At Handale, we want to ensure that there is a consistent approach to homework and to make homework manageable for all. Parents are encouraged to support and reinforce the shared expectations of school. Homework activities are an important part of our home/school partnership and all children are expected to take part in a variety of homework tasks to enhance and support their work in class.

We aim to:

  • Provide opportunities for parents and children to work in partnership and to share and enjoy learning experiences.
  • Consolidate and reinforce basic skills and knowledge, especially in English and Maths.
  • Provide opportunities as children get older to develop skills of independent learning.
  • Provide an opportunity for parents to become involved in the academic development of their child.

Homework tasks may include:

  • Reading at home at least three times a week with/to an adult and recording reading in a reading record.
  • Practising and revising weekly spellings in preparation for the spelling test on a Friday
  • Practising and revising times tables.
  • Practising and revising basic skills in English and Maths.
  • Research for particular topics linked to the learning which takes place in school.
  • Spelling Shed and Sumdog

Early Years

Parents are given information when children start all key points (Pre-Nursery/Nursery/Reception) of how they can support their children’s learning. They are regularly asked to contribute to their child’s ‘learning story book’ of things their child has done at home. In early years we plan from children’s interests so we may ask that children complete short tasks at home to support the work in our setting. In addition to this:

In Pre-Nursery:

· All children take a home loan storybook to share with parents.

In Nursery:

· All children take a home loan storybook to share with parents.

· All children get the opportunity to take home a soft toy to look after.

· Older nursery children take home packs of activities to develop basic skills.

In Reception:

· All children take a home loan storybook to share with parents.

· Once children develop in their phonic knowledge, they take home a reading book.

· All children take home a pack containing literacy and maths ideas.

· All children are given activities to support each phoneme, high frequency word and tricky word as it is taught.