Homework Expectations

All children at Meadowside Community Primary & Nursery are given homework regularly.

Nursery 2s- Activities sent home via Class Dojo which encourage oral language development as this is the foundation for reading. Book bags are also available to share ‘real books’ at home. Challenges are posted online with a focus on letter sounds, creativity and investigations of the natural environment.

Nursery 3s- Activities sent home via Class Dojo which encourage Speech & Language and Listening & Attention, using ideas from Wellcomm Big Book of Ideas and Early Talk Boost. Reading books are sent home with videos modeling dialogic book talk. Activities will also be posted to encourage independent and personal skills.

Reception- Activities are based around a different area of learning and we expect home reading as a minimum of 3 times a week. We also give out phase 2/3 sounds and high frequency words as the children become ready for them.

Year 1- A maths activity is posted each week alongside phonics tricky words and our Word Warriors words of the week. We expect children to read at home at least 3 x a week and reading books are changed more if needed. On days that they are not reading their reading book, they should read a book for pleasure with an adult. This can be read with or to the pupil. They should respond in their reading records.

Year 2- A maths activity is posted each week alongside key spellings to consolidate knowledge of Phase 6 in Letters and Sounds. 5 ‘Word Warriors’ words are sent home for children to practise orally and apply in their spoken language. On days that they are not reading their reading book, they should read a book for pleasure with an adult. This can be read with or to the pupil. They should respond in their reading records.

KS2 – All children must complete two mini-quizzes every week using the Mirodo Learning Platform. We expect children to read a minimum of 3 times a week and a short comment about their understanding of the text written in their reading record book.

Homework is posted on a Friday and expected back on a Wednesday. All children are expected to complete their homework (at home) and if it is late, they will complete during school time. A high standard of presentation is also expected in their homework book and children will be challenged if it is of an unacceptable standard.

There is a minimum expectation to read 3 times a week. A reading record book is given to all children in the school for parents to sign. There is a reading scheme throughout the school and children are assessed termly to ensure they are reading at the correct level. Children will move levels if they have fluency in reading with a matching level of comprehension. Where a child has fluency but lack of understanding (maybe due to SEND issues) moving a child up a level will be carefully considered by the Class Teacher. This may lead to reading at two levels, one for fluency and a lower level for comprehension. On the days where a child isn’t reading their reading book it is an expectation that they will read a book for pleasure with an adult. In Y3 and Y4, children should respond to questions about the book in their reading records.

Parents who persistently do not read with their child will be challenged and a letter will be sent home reminding them of the schools’ policy and if required a meeting will be held with the head teacher or deputy head teacher. As a school, we will do everything we can to support home learning and to develop a lifelong love of reading.

As a school we may offer additional online home learning programmes and encourage children to access these independently. These will support maths and English and offer programmes that are tailored to meet the unique individual needs of every child.

In EYFS and KS1, the marking of homework will be conducted on ClassDOJO in line with the agreed Marking and Feedback policy.

Parents As Partners

At Meadowside, we value the important role that parents play as co-educators of their child. We ask our parents to:

• Allow your child to ‘have a go’ by themselves
• Encourage a regular routine, and good study habits
• Encourage a love of reading by reading with and reading to their children
• Show an interest and encouragement
• Quality matters more than quantity

Parents are welcome to discuss any matters regarding homework with their child’s class teacher on a formal or informal basis. Messages are also encouraged via the online platform of Class Dojo, which can be answered directly and privately by the teacher. Suggestions on how parents can help their children at home will be discussed at parents’ evenings and our basic skills parent meetings.

As the primary educators of their children, parents are encouraged to support and reinforce the shared expectations by as many means as possible. Learning is a shared responsibility between children, parents, teachers and teaching assistants. Children are encouraged and challenged in their learning as they aim for excellence. In order to achieve this goal, we at Meadowside, work with parents and carers as a partnership, expanding the curriculum, extending the curriculum into the home and building on experiences shared outside the school.

If a child fails to complete her/his homework we will enlist parental support and have conversations during hometime or make phone calls/messages via Class DOJO. If a pupil repeatedly does not complete homework at home, the Welfare Team and SLT may also get involved. If necessary, we will ensure a child completes their home learning in school, which may mean that they complete work during break or lunch times or during an afterschool club.

Click here to access our Homework Policy