Home Learning

The Purpose of Home Learning:

The school regards the purpose of home learning as being able to:
develop an effective partnership between the school and parents/carers
consolidate and reinforce skills and understanding, particularly in English and Mathematics.
encourage pupils and their parents/carers to share and enjoy learning experiences
extend school learning, for example through additional reading
encourage pupils as they get older to develop the confidence and self-discipline needed to study on their own, and to prepare them for the requirements of the next stage of their education.

At Sparsholt C of E Primary School, teaching staff recognise that pupils who have spent a busy structured day at school need time to relax and unwind at the end of the afternoon. We are also mindful of the need to encourage children to pursue out of-school activities, e.g. swimming, ballet, Beavers, Brownies, music lessons etc.

Home learning should be used to effectively reinforce and/or extend what is learned in school. We hope that children will feel a sense of personal satisfaction in a task completed well and that their efforts will be recognised and praised both at home and at school.

Current Practice

The school believes that a regular pattern is important and will endeavour to establish a familiar routine. At the beginning of the academic year, each class / year group will be informed of what is expected of them with regard to home learning.

Parents will also be issued with a ‘Home learning project jigsaw’ (curriculum overview sheet) each term to inform them about the main contexts for learning and suggestions for follow up home learning challenges that link in with the topics being studied.

Expectations:

Foundation Stage
Parents/carers are encouraged to share reading books with their children at home. Reception parents/carers are encouraged to spend 10 minutes each evening with their child reading books and practising phonics. Children will be encouraged to complete one of the home learning challenges listed on the Home learning project jigsaws.

Years 1 and 2
Parents/carers are asked to hear children read for 10 minutes each evening or for longer if children wish to do so. When children begin to learn spellings, tables and number bonds we may ask parents to help them to practise these at home. Teachers may also ask children to find something out or gather information linked to the class topic, as appropriate. Children will be encouraged to complete one of the home learning challenges listed on the Home learning project jigsaws.

Years 3 and 4
Parents/carers are asked to encourage children to read for 10 to 20 minutes each evening, to help children with spellings, recall of multiplication and division facts and help them complete English and Maths based homework tasks. Teachers may also ask children to find something out or gather information linked to the class topic, as appropriate. Children will be encouraged to complete one of the home learning challenges listed on the Home learning project jigsaws.

Years 5 and 6
Parents/carers are asked to encourage children to read for up to 20 to 30 minutes each evening and to help children with spellings, recall of multiplication and division facts and help them complete English and Maths based homework tasks. Teachers may also ask children to find something out or gather information linked to the class topic, as appropriate. Children will be encouraged to complete one of the home learning challenges listed on the Home learning project jigsaws

Other home learning activities may include:

Puzzles/games
Learning songs or scripts for plays
Physical activities
Dressing up challenges

Progression In Home Learning (This is in addition to daily reading)
Reception	Short time, daily	Reading/phonics and project related tasks
Year 1 & 2	10 minutes per day	Learning high frequency words/phonics, additional spellings as required in the National Curriculum and project related tasks
Year 3 & 4	15 minutes per day	English, mathematics and project related tasks including spellings and times tables and related division facts
Year 5 & 6	20 - 30 minutes per day	English, mathematics, home learning challenges and project related tasks, spellings and times tables and related division facts
Timings are a guideline and may vary

Please see the Curriculum section of the website and look in the relevant class folder on the class information sheet to find out which days homework is set and should be returned.

Please see our Home Learning Policy in the policies section of this website.