Dear Parents/Carers,

I am writing to inform you of some changes we are making to our Homework Policy in order to better reflect the research undertaken by the Education Endowment Foundation (please see below).

Homework refers to tasks given to pupils by their teachers to be completed outside of usual lessons. Common homework activities in primary schools tend to be reading or practising spelling and number facts, but may also include more extended activities to develop inquiry skills or more directed and focused work such as revision for tests.

How effective is it? It is certainly the case that schools whose pupils do homework tend to be more successful. However it is not clear whether use of homework is a reason for this success. A number of reviews and meta-analyses have explored this issue. There is stronger evidence that it is helpful at secondary level, but there is much less evidence of benefit at primary level. There is some evidence that when homework is used as a short and focused intervention it can be effective in improving students’ attainment, but this is limited for primary age pupils

Homework has been extensively researched. There is a relatively consistent picture that pupils in schools which give more homework perform better, although for primary age pupils the difference is small. However, there are only a small number of studies which have investigated whether this relationship is due to the homework itself, rather than other school factors.

Overall, homework in primary schools does not appear to lead to large increases in learning. Effective homework is associated with greater parental involvement and support. The broader evidence base suggests that short focused tasks or activities which relate directly to what is being taught, and which are built upon in school, are likely to be more effective than regular daily homework.

For details of what homework your child will be receiving in future, please see this term’s welcome letter.

Regards

Ms D Kimpton

Headteacher

Please see the links below if you would like extra activities for your child to try at home.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z3g4d2p

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z3g4d2p

Please also see 'Useful Websites in the Children area above