Homework

Homework Progression at St. Catherine's

Format of homework: All classes will be given paper copies of homework, either in a homework folder or homework book depending on year group.

KS2 Music homework: our Music teacher will set a music challenge for children in Years 3-6 once per year to consolidate and extend their musical learning in school.

What is the purpose of the homework set for my child?

The main purpose of homework at St. Catherine’s is to consolidate learning.  With continued practice, children become more confident in re-calling key skills and applying them in different contexts.

How is my child given feedback on their homework?

Teachers give feedback on children’s homework in a variety of ways, including self- and peer-marking. Further up the school, we aim to develop the independence of children self-assessing their own homework, with teacher guidance. Through feedback, teachers identify common errors and incorporate them into class teaching and/or homework feedback – whichever is deemed most useful and appropriate.  

What should I do if my child is struggling with their homework?

• If your child is struggling with a particular question on their homework and they have tried their hardest, they can leave this question blank and let their teacher know. The teacher will then incorporate this into class feedback when marking homework or a staff member will support your child to answer the question.
• If your child has struggled with a question but has been able to complete it with adult support, please put a little note on the question to let your child’s class teacher know that some support was needed.
• If your child is consistently struggling with wider aspects of their homework, please email the school office to speak to your child’s class teacher so that we can look into what is best to support your child’s learning.

We do not want homework to cause any upset or distress for our children.  If your child is struggling or cannot complete their homework, please speak to your child’s class teacher.

Are there any resources to support my child with their homework?

There are lots of support websites and resources listed on our school website on our year group pages. 

Please know that we do place a good level of importance on the completion of homework and we appreciate all parent/carer support with this.  We also know that many of our children are involved in a great range of activities outside of school, which are invaluable.  We ask that parents and carers support their child in coming up with a set homework routine so that homework tasks can best support the learning of their child but also don’t cause stress or clashes with other important activities outside of school.

Reading Record Guidance: Key Stage One

• Your child is expected to read for at least 10 minutes, five times a week. However, they are not limited to five times as we would like them to read as often as possible to develop a real love for books and take pleasure in exploring different types of books.
• Please ignore the days of the week headings and see it as five opportunities to read.
• This is to be recorded in their reading records each time they read.
• When you record what your child has read, please include the following:

✓ The date they have read on.

✓ The name of the book they have read.

✓ The pages that they have read that day.

✓ A couple of sentences about what you have noticed or how they have read.

• When you read with your child, please question them on what they have read, ask them lots of questions about the story as this develops their comprehension and understanding.
• The frequency at which children change their books will be set by teachers and will vary throughout the year, as well as being dependent on book length.
• Children’s reading records will be checked by an adult each week to ensure that they have completed the above.
• Please note that reading records need to be signed and filled in for reading books to be changed.

Reading Record Guidance: Key Stage Two

• Your child is expected to read for at least 10 minutes, five times a week. However, they are not limited to five times as we would like them to read as often as possible to develop a real love for books and take pleasure in exploring different types of books.
• Please ignore the days of the week headings and see it as five opportunities to read.
• This is to be recorded in their reading records each time they read.
• We encourage children to record their reading in their reading records themselves in KS2.
• When your child records what they have read, they should include the following:

✓ The date they have read on.

✓ The name of the book they have read.

✓ The pages that they have read that day.

✓ A couple of sentences about what they have read that day.

• We recommend that children read at least three times a week to an adult. During this time, please question them on what they have read – the reading guidance in their reading record will assist with this.
• Children who are on levelled reading books are to change their books roughly once a week, however this depends on the length of the book and can sometimes be more or less frequent.
• Their reading records will be checked by an adult on each week to ensure that they have completed the above.
• Please also encourage your child to read for pleasure. If they choose to read a school or public library book, they may also record this.

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