uk/Curriculum/English/

Each booklet contains information on Reading expectations for your child’s year group as well as useful questions you can use when you are hearing your child read. Please read these important booklets and use them when hearing your child read at home.

We are also continuing our ‘Get Caught Reading’ initiative as well as our new ‘RED Awards’ (for children who read at least 5 days a week) to encourage reading at home as much as possible!

Get Caught Reading! (Curriculum - English menu tab)

RED (Read Every Day) Awards (Curriculum - English menu tab)

If parents have any queries about the homework tasks at any time, please speak to your child’s Class Teacher in the first instance.