Homework

Try to ensure that homework is done on the night; it is set to prevent ‘build-up’.

Encourage your child to unpack their bag in an organised way, placing homework to be done in their tray. Check the planner with your child for what homework needs to be done, and when it is to be done for. Check they have everything they need to complete the tasks (ask them to tell you what they will need, to encourage independence).

Recognise how hard it is to work unsupervised. Help your child structure their time and use it usefully – provide a clock or timer and agree the tasks that should be done in each e.g. Half-hour period. Try to be available to do ‘progress checks’- have they completed the task in the set time? (But otherwise leave them to it – don’t establish a pattern of always doing homework with them – it’s unsustainable and they won’t learn to work independently).

Make sure your child always writes the date and title, and clearly labels it as homework (either in their book or on a worksheet or computer print out).

Point out the rewards of working in this way – homework doesn’t drag on all night; it feels good to have completed tasks etc.

Don’t let children struggle on for longer than the recommended time – if they have done half an hour and only answered half the questions, let them stop. (If they are worried about the consequences, write a note on the homework, confirming that the correct amount of time was spent on the task).

If children are stuck – either because they don’t understand the task they have written down, or because they ‘can’t do it’, offer support but don’t ‘do it for them’.

Encourage your child to check in the lesson, if they haven’t understood what the task means – it’s too late by the time they get home.

Encourage them to write down exactly what the teacher says (not ‘finish stuff in book’ – they’ll have forgotten what ‘stuff’ by the time they get home). If you and your child really cannot work out what has to be done, try ringing a friend in the same group, or, as a last resort, write a note to the teacher asking for clarification and explaining that the homework will be done as soon as possible.

If there is a problem with the level of work, it is important that the teacher knows this. If work is consistently too difficult or too easy, it is important to let the teacher know (see ‘contacting the school’).

Check that your child has given work in and, if they have not, check why (they may have had a supply teacher) and encourage them to write in their planner when they will give it in.

Take an interest in the marks and comments on the homework your child gets back – celebrate success and give the clear message that homework is valuable and important.

Homework may not be automatically valued by the children in school. Many will never do it and appear to ‘get away with it’. Be very wary of excuses your child will use (see list – they will accumulate many from their peers over the first few weeks and only some will be genuine!) and try to ensure that, if an excuse is given, you check it out and ensure that your child still does the homework as soon as the problem is sorted out. If you do this for the first few times, the ‘excuses’ will lessen but if they are successful in getting out of homework in this way to start with, they will carry on and it becomes very hard to re-establish good patterns later on when homework becomes crucial to examination grades.

If your child is consistently not getting homework when they should (according to the homework timetable), do contact the school (see contacting the school)

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