Primary Schools. 15 Policies should set out clearly the purposes of homework. In general terms these should include:

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1 The purpose of homework 15 Policies should set out clearly the purposes of homework. In general terms these should include: developing an effective partnership between the school and parents and other carers in pursuing the aims of the school. This is also, of course, the purpose of home school agreements; consolidating and reinforcing skills and understanding, particularly in literacy and numeracy; exploiting resources for learning, of all kinds, at home; extending school learning, for example through additional reading; and encouraging pupils as they get older to develop the confidence and self discipline needed to study on their own, and preparing them for the requirements of secondary school. 8

2 Case study (2) Agreeing on purpose: Berkeley Primary School, Gloucestershire When the new head arrived in 1995, the staff supported the decision to formalise the homework structure. The findings from a parents consultation questionnaire were discussed by the staff, and the deputy head prepared a draft. The policy was tested informally in 1996/97, amended and formally adopted in September It will be evaluated each year using feedback from parents and staff. The list of purposes reflects the care taken: Through this policy we aim to: ensure consistency of approach throughout the school; ensure progression towards independence and individual responsibility; ensure the needs of the individual pupil are taken into account; ensure parents/guardians have a clear understanding about expectations from themselves and the pupil; improve the quality of learning experience offered to pupils; extend and support the learning experience via reinforcement and revision; provide opportunities for parents, pupils and school to work in partnership; provide opportunities for parents and pupils to work together to enjoy learning experiences; encourage children to develop long term strategies for future needs; at Year 6, to prepare children for secondary transfer. 16 Policies need to reflect the fact that in primary schools the purposes of homework change as children get older. For children in Key Stage 1, developing a partnership with parents or carers and involving them actively in children s learning is the key purpose and the activities children do at home may not be described by schools as homework. 17 Short activities of different kinds simple games, learning spellings and number facts and, of course, reading together provide a very important opportunity for young children to talk about what they are learning to an interested adult, and to practise key skills in a supportive environment. 18 As children get older homework provides an opportunity for children to develop the skills of independent learning, and this should increasingly become its main purpose. It is important that children should gradually get into the habit of regularly devoting periods of time, which m a y not be long, to study on their own. By the time children reach Year 6 their homework programme should cover a wide range of tasks and curriculum content, with a regular weekly schedule. This approach will benefit their learning and also ensure that, in relation to homework as much as to other aspects, their transition to Year 7/secondary school is as smooth as possible. Primary and secondary schools which form part of local pyramids or clusters should co-ordinate their homework policies so that this aim can be achieved. 9

3 Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools The type and amount of homework which is appropriate for pupils of different ages 19 Policies should give clear guidance about the sort of homework, and how much of it, pupils should do at different ages. In the Government s view the main focus of homework for children at primary schools should be on literacy and numeracy. Science and other subjects should be added to the programme as children move up the school, without losing this focus on literacy and numeracy. Again, homework does not just mean formal exercises carried out by children without help from adults. Particularly in the case of younger children, it is the involvement of parents and carers in joint activities, which can be very brief, which is most valuable in promoting children s learning. 20 Regular reading is vital. For children in Key Stage 1 homework should very largely consist of regular reading with parents and carers, looking at books together. Reading practice and listening to others read then continues to be essential right though primary school. One of the key messages for parents and carers of the Government s campaign in the National Year of Reading is that all primary school age children should either read to their parents or carers, listen to them reading or, if they are fluent readers, read on their own for at least 10 to 20 minutes a day. This may be done in the context of homework, for example a six year old reading her school reading book to a parent or a ten year old reading a reference book for a history project. Or it may be done separately parents reading stories to children or children reading out signs or notices on the way to school. 21 Other literacy related homework will include, of course, learning spellings and practising correct punctuation. In numeracy, the report of the Numeracy Task Force recommends that schools set number games and tasks, and more formal exercises for older children, that they can do at home, involving parents or carers. These should be set about twice a week for all children, with additional, more substantial or more challenging activities set at the weekend for children in Key Stage 2. The Task Force also recommends that guidance should be produced for schools as part of the National Numeracy Strategy on appropriate homework activities and how best to support parents and carers in carrying out their role. All these and other homework activities should be carefully designed to meet children s individual needs, including any special educational needs (see paragraphs 28 and 29). 22 In addition to these regular activities, older children should be given some homework, gradually increasing in its demands, of other kinds. Again, this should be differentiated where appropriate to take account of individual pupils needs and might include: finding out information; reading in preparation for lessons; preparing oral presentations; more traditional written assignments. 10

4 23 Schools should be careful to ensure that too much homework time is not spent finishing off written work carried out in class. This can often place too heavy a burden on some pupils and too light a demand on others. 24 The precise amount of time spent on homework is much less important than the quality of tasks set and the way they are planned to support learning. Schools need to have a clear idea of the tasks which they want pupils to do as homework and to plan these tasks as part of their schemes of work for different areas of the curriculum, particularly literacy and numeracy. Some schools, for example Greenwood Junior School in Nottingham (see case study 1), prepare sets of assignments covering the whole year which are given to parents at the beginning of the year (Greenwood School s home study book ). Teachers may want to draw on national or local support services in planning tasks, for example the BBC s Learning Station on the internet. 25 A regular pattern is also important, particularly for literacy and numeracy. A familiar routine, for example setting tables to learn on Tuesdays and spellings on Wednesdays, is very helpful for children, parents and teachers. Case study (3) Planning for progression and manageability: Garway Primary School, Hereford and Worcester At this small rural primary, the staff have made book reviews the backbone of their KS2 language homework programme. Using a variety of published and home-produced guidelines, pupils gradually learn how to develop a critique. With guidance, pupils in Years 3 and 4 chose one book to review per month (two books for Years 5 and 6). The head has gone to considerable trouble to select appropriate materials and to bring in new books, including a particular genre for reluctant readers. Starting with a very structured approach, pupils can and do progress to quite sophisticated reviews by Year 6. In addition, pupils are expected to prepare a talk on the book, to give the class. 26 Broad expectations, however, about the amount of time pupils might reasonably be expected to spend on homework provide a useful framework and discipline for schools and are helpful for parents. Schools policies should therefore set out in broad terms both the kind of tasks pupils will be asked to do and the school s expectations about the amount of time children in different year groups can expect to spend on them. 27 The Government believes that a sensible programme of homework activities for children in Key Stage 1 should be designed to take, on average, about 1 hour a week. At Key Stage 2 the demands should gradually increase so that by Years 5 and 6 children are spending about 30 minutes a day (two and a half hours a week) on homework. Recommended time allocation for homework 11

5 Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools Years 1 and 2 1 hour/week (reading, spellings, other literacy work and number work) Years 3 and hours/week (literacy and numeracy as for Years 1 and 2 with occasional assignments in other subjects) Years 5 and 6 30 minutes/day (regular weekly schedule with continued emphasis on literacy and numeracy but also ranging widely over the curriculum) As noted in paragraph 20, the daily reading which the Government recommends for all children can, of course, be done as part of homework. On days when the homework activity is something other than reading children should be encouraged, in addition, to read on their own or with others for at least 20 minutes (less for infants). 12

6 Case study (4) Clear, consistent and purposeful scheduling: Harston and Newton County Primary School, Cambridge W ithin the last two years, the head of this village school (123 on roll) has introduced a systematic homework programme. The policy gives an outline of the homework tasks for each class and this is supplemented by separate and appropriate guidelines for staff and parents, agreed by the staff team. There are planning documents (a) spelling, handwriting and reading (for all classes) and (b) mathematics (for KS2 classes). For each class, some of which contain more than one year group, a letter is sent to parents covering a number of topics, including homework. And thus Class Two (years 1 and 2) parents are told in the autumn term about all the homework tasks: reading (daily, including guided choice of stories and free choice of library books), spellings (tested on Friday after a week to learn them), handwriting tasks(one week to complete a page, at five minutes per day), mathematics (for year 2 mainly tested on Thursday). Classes 3, 4 and 5 continue this pattern but also have a fortnightly topic related task. These tasks (four or five per term, depending on age) were set out in appropriate language on a separate sheet, so that parents and pupils knew, for the term, what was expected, when it would be set and when it should be completed. The five tasks for the top class were in science, history (three tasks on the term s topic, the V ictorians) and RE. Special educational needs 28 Setting the right type and amount of homework for children with special educational needs is not always easy. Some children in mainstream schools may benefit from special tasks separate from the homework set for other children in the class. On the other hand, it is important that they should do as much in common with other children as possible. Setting appropriate homework, which does not demand too much or too little of children and their parents, needs close co-ordination between class teachers, special needs co-ordinators and parents. Tasks should: have a very clear focus and time-guideline; give plenty of opportunities for pupils to succeed; help develop social as well as other skills where necessary; be varied and not purely written assignments; be manageable for teachers. 13

7 Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools 29 The purposes of homework outlined in paragraph 15 should apply equally to pupils with SEN. Homework should not be seen as the way of attempting to get these pupils to catch up with the rest of the class. Case study (5) Effective learning for pupils with SEN: Olney County First School, Bucks In this school, where the headteacher (as SENCO) leads a support team, homework is planned according to the stage (of the SEN code) at which pupils are. Pupils at stage 1, whose progress is being monitored by the class teacher, are given key word games to take home and play to develop their retention of these words. Pupils at stage 2 add tasks which are specifically linked to their IEP targets. There is a space on the IEP sheet for home contributions. There is a strong belief in over-learning for pupils with SEN. This is considered to be effective in helping them to make progress and depends on regular parental support which is carefully fostered. How homework will be planned and co-ordinated so that the demands on pupils are balanced and manageable 30 Policies should set out: who is responsible for ensuring that the demands of homework are manageable for pupils and parents/carers on a day to day basis normally the class teacher; regular patterns to homework, particularly for literacy and numeracy. 31 Teachers will want to allow more than one evening for some homework to be completed, for example to allow sufficient time for information to be collected or to take account of any after school activities the children may be doing. However homework is set, it is very important to monitor the demands on pupils so that they are as even and balanced as possible. The role of parents and carers in supporting pupils 32 Policies should contain clear guidance on the role of parents and carers in supporting pupils homework and how the school expects this role to change as children get older. This guidance must be drawn up in consultation with parents and carers. 33 In general terms parents and carers should, in the Government s view, be encouraged to: provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which pupil can do their homework alone or, more often for younger children, together with an adult or help pupils attend 14

8 other places where homework can be done, such as homework clubs or study support centres; make it clear to pupils that they value homework, and support the school in explaining how it can help their learning; encourage pupils and praise them when they have completed homework. 34 Beyond this parents and carers of younger children, in particular, should be encouraged, as far as possible, to become actively involved in joint homework activities with children. To help them in this they may need careful guidance from class teachers. The Government recognises that some parents may find supporting their children with homework or home activities difficult and schools may find it a challenge to enlist their help. Information on strategies used by successful schools, including schools featured in these guidelines, is available from the Standards and Effectiveness Unit at the DFEE or through the SEU s good practice database. Case study (6) Progress in mathematics against the odds: Servite Roman Catholic Primary School, London At Servite RC Primary School (Kensington & Chelsea LEA), which has commonly had N C A results above the national average despite the wide ability range and a considerable proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, regular homework is set in maths for most year groups. In order to motivate pupils, the school set up a Tables Club. Children who had learnt one set (2x, etc) were tested on all permutations of it and then became a member of the 2x Club, receiving a badge. This has now been superseded by a tables assessment card with bronze, silver and gold awards. Such schemes have worked well in a school where it is sometimes hard to involve parents, some of whom do not speak English and are not all literate in their own language. Moreover, many live in very cramped conditions. Some parents have difficulty with maths homework and have asked for a maths workshop, to which the school has agreed. Homework and study support facilities 35 Policies should describe any opportunities which exist for older pupils to do homework, under supervision, at places other than home. These may include opportunities at school, for example during lunch time or before or after school, as well as opportunities away from school premises, at libraries or community centres. 36 W e are aware of the excellent work already being done by many LEAs, schools, public libraries and other organisations to provide space and support for pupils to carry out homework. The framework set out by the Department in Extending Opportunity: a national 15

9 Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools framework for study support, describes the contribution which homework clubs can make to schools wider programme of out of school hours learning activities. 16

10 37 The Government is providing 200 million lottery money through the New Opportunities Fund to support out of school hours learning in at least half of all secondary and special schools, and a quarter of all primary schools, by We expect homework clubs to be included in many of the projects supported by lottery funding. The Government is also making resources available to all LEAs with Premier or Division One Football Clubs in their area, to establish study support centres at the Clubs. The centres will offer a range of study support opportunities around literacy, numeracy and IT, and will include opportunities for homework. Case study (7) Pilot for lottery funding Three primary schools in Richmond, Surrey, have formed a consortium with Rectory Comprehensive School to provide homework facilities as one of 50 pilot projects for the Government s plans to use lottery funds for out of school hours learning. Children will be prepared for entry into secondary school through the facilities, which will include access to ICT and a library to develop literacy skills. 17