Homework

At the beginning of the academic year, each year group will be informed of what is expected of them with regard to homework. At the class welcome session in October, teachers will explain the organisation of homework in their child’s class to parents. Each half-term a knowledge organiser will be uploaded onto the school website to inform parents and carers about what the children are learning in class. This will then enable you to support and extend your child’s learning at home.

We use an innovative approach to homework called ‘Learning Logs’ in which homework becomes a more personalised learning resource for our pupils. With Learning Logs, the children record their responses to learning challenges set by their teacher. Each log is a unique record of your child’s thinking and learning which encourages them to be creative in a way they approach homework.

Learning Log activities are intended to be as open ended as possible, allowing the children to make reflect on their learning in class in a creative way and for the children to make their own decisions on how to collect, record and present their homework. We know from research that all pupils have different learning styles – some are visual learners , others work well with words and writing , many learn best from practical hands on activities e.g.  through making things, art or music. We know that children’s learning is maximised when they engage in activities using their individual learning styles.

Each fortnight your child will be given a prompt for a task from their class teacher. They can then answer the question or complete the task in their own preferred way over 2 pages in their Learning Log.

Here are some ideas of how children might approach ‘learning log’ tasks :

  • Drawing, colouring, sketches, labelled diagrams, artwork- painting, collage, 3D constructions
  • Cooking with photographs or explanations
  • Take photographs or even videos of their work
  • Use the internet as a resource
  • Physical activity
  • Tables, charts and grids
  • Writing fiction, poems, descriptions
  • Writing non fiction-report, diary, letter, journal, newspaper report, e mail, leaflet, debate or explanation
  • Invitations, postcard
  • Your child can include objects or resources or references to them.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are no boundaries for what children could include. We would hope that you would encourage your child towards the way of working that best suits them. Each fortnight , we will spend time in class developing the learning log further and the children will look at each others work and the way they chose to present their learning and research.

For further information about homework, please see the timetable and policy below.