Safa British School Homework Policy

This page outlines the Safa British School Homework Policy.

RATIONALE

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation has indicated that compulsory, written homework in the primary school has little positive impact on children’s achievement. However, at Safa British School we do believe that when children are fully supported at home, their chances of success increase significantly. We believe that children of primary school age should engage in a broad range of activities with parents that cover all aspects of child development – physical, emotional, academic, moral and cultural. We believe that homework does not always have to be sitting down or writing; it can be active, fun and engaging (for parents and children)!

PARENTAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY

Parents do have an important role to play in the educational development of their children. This development is a shared responsibility between home and school. To support children’s academic achievements we ask parents to:

• Be aware of children’s personal targets in their communication journal and support children in achieving these
• Contribute to children’s personal targets by adding a ‘home target’
• Read with their child every evening or as much as possible (model by reading yourself and/or listening to your child)
• Complete set MyMaths homework
• Support their child in learning set spelling words (through a range of active and written activities)
• Complete any Arabic/Islamic homework where applicable
• Attend the school’s ‘Celebration of Work’ afternoons to celebrate successes
• Attend scheduled parent’s evenings to discuss children’s progress
• Attend parental engagement sessions which allow you to work alongside your child and their teacher

HOME PRACTICE

The introduction of ‘Home Practice’ creates a flexible homework routine that can be adapted by you to suit your child and your weekly routine. Over the course of the school week there will be compulsory spelling words, MyMaths and Reading. Once these short tasks are completed, we encourage you to work on your child’s personal targets, as well as spending as much time as you can on activities such as:

• Visiting museums, parks
• Taking part in team sports
• Arts and Crafts
• Riding their bike
• Reciting a poem
• Researching something they are interested in
• Read for pleasure
• Writing a shopping list together and buying groceries
• Baking a cake
• Making cards/writing thank you letters
• Talking, Talking, Talking
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Board Games
• Get messy – play in the mud, sand or water
• Help with making dinner
• Grow a garden
• Learn a musical instrument
• Play dress-up
• Take pictures
• Yoga/Meditation
• Listen to and appreciate music
• Random acts of kindness

HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT MY CHILD IS DOING IN SCHOOL?

The introduction of the weekly class newsletter outlines the areas and objectives being covered each week in English, Maths, Science and PlanIt. Weekly newsletters for French, Arabic and Islamic will also give an overview of what is happening in these subjects.

Be specific when asking you child what they have done in school. Seven hours is a long time and the easiest thing to say is ‘nothing!’

HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I SPEND DOING HOMEWORK?