Our Home Learning Expectations
A Caring Christian Family Where We Grow Together
Let Your Light Shine ~ Matthew 5:16
It’s important that we work together as a team so you can support your child where it is most important - beyond the school gate, supporting your child’s learning at home. A great deal of thought has been put into our home learning expectations. There is a range of tasks and activities which will allow the children to practise what they have learnt in school and extend their knowledge. At no point should home learning ever become a battle or take over your home life. It is vital that children have time to be a child – playing and enjoying time with their family and friends. Every child is different – if you feel that our expectations aren’t quite right for your child, please talk to us and we can adapt them to suit your child. They are NOT set in stone.
Our Home Learning Expectations:
Reading – Five times a week. They will need to record their reading in their reading records. They must read to an adult at least once a week, even when the children become competent readers. Reading is the key to all education and the most important aspect of our home learning. Learning to read is just like learning to play a musical instrument – a little and often. This ensures that the skills become embedded into the children’s long term memory. Sharing bedtime stories is also a vital part of helping your child to become a competent reader and writer. By reading regularly to children, you will unlock their imagination and their desire to read.
Spelling and Phonics– A list of the children's spelling will be sent home on the first Friday of every half term.. The children are usually tested every Friday.
Maths - Firstly, we would like you to have fun playing games, baking and do practical things with your children that involve some element of Maths. Maths is everywhere.
Maths (Y1 Onwards) – My Maths. Each week the children will be set a task to complete. This is something you should do with them. Talking through the task is an important aspect.
Maths (Y2 Onwards) – Timetable Rockstar's. At least five times a week for 5 to 10 minutes. It is vital that your child knows their tables inside out and back to front. By the end of Year 4, it is expected that every child will know their times tables. Like Reading, times tables are often better practised a little and often rather than in once a week.
Study Theme Work – Each half term your child will be given a list of possible things they need to complete linked to their study theme. There will always be a wide selection of tasks to provide the children with some choice. There is no expectation that they will complete all of them. Instead they can either choice either one or two big projects to complete or one smaller one each week. It's important that the children focus on something they are passionate about. Please, please, please don’t do these tasks for the children – it’s pointless, a waste of your time and your child won’t gain anything from it. Instead work together, supporting and helping your child if needed. As the children move up through the school, you should encourage your child to complete these tasks on their own in preparation for High School. These should then be brought into school on the last Monday of each half term.
We understand that families have busy lives and things happen out of our control, so there will be times when you haven’t been able to complete all the tasks set. Just let us know. The key to successful home learning is getting into a routine – put a timetable together for your family. One that works for you. This will help your child get into good habits for High School. Every child is different – some need a break when they get home, others prefer to get it out of the way. It’s important you find out what works for you.
More details can be found on the individual class pages.
Don't forget we are here to help and support, as always.
