Homework

At Halfway Junior School, we believe homework should provide the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and thinking abilities through setting tasks that reflect and support the children’s experience in the classroom; broadening the school curriculum. A range of tasks, designed to interest and enthuse pupils, will provide opportunity to embed knowledge learned in the classroom, practise and rehearse taught skills and further extend children’s wider thinking abilities. It is an opportunity for pupils to engage in conversation about learning and the wider world with parents. The tasks are designed to be interesting a discursive, along with providing opportunity to practise and rehearse. Homework, in partnership with parents, provides an opportunity to create a sense of work ethic and personal responsibility vital in their preparation for future learning. Finally, we believe homework also helps children develop resilience on their journey to becoming lifelong learners that feel empowered to become the best that they can be.

We will continue to encourage children to complete their homework and ask that you do the same at home. Each half term, children will be rewarded with a special 100% certificate if they complete each week’s homework during that half term.

Each week there will be 2 tasks set on rotation which are paper based, focusing on two curriculumt areas:

Week 1: Reading and Humanities / DT / Arts

Week 2: Writing and Science

Week 3: Maths and RSHE / Personal Development

Each week: reading and number fluency

What homework will my child receive?

Maths - homework will be based around new learning for the week, and historic learning to revisit and embed. The tasks set will be similar to the weekly learning in school and familiar to the pupils. Parents are asked to support, however, are not expected to teach new learning.

Reading and Writing - Whilst we still ask that children are reading regularly at home, we have introduced a separate reading homework task which explores the comprehension aspect of the curriculum. This may contain a short reading extract or image and a series of comprehension questions which can be discussed. Within the writing element, pupils will be provided with an opportunity to practse and rehearse grammatical skills and vocabulary through their homework tasks, in short responses or multi-sentence response.

Wider curriculum -Tasks which explore the work done in history, geography, science art and DT, alongside more discursive tasks for RSHE will be regular for homework. These tasks may explore knowledge, core concepts of social understanding to develop a wider undertsanding of the world.

How will homework be set?

For now, homework will be sent home each Friday as a paper copy in the child’s home learning book, . Homework is to be returned to school by the following Wednesday to give teacher’s enough time to look through it and support pupils in response.

A lesson is put aside each friday to reposnd to homework, ensuring pupils' work is valued and used to support their classwork. Pupils will resond in their books with green pen.

Further practise and following pupil's own interest is highy encouraged. It is fantastic to see pupils doing extra to develop themselves, and we enjoy celebrating extra learning in our Friday Celebration Assembly

How can you help to support your child?

We know that homework can be a source of tension at home and hope that our re-designed homework can provide an opportunity for your child to work both with you and independently on their tasks. We have specifically designed our homework to provide opportunities to practise key learning points, as well as reflect the learning that has happened in class that week, in order to keep you connected to what your child is learning in school, and share learning experiences.

Please encourage your child to complete as much of it as they can.

If you have any problems around the home learning, then please speak to your child’s class teacher who will be able to help.