Homework

BedlingtonStation PrimarySchool

Homework

Why do we set homework?

We understand that your child’s learning is important to parents. Many parents would like the opportunity to be involved in their child’s learning and support them in reaching their full potential. At Bedlington Station Primary School we value homework as an opportunity to:

involve you in your child’s learning
reinforce the learning that takes place in class
practise key skills (e.g. reading, spellings, tables)
encourage your child to take some responsibility for their own learning
give your child the opportunity to investigate a topic further

How can I support my child?

Find a suitably quiet place for your child to do their homework
When using the internet ensure your child is supervised
Take an interest in your child’s homework and support where necessary
Ensure that your child completes their homework on time, and that it is returned to school
Allow your child to complete their own homework!

Remember, if you have any concerns at all about your child’s homework, or would like some advice about how to best support, please contact the class teacher.

What homework looks like @ BSPS

It is an expectation that all children will read at home every night. The amount of time spent reading should vary depending on the age of your child. As a guide, children in Foundation Stage should share their book with you for around 10 minutes. Children in Key Stage 1 should read to you or independently for around 10 minutes each night. Children in Key Stage 2 should spend a minimum of 20 minutes a night reading. Reading books are provided by school as a resource to use at home (KS2 have access to MyOn.com), however we would encourage you to support your child in accessing a range of appropriate books and reading materials.

Reading

Spellings (Years 1-6)

Each half term your child’s class teacher will give a bank of words for your child to practise at home. The spelling bank will consist of 20 common words, specific to the curriculum for the year group, and 20 ‘topic’ words. We encourage parents to use these words at home with their children. It is hoped that with longer exposure to these words that the children will become more secure in how to spell them, making an impact on spelling in their writing. The traditional weekly spelling test often yields a higher ‘test score’ but often this is not transferred into their everyday writing - the place it really matters.

Maths (Years 1-6)

Children should practise their times tables at home. In KS1 this should mainly involve counting in 2s, 5s and 10s; moving onto multiplication and division facts from Year 2. From Year 2, children use 'Trek-it Tables' and will be focussing on a particular times table. Children should also practise mental arithmetic at home, developing their skills using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Homework Challenge (Years 1-6)

Each half term class teachers set a ‘Homework Challenge’. In addition what is detailed above, the Homework Challenge also outlines curriculum related tasks for children to complete at home. These could be linked to any area of the curriculum but will all have a link to what your child is learning in school. These challenges could include activities such as: creating artwork, writing a report, researching an event, writing a story, keeping a journal or investigating a problem. These challenges can be completed in any order and emailed to your child's class teacher at any time during the half term. The Homework Challenge is an opportunity to become involved first hand with your child’s learning.

The Homework Challenge is optional. Children who choose to complete these tasks will be rewarded with Station Stars.