HOMEWORK

Homework will be given to the children every Friday and be due in for the following Wednesday so that I can see it has been completed. We will also have half termly project homework that is linked to our topic of the term. The children will get the opportunity to share their project with the class in the last week of each half term.

READING

What do parents need to know about home reading? 

• Reading books should be brought in every day. Children should have books available to read during the day with an adult: before school, during school, after lunch and during down times. 
   
• Children are listened to read by Teacher or Teaching assistant during the week.  
  • EYFS and KS1: Nursery - a group recalling session each week. Reception/KS1 should have a one-to-one reading session every week. 
  • KS2: Children should have a one-to-one reading session every week, unless their reading age is below their chronological age. In this case, the child should have a daily reading session. The book will match the child’s reading age and be the right level for this child to read independently 
     
• Comments in reading diary will relate to fluency and/or comprehension. 
  • Nursery-Year 1 comments will focus on phonics and fluency. In Years 2-6 the focus will depend on their reading age assessment. If the child’s reading age is in-line with age, the comments should focus on comprehension. If the child’s reading age is below their chronological age, the session will focus on fluency.  
     
• Bookmarks give ideas for comprehension questions related to books to share at home. To promote reading and positive attitudes school will hand out certificates, stamps, stickers and prizes. 

Rationale

Between the ages of 5 and 16 children spend only 15% of their lives in school, so supporting them at home really improves their chances of success. Parents and Carers are by far the most important influences on children’s lives.

At Irk Valley School we recognise that Parents and Carers make a real difference to children’s education. When they and the school work together in partnership, children perform better. Children learn a great deal at school. Parents and Carers add to that by supporting their learning at home.

Demonstrating an interest in, and discussing their homework with them, helps children recognise and value learning as a lifelong process. Homework is part of a range of “out of class tasks‟ that build on classroom activities including study support and other events traditionally regarded as extracurricular. Homework is recognised as having an important role to play in the education of pupils and evidence suggests that it can be equivalent to an additional year of study over the course of a secondary career.