MISSION STATEMENT
“Passion for Learning and Passion for Life”.
With God, all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
Please see Homework Grid with full outline of Homework expectations throughout the school:
Homework is always a contentious issue……..
Some parents believe that children should have lots of homework and some believe that children should have none at all! Whilst others have all shades of opinion in between!
At Singleton we adopt what we believe is a very sensible approach, firmly rooted in supporting the children’s learning in school and as they reach upper Key Stage 2 supporting the transistion to high school.
We want the very best lifetime opportunities for our children by giving them the best possible start and we believe this is achieved best through an effective working partnership with parents.
Parents are asked to encourage their children to undertake and complete homework tasks in order to promote
- good attitude to work
- self-esteem and a sense of achievement
- improved standards of performance
We value the support you give to your children through discussion of their homework, and would especially ask you to ensure that your child has the time and environment in which to work undisturbed. We ask that you ensure that your child completes their homework each week. However, should there an extenuating circumstance and your child has been unable to complete the homework on time, please send in a short note explaining the reason. Our Family Learning Mentor monitors the completion of homework and will contact parents if children persistently fail to complete their homework.
What type of homework will my child get?
Reading
Infant children should be heard read by someone at home every night for 5 – 10 minutes. In school the children are taught to read every day through phonics. At home listening to your child read practices and reinforces what they have learnt at school. There is nothing more important that you can do at home than support your child’s reading as this unlocks the whole curriculum for them. A child that cannot read cannot access for example history or geography. All children have reading records, written in by parents and staff and this is an effective source of communication between home and school.
As children progress through school and become independent readers, it is inappropriate for them to be reading out loud at home: we want them to become thoroughly engrossed in books. The role of the parent at this stage is to encourage, support and discuss what is being read. Children in the juniors should aim to read a minimum of 3 times a week. (Minimum of 10 – 20 minutes)
Spelling
In our school we use an online programme called IDL which is highly effective programme for improving reading and spelling. All children have their own log in details and can access this programme from home. The children all work at their own pace and level. We would encourage every child to spend 5 – 10 minutes per night on the IDL programme. (Minimum of 3 times a week is needed for the children to make any sustained progress). In addition to this we also support the use of the ‘Squeebles Spelling Test’ App.
Speaking and Listening
The children will receive two home projects a year – which will involve preparing and presenting a talk for the rest of the class
Mathematics
In the infant department it is important that the children learn their number bonds and their times tables. These can be done through songs, on car journeys, counting lampposts, through cooking, through shopping etc. As the children move into the juniors it is important that by Year 4 they know all their times tables and these are just learnt through practice.
Apart from this, children will be given on line homework (My Maths / Rock Star – times tables) every week by their class teachers which extends or reinforces learning in class. My Maths has the option for parents and children to watch demonstrations of how to do the concept.
Other information
Children in Year 2 and Year 6 will have more homework in their run up to the statutory testing in May.
Please encourage your child to learn at home in a positive way. Think very carefully about the praise and critism you give. It can be very damaging to constantly tell children they are doing something wrong.
A more positive approach is to support the children in understanding that making mistakes are a vital part of learning. Encourage them to think about what they could do differently next time and what they have learnt from the mistake.
We try very hard to build confidence and we do this through an ethos that promotes self-belief. We encourage all our children to have a go, to understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through passion, education and persistence. We also work with our children to help them understand that for them it is about commitment to learning, taking risks and learning from mistakes. In school, we correct inaccuracies, which children should know and then challenge them with new learning.
We praise:-
- Effort
- Motivation
- New Learning
- Struggle and set backs
- Strategies and choices
- Choosing difficult and challenging tasks
- Improvement
It would be really helpful if you use the same approaches.
| Generic whole school homework information |
| IDL – Specialist Literacy programme |
| Over the last few years we have invested a lot of money on specific on line programmes to support our children with their learning. IDL was initially designed as a dyslexic support programme for developing reading comprehension skills and spelling and grammar. However, in more recent years it has been highly recommended to schools for use with all children. Evidence indicates that schools who use IDL have seen pupils’ reading and spelling ages increase on average by around 10 months after just 26 hours of use. IDL automatically generates a starting point for pupils based on their individual reading and spelling ability so children progress at their own rate. We use IDL within our guided reading so children access between 20 – 25 minutes of IDL in school each week. However, it is recommended that children try and complete an hour a week to get maximum impact. It is not possible to devote an hour of the children’s timetable to IDL in school time as we have so many other subjects to address. So we include IDL as part of our homework. All children (Y1–Y6) will be given a password to log on at home with. The grid below outlines a minimum expectation for IDL homework. If you wish to do more with your child in the holidays you can log on at any time – the more levels the pupils complete the more progress they make! |
| My Maths |
| My Maths are two online programmes that we use for Maths Homework. The homework set will always be linked to what has been taught in class and will either consolidate learning or further challenge depending on the individual needs of the child. All children (Y1 –Y6) will be given a password to log on at home with. The children will be set one piece of maths homework per week. With My Maths the homework has to be completed in one go. You cannot dip in and out of the homework. In My Maths the work is marked automatically at the end of the session so the child can see exactly what they have got wrong or right. They can have more than one attempt on a piece of homework as new questions are generated each time. If a child is struggling they can also watch the demonstrations to remind them which strategies they should use. |
| Times Table – ‘Rock Star’ online resource |
| We have purchased a new online resource called ‘Rock Stars,’ to support with the learning of times tables. As most of you will be aware the Government have introduced a new times table assessment test. Children in Year 4 will now be assessed formally on their times tables. Children will be provided with log in details and will be expected to complete their online timetables homework. So what are the children expected to know? Y1/2 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x Y3/4 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x, 11x and 12x Y5/6 Should be secure in all times tables and should know square numbers up to 20 squared |
Singleton School Homework Plan – Years 1 – 6
- All homework will run from Friday to Friday
- Staff will check online homework (IDL/ABACUS/MY MATHS) is completed each Friday and will also collect in any paper homework on this day.
- Times tables may be tested throughout the week – but this should not affect the ongoing support with practise that you give at home.
- For Home project/presentations – instructions will be sent home separately
Homework in Foundation Stage
We do not have a set pattern or rigid structure for homework within our foundation stage as the children come into school with very individual learning needs. Learning together is the emphasis for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The activities are mainly Literacy based with a strong emphasis on reading together. Maths Challenges are also set to support children’s Mathematical development and to contribute to the EYFS ‘Parents as Partners’ requirement. It is an ideal time to lay the foundations for continuing work at home.
What type of work will my child get?
Reading
In Foundation Stage, parents will be informed of the phonemes and high frequency words that the children are learning in school as they are learnt in lessons or at the child’s pace. Starting in the autumn term and continuing all year, the main emphasis is on reading at home. This should be done in two ways:-
Adults reading to children.
- Parents are encouraged to share books from their own homes, the School Library and other Library facilities. They are also asked to share reading in the environment when it is appropriate i.e. signs and captions in the street. Parents should encourage children to point to words as they are being read. Discussion about the books is important.
Children reading to an adult.
- When they are ready to, children will start bringing simple books home to ‘read’ to an adult. Some of the books in the first term will be ‘text-less books’ – much valuable conversation and discussion can be had about the pictures and the layout of the book. Again, encouraging the child to point to the words as they are being read is important. Discussing the story and the characters and asking questions about the book will help with the child’s understanding of language.
Tricky words.
Children learn to read tricky words as part of ‘Letters and Sounds’. Parents will be sent a list of the tricky words for each phase after the children have learned them. Regularly practising reading them, looking out for the words in reading books and playing games with them will really benefit the child. For some children, it will be useful to practise writing the words as well as reading them. The teachers may send home games to give parents some ideas. It would be useful if these words were practiced on a regular basis in the summer holiday before Year 1, as well as parents continuing to share books with their child.
Letter formation.
At the beginning of the child’s first term in Reception, Mrs Rund will run a workshop on supporting with reading and letter formation so that parents/carers can support children with letter formation. This will include where to start and finish when forming each letter and what each letter should look like.
We ask that at home you encourage them to write/mark make at every opportunity.
Make it fun:-
- Shopping lists
- Letters to Father Christmas/Tooth Fairy
- Writing birthday cards
- Using a clip-board to make lists of all the insects they can find in the garden
- Writing a postcard
- Writing in the sand on the beach
- Making letters and numbers out of Playdough
Giving children the opportunity to practise forming letters and also developing drawing skills with a variety of different tools will give them valuable practice. The important thing is to watch them and correct any mistakes sensitively so they don’t fall into bad habits.
Numeracy
We encourage you to count with your children up to twenty and to also encourage your children to read and write numbers. Throughout the year you may be sent tasks linked to numeracy in class. However, there are lots of games that you can play:-
- Bingo
- Snakes and ladders
- Snap with number cards
- IPAD Apps
- Pairs – with numbers
- Looking for shapes around and about – (square window etc.)
- Money – recognising coins and counting
Finally, remember that children are in school all week, working. Parents are a child’s prime educators and all the wonderful things you do at home, mid-week, at the weekend and in the holidays are crucially important in terms of developing values, confidence, independence, sound attachments, tolerance and broad horizons. We would far rather that you were engaged in active pursuits with your child than having them sit at a kitchen table doing Maths work sheets at the weekend!