These notes record a discussion amongst teachers during a staff meeting on the subject of homework (22/03/04). Comments are mostly related to current practice and are recorded in the order in which they were made. Contributions do not systematically relate to the teachers of the identified classes.

Teachers' comments

Class 1

• Reception year :
  • Children read with parents
  • Learn some spellings in summer term
• Year 1:
  • Reading
  • Spelling
• Children bring things in for topic work and for 'sounds table'
• 'Spelling for Literacy' sheets employed: 5x spelling pattern words + 5x keywords
• 'Look, Cover, Write, Check' sheet goes home
• Reinforced with practice books at start of school day
• Reading record: still being developed
• Teacher and TA add comments in existing reading record following reading activity in school
• Open invitation to discuss comments in reading record
• Taken up? Yes, once or twice: 'What exactly did you mean?' (early morning)

Class 2

• Spellings continue
• At various levels (individualised)
• Little sheets distributed to practise on at home (different sheets to those used in Class 1)
• Create booklet that builds up to create collection of spellings week by week
• Tests on Wednesdays
• Words drawn from NLS Keywords and 'Spelling for Literacy' resource
• Words determined by need
• Reading: booklets (as Class 1) continue to direct parents and children
• Informal x tables practice (x2, x10, x5)
• Class topic letter to alert parents that tables are being learnt in school - then leave it to them
• Projects: 1/year

Class 3

• Reading continues
• Spellings - routine religiously adhered to
• x tables - could do some, but currently not
• Homework tasks set, e.g.
  • Science (keep a food diary for a week) - good response? Approx. 75%
  • Reading diary
  • Improve general knowledge - Watch 'Newsround', tell neighbour something learnt (no parental input required)
  • Road safety - read booklets, prepare questions for visitor. Response? 'Some' did
• Encouraged to research using Web
• Easy to forget to set homework
• Reasonable to state school policy requires an explanatory sheet to parents/children to declare the homework task
• Maybe regular Monday sheet to accompany spellings
• 'Less rather than more - or you make a rod for your own back'
• Sometimes think if own child comes home without homework: 'Phew!'

Class 4

• Spellings - writing sentences instead of tests
• Reading expectation maintained
• x table facts being mopped up with about 5 children
• Booster homework within spring term for Y6 (nothing else in addition at this time)
• Examples of tasks:
  • Food diary
  • Maths investigations
  • Geography: 'What's in the News' preparations
• Homework diaries: maintained? Thought that 90% keep up well
• All homework recorded: written in by children
• 2-way record - with parent comments
• When does teacher read diary? Approx. fortnightly (manageable - ish)
• Worth time and effort
• Feel guilty that some children do it well and receive limited response
• Privilege points reward careful upkeep of homework diaries
• Parents can communicate via diary - but long response time likely
• Requires parent to say, "Show Mrs. L. this today" for quicker reply
• Teacher to allocate time to view diaries: p.m. / fortnight?

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