Promoting learning through effective homework
Laying the foundation
Under the leadership of a new head, Star Primary School has come out of 'special measures'. Within this
process, homework has made a significant contribution. This represents a considerable cultural shift
for the staff, pupils and their families.
Homework is now perceived as an entitlement - most pupils enjoy it, and often ask for more. The profile
of homework has also been enhanced by the provision of customised EAZ-sponsored 'Homework Bags'. Attractive
homework resource materials are also included.
Additionally, to enable parents to help their children with their work at home, daytime literacy and
numeracy sessions are held for parents/carers, along with a weekly evening Literacy Club for fathers/male
carers with their children.
Establishing good practice
Homework within the school is promoted as a positive experience for the pupils, linked as clearly as
possible to classroom work. To achieve this, teachers prepare their homework programmes as part of
their half-termly planning exercises. Homework tasks are mapped out for each year group, to reinforce
or extend lessons, and provide a range of skills practices in English, maths and foundation subjects.
Most importantly, homework is planned to support the weekly objectives outlined in the Literacy
Strategy Framework.
Extending the boundaries of homework
The next stage will be to link homework more explicitly to the pupils' individual literacy and numeracy
targets, and in the case of pupils with SEN, their IEPs (Individual Educational Plans).
Pupils already have personal target cards to help focus their efforts and remind them of their next
achievable goal. It is now planned to replicate these for homework, with targets that emphasise
independent work and study skills. For example, this could be 'to find three things that would improve
my written work before bringing it back to school'. These target cards will allow pupils to have an
individual focus on every piece of homework.
New schemes of work and medium-term plans will include planned homework activities, differentiated into
three ability levels, and resourced, to support teachers with the challenge of providing meaningful
homework for each individual pupil.
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