Homework

We have reviewed our approach to homework for this academic year to ensure our children’s core Literacy and Numeracy skills are practised and consolidated weekly, whilst providing regular opportunities for children to be creative at home and nurture their wider interests. The new homework system is explained below. Do get in touch with your child’s Teacher if you have any questions and thank you for all the support you provide at home, it really does make so much difference to their progress in school. 

Spellings 

At Brill School, we are very focussed on the technical accuracy of our children’s writing. We always strive to nurture their imagination and creativity, but alongside this, we acknowledge the critical importance of learning how to spell and write with clarity, precision and confidence. At school, children have frequent and targeted spelling, punctuation and grammar sessions. This learning might sometimes happen as a stand-alone lesson, or be incorporated into a phonics, reading or writing lesson.  This approach sits in line with the Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance report Improving Literacy in KS2, which states that “fast and accurate spelling of extensive vocabulary is a key component of writing fluency”.  Whilst there is “limited high-quality evidence about how to teach spelling… it is clear that spelling should be actively taught rather than simply tested”.   

To structure the teaching of spelling at school, this year we are following the Bug Club scheme for KS1 and the Spelling Shed’s scheme for KS2. Each week, your child will have a focus set of spelling words to explore, practise and learn.  This word list is appropriate to their age and year group and the words are linked by a focus spelling pattern (eg. words containing ‘ch’ pronounced ‘sh’). Included in the timetable for KS2 are also ‘challenge weeks’ made up of words from the statutory word lists found in the National Curriculum English Programme of Study Spelling Appendix 2.  These weeks offer an opportunity for children to put their learning into practise on words which may have unfamiliar or unusual spelling patterns.  KS1 similarly learn their ‘common exception words’ alongside their spelling patterns.  

Spellings Homework 

Children will be given a weekly spelling activity as homework to help them understand, use and learn their focus words for that week.  We would be grateful if you could help your child with this task, talking to them about the word, how it sounds, what it means, and when we might see and use it in real life. This homework task will be given out each week on a Friday and due in the following Wednesday. 

At the end of each week, there will be a short informal test of the week’s word list, the results of which are to be used by Teachers to inform their teaching and support of your child.  

Maths Homework 

At Brill School we follow the White Rose Scheme of learning for our mathematics teaching. This is a mastery approach curriculum that allows all children to thrive and progress at their own level, with appropriate challenge for all. Therefore, this year we have invested in the maths practise journals to aid the children in revisiting and consolidating their weeks learning at home. 

Each week your child will be set a page/s from their maths practise journal to complete at home. This will directly link to what they have been learning in school that week (so please don’t go on ahead as tempting as it may be!) We may also include some resources to support in their learning if we think applicable and supportive. This homework task will be given out each week on a Friday and due in the following Wednesday. 

Topic Homework 

Each half term your child will be set some homework tasks. There will be a topic task set, which is an ongoing task to be completed across the half term. This task will vary each half term and is designed to enhance and support learning around the topic your child will be covering in school. For more information about the topic your child is covering, please visit their class page on the website and look at the topic web provided.

Documents

“We wanted to write to inform you of how successful the new homework has been for us as a family.
My child has thoroughly enjoyed planning and being creative with the tasks. As parents of a child who is easily frustrated with the academic side of school, it has been wonderful to see her so enthusiastic!
Our child has accessed so many areas of the school curriculum, whilst working on her tasks without becoming overwhelmed!
As parents, we love the flexibility this new style of homework brings. Our child has most definitely gained a greater wealth of knowledge which will be memorable! We have also enjoyed spending the time together!”

Year 4 Parent