These notes record the content of a discussion amongst teachers during a staff meeting on the subject of homework (19/01/04). Comments are recorded in the order in which they were made.

Teachers' comments

• 'Need to get parents on board'
• Need to 'train' parents - so they know how to help children do homework
• There is a need for parental involvement - not parents doing it for children, not a short-cut
• Need for response sheet accompanying completed homework - to indicate who did it (pupil, parent, pupil and parent)
• Extend reading diary idea to homework tasks - include comments/questions - ensure 'feedback'
• 'Some parents take homework seriously, some don't'
• Parent comment: 'He's a little so-and-so if he's asked to read'
• Need to sort out behavioural problems at home
• Run a (parent-led?) homework club?
• What to in the face of non-compliance? 'Over-the-top praise' for those who do it?
• Return rate considered: 90% compliance in one class claimed
• Reading? PACT books signed but not regularly
• Need to display list of returned work - children/teacher to tick off returned work to encourage high rate of completion
• Need for star chart, privilege chart, visual display of compliance
• 'Naming-and-shaming' did have an effect (teacher's previous experience in another school): school policy to do this
• 'I wouldn't want to name-and-shame'
• 95% return rate claimed in another class
• Expectations at secondary school explained to older children to prepare them and encourage effort
• Explain consequences of non-compliance at secondary school
• Very concerned about reading at home dropping off (Y1)
• 'Lots of parents' stopped reading after first term
• 'Less-able' children generally not heard read at home
• Importance of reading at home needs to be re-stated and re-emphasised
• Reading is homework for younger children
• Reading at home should be an expectation - it ought to be done
• Star charts do reward the quiet, 'good' child, who is 'no problem', who 'just gets on'
• Homework diary - well received in older class: for all ages?
• Communicate back to parents: how?
• Homework related to classwork: desirable
• It's an extra thing
• 'It's back-up for me to make sure they understand what I've taught them' - then I can change my planning
• General feedback to parents via end of year report - adequate?
• Current practice:
  • YR: reading; bringing in objects for sounds
  • Y1: + spellings
  • Y2: + maths facts; DT task (1/year)
  • Y3/4: not described
  • Y5/6: free readers (maybe independently); spellings; tables ('mopping up' - a few children, about 5 currently); 1x maths/week; bigger activity (1/term)
• Ensure new mid-year intake receive homework leaflets (distributed to all in September)
• 'We haven't called reading, homework'
• Possible questionnaire content:
  • Caution: a questionnaire implies a request list
  • 'Do you know what children are supposed to be doing?'
  • 'Do you feel able to help your child?'
  • 'What support would you like to be given to help support your child?' ('Like SAT's meetings - the ones you want to come, don't come'
  • Too much?
  • Too little?
• Best content for homework? 'If it's something they really need to learn you've got to do it in school. If it's something that you can afford some to miss, why set it?'
• It's got to be marked
• Reading: teacher's comments home are about what skills to continue with at home: 'training parents in what I'm trying to teach':
  • Are they reading?
  • Explain my methods
  • Train parents to use the same methods
  • I'll explain further if required
• Importance of parents reading to children
• 'We're not going to please all of the people all of the time'
• Usefulness of nationally produced maths homework sheets (NNS?)
• 'Less rather than more'

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