Jump to: Our Dimensions Approach | Dimension-1 | Dimension 2 | Early Years Homework | Homework Celebration
Homework and the Academy Culture
It is important to us that our approach to homework is a firmly connected to our school culture. This will mean that homework is valued, recognised and celebrated. Our Positive Discipline system will be used to reward the effort and commitment children demonstrate when completing their homework. We are determined that homework will be representative of children’s best work, showcasing very high standards. We will celebrate through events and on our website, enabling parents to view and value the fantastic efforts of our children. Because we value the worthwhile activities children take part in through our own extra-curricular programme as well as opportunities in the community, we will reward and recognise this participation as part of our homework approach.
Homework and Communication
Pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 receive a homework book at the start of each academic year. Each week, paper-based homework is glued into their books, while electronic homework is assigned through the academy’s online platforms. There will be a balance of electronic and non-electronic homework as we recognise that there are positives to both forms, yet a careful and thoughtful equilibrium is fundamental. Across the academy (Year 1 to Year 6) homework will be set each Friday and will be expected to be completed by the following Thursday. This purposely encompasses a weekend to afford families the flexibility to work around other important commitments.
Our Dimensions Approach
We have established two clear dimensions to our homework at Ryecroft Academy.
Dimension 1
Dimension 2
‘Dimension 2’ homework will provide children with wonderful opportunities to be creative and have a degree of choice and influence over the activities they complete. ‘Dimension 2’ homework will be designed to support valuable family time, encouraging families to enjoy learning together and strengthen their relationships by doing so. We will ensure that the enticing menu of activities develop key character skills such as teamwork, independence, resilience and empathy. We will utilise ‘Dimension 2’ homework to contribute to our academy aims of looking after ourselves, each other and the world around us. Elements of ‘Dimension 2’ homework will focus on careers and aspirations.
‘Dimension 2’ homework tasks will be project based and children and families will work on their chosen activities over the timeframe of a term. The ‘Dimension 2’ challenges will link to coverage and learning from a wide range of subjects.
Dimension 1
Each week, children will be expected to complete homework in four areas: reading, spelling, times tables and maths revision.
| Reading | All children at the academy have an assigned reading book which they take home each day. Assigned books are selected from either the Big Cat Phonics spine or the Oxford Reading Tree. These books are carefully selected to match your child’s current reading level and they are generally changed weekly, depending on the length of the book. Please practise reading these books at home as well as discussing and asking questions about the content. Shorter books should be read three times each week, this supports children in becoming fluent in their reading and to begin to read for understanding and comprehension.
Children are expected to read a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 10 minutes at a time. To have their session of reading ‘ticked off’, a note must be added to the Pupil Planner to detail the title of the book and the page numbers read (e.g. The Shadow Keeper. Page 11 – 19). ‘Raving Reader’ points will be awarded in school to reflect the reading that has been recorded in Pupil Planners. |
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| Spelling | Key Stage 1
A list of ‘look, cover, write, check, correct’ words will be provided each week in pupils’ homework books. The list of words provided will follow spelling patterns and rules that are appropriate for pupils in Year 1 and Year 2. Key Stage 2 Each week, pupils will be provided with a list of spellings to rehearse at home. These spellings are taken from the National Curriculum and match the age and stage of each pupil. Spelling lists will be printed and stuck in to homework books for children and families to rehearse using strategies such as the ‘look, cover, write, check, correct’ approach. |
| Times Tables | Children will be provided with weekly times tables rehearsal in their homework books. The times tables homework will include lots of repetition to ensure pupils are fluent and automatic in their recall of the times tables. In Key Stage 1, children will focus on securing their knowledge of the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. In Key Stage 2, pupils will work to secure their understanding of all times tables up to 12 x 12. |
| Maths Practice |
All children will be given a short piece of mathematics homework each week. The mathematics homework will reflect the learning that has taken place in the classroom during the same week and so will help to consolidate learning. Mathematics homework will follow a simple ‘my turn, your turn’ structure, with modelled methods provided on the Class Dojo platform.
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Dimension 2 Exemplars
Early Years and Foundation Stage Homework
Children receive a weekly phonics worksheet to complete in their phonics book. Parents/Carers are provided with video instructions of how to use their child’s phonics book and ideas of further activities they can play together to embed the learning. Parents/Carers also receive regular photographs during the week on Class DoJo showing what their children have been learning with suggestions of activities they can do to follow up this learning at home. Children also receive a termly homework menu of additional tasks that they can complete to complement our termly topic. When children begin bringing reading books home, they will read these at least twice in school and at least twice at home. Reading books are changed weekly.
For further guidance and support on home learning activities for Early Years children, please visit our Early Years area.
Homework Celebration
