• Homework •

Homework Policy


All children from Reception to Year 6 receive a message book, which is meant to travel with the child to and from school each day. Parents and teachers may write messages to one another when they have concerns or queries. Homework should help children develop some basic study habits at home, without pressurizing them unnecessarily. All parents should be aware that:- Students' abilities vary After-school commitments vary from student to student. Student's need different types of support. Criteria we have set ourselves will be:- Homework will reflect work done in class and better match instructional practices. Each night will focus on one subject. Students will not be asked to research projects. Homework will never be about anything except that which has been covered in class. Homework will not be used as 'grades' for school work. Belief Statement:- We believe… That homework can help students develop as independent learners if it is differentiated to meet the specific learning needs of the individual. That homework is done to improve learning. Homework should be to benefit the student, rather than an exercise to be completed and checked by the teacher. The results should be seen in applications at school. That the purpose of homework, is to develop and consolidate the skills necessary for further learning, both in and out of school. That reading daily, both assigned and/or personal choice will help develop life-long reading habits. That students need time at home to pursue personal interests, mother tongue fluency, and to partake in physical, recreational and intellectual activities with their families and friends. Expectations for Teachers:- Homework should be recorded as and when necessary to improve the student's learning. Teachers should use children's message books for dialogue with the parents about monitoring the student's progress. Expectations for Parents:- Parents should help their children to practise and develop the skills necessary to help them be able to apply them in new situations, both in and out of school. Parents, whenever possible, should read to their children daily and also listen to them read. Expectations for Students:- EXPECTATIONS ARE AGE APPROPRIATE The responsibility of students is to manage their time so that the homework assigned for the week is completed within the time guidelines. In their individual work at home, students should develop organizational skills, study practices, intellectual discipline, attitudes and strategies leading to critical, coherent and independent thinking and the capacity for problem-solving and decision-making. Students should develop metacognitive habits of mind by focusing on the 3 questions:- How do I learn best? How do I know? How do I communicate my understanding? Students will be expected to check the homework and assessment schedule and to organize their time in order to be prepared for the work or tests to be done at school. Homework should be: Relevant to the student's learning at school Able to be completed independently At the right level of challenge Assigned to allow for flexible working times at home (Monday through Thursday) Checked by the teacher Homework should NOT be: Ongoing school projects Graded Assigned at weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) or holidays apart from reading Unfinished school work Estimate of times including reading: Year 1: as appropriate Year 2: 20 minutes or as appropriate Year 3: 30 minutes or as appropriate Year 4: 40 minutes Year 5: 50 minutes Year 6: 60 minutes PRE-RECEPTION & RECEPTION CHILDREN DO NOT GET HOMEWORK Weekly Homework - Years 2 to 6: Mondays: Book letters: Children will write a letter to a peer inviting them to read their book and state why. Children will need a list of spelling strategies used at school at home, dictionaries and a list of spelling patterns that are being worked on at school. Tuesdays: French - (Including FAL and all abilities in both reading and writing) Wednesdays: Reading and recording spelling words based on the patterns being studied in class. Thursdays: Mathematics - according to the child's ability and will either cover practice of a known 'skill' or strategies they need to work more on or a reflection of processes worked on. Fridays: Free choice: Creative work coming from the Unit of Inquiry. This might include art, science observations, a visit to somewhere on the island.