Home Learning

Home learning is an essential part of a great education. It not only reinforces classroom learning but it supports children in the development of the skills and attitudes they need to be successful lifelong learners. The individual attention a parent can give, if only for a few minutes, can help motivate, build confidence, raise self-esteem and support progress. A child can begin to understand the value his or her parent puts on education through how they engage with their learning at home.

We recognise the role of the parent/carer as the first educator and that this does not diminish once a child is at school. A working partnership between school and home enhances the educational development of the child. We consider that any parent that feels able to help their child at home as extremely worthwhile. We also recognise that regardless of age, children also need to play as this is not just a time to switch off from the day but also part of learning.

At Blackfield Primary School, we use an incentivised reward scheme when children complete their home learning. Children can earn points which they can trade in to get free reading books from our reading book vending machine. Please below for a copy of our Home Learning Policy.

Home Learning Policy

Reading

At Blackfield, we believe that creating a culture of reading is a vital tool in ensuring our children are given the best life chances. Cultivating readers with a passion for a wide range of materials, will ensure that children’s love of reading will extend far beyond the classroom and allow them to build on their skills independently through a real curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Children will have two reading books which they can take home: a book matched to their instructional level (we call this their ‘learn to read’ book) to help them progress as a reader and a book of their choice from one of our libraries or reading corners (we call this their ‘love to read book’).

Home Learning Platforms

At Blackfield Primary School, we value the impact digital technology can have in supporting learning at home. Most of our home learning is set through our various online portals which are set up for your child in school and their login credentials are sent home with them. The main online platforms we use are:

• - Seesaw
• - Century Tech
• - Reading Buddy

We also provide children logins for additional learning games on:

• - Times Table Rock Stars
• - Numbots
• - Spelling Shed

Year R Home Learning Expectations

Year R children will start the year reading their phonics letters, before moving on to phonics books and common exception words. The class teacher will inform parents when their child is ready to move on to         the next phase of reading home learning.

In Year R, it is essential to read each day, for at least 5 days a week, either having their book read to them by an adult or, when they have a phonics book, practising reading their phonics book. An adult will need to sign their reading challenge and note down what has been read.

• Common exception words are words in the English language that don’t follow a spelling rule or pattern. Year R have a list of ‘common exception words’ which every child should know how to read and spell by the end of the school year. Children will be sent home with a booklet containing the common exception words. Children will learn a page of words a week with parents at home and when parents feel confident that the child can read and spell the words they return that page to their class teacher.
• A vocabulary activity will also be set for parents to practice with their child. This could be posted on Seesaw or written on the class board at the end of the day. Exploring vocabulary with young children is vital in building their understanding of the world. An adult will need to sign their reading challenge and note down that this has been completed.

Year R children will receive a point each week for each of the above home learning tasks, earning up to a maximum of 3 points per week. Please see our ‘Rewards’ section for further information on how we incentivise home learning.

This is the only home learning that is expected of Year R children to complete. However, class teachers may also set an additional activity for parents to support their children’s understanding of mathematics:

A short mathematics video may be sent to your child’s Seesaw account, linked to the ‘Numberblocks’ programme. This will give parents the opportunity to see what learning is taking place in the classroom and to share some of the vocabulary with their child.

Year 1 and 2 Home Learning Expectations

• Reading at home is the most important thing a child can do to support their learning in school. All children are expected to spend at least 10 minutes each day, for at least 5 days a week, practicing reading their ‘learn to read’ book. This will be the child’s phonics book in most cases but some children may be reading a stage book which is carefully selected to help children develop their reading skills. For our stage books, children also have access to an online platform called Reading Buddy. This gives children online access to the correct stage books which also includes comprehension questions which the teachers can see. An adult will need to sign their reading challenge and note down what has been read.
• Common exception words are words in the English language that don’t follow a spelling rule or pattern. Both Year 1 and Year 2 have a list of ‘common exception words’ which every child should know how to read and spell by the end of the school year. Children will be sent home with a booklet containing the common exception words. Children will learn a page of words a week with parents at home and when parents feel confident that the child can read and spell the words they return that page to their class teacher.
• A mathematics task will be set each week through Seesaw which will focus on overlearning what the children have been looking at in class with their teacher. This gives the children an opportunity to secure their learning and it gives parents an insight into what the teacher is teaching their child.

Year 1 and Year 2 children will receive a point each week for each of the above home learning tasks, earning up to a maximum of 3 points per week. Please see our ‘Rewards’ section for further information on how we incentivise home learning.

This is the only home learning that is expected of Year 1 and Year 2 children to complete. However, there are non-compulsory additional fluency games which the school subscribe to, which the children             may choose to explore in their own time. These activities do not replace the set home learning from the teachers. The additional online activities which the school subscribe to are:

• - Times Tables Rock Stars
• - Numbots
• - Spelling Shed

• A short vocabulary game will be shared each week for parents to play with their child, usually through the ‘Word Aware’ programme which we use in school. Teachers will set learning through your child’s Seesaw account and there will be a supporting video for parents.

In our weekly Friday Celebration Assembly, we hand out certificates for the child who has earnt the most points in Times Tables Rock Stars and Spelling Shed, to keep the children motivated.

Year 3 and 4 Home Learning Expectations

• Reading at home is the most important thing a child can do to support their learning in school. All children are expected to spend at least 15 minutes each day, for at least 5 days a week. Whilst it is important for children to practice reading their ‘learn to read’ book, they may also choose to read their love to read book instead, some of the time. The ‘learn to read’ book will be the child’s stage book in most cases but some children may be reading a phonics book to secure their reading skills. For our stage books, children also have access to an online platform called Reading Buddy. This gives children online access to the correct stage books which also includes comprehension questions which the teachers can see.  An adult will need to sign their reading challenge and note down what has been read. If a child is no longer reading a stage book then they will be set a reading task on Century Tech which will be assigned via Seesaw. This will focus on overlearning what the children have been exploring in class with their teacher and these children will not need a reading challenge.
• A mathematics task will be set each week on Century, through Seesaw, which will focus on overlearning what the children have been exploring in class with their teacher. This gives the children an opportunity to secure their learning and it gives parents an insight into what the teacher is teaching their child.
• A Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) task will be set each week on Century, through Seesaw, which will focus on overlearning what the children have been exploring in class with their teacher. This gives the children an opportunity to secure their learning and it gives parents an insight into what the teacher is teaching their child.

Year 3 and Year 4 children will receive a point each week for each of the above home learning tasks, earning up to a maximum of 3 points per week. Please see our ‘Rewards’ section for further information on how we incentivise home learning.

• This is the only home learning that is expected of Year 3 and Year 4 children to complete. However, there are non-compulsory additional fluency games which the school subscribe to, which the children may choose to explore in their own time. These activities do not replace the set home learning from the teachers. The additional online activities which the school subscribe to are:
• - Times Tables Rock Stars
• - Numbots
• - Spelling Shed

In our weekly Friday Celebration Assembly, we hand out certificates for the child who has earnt the most points in Times Tables Rock Stars and Spelling Shed, to keep the children motivated.

Year 5 and 6 Home Learning Expectations

• Reading at home is the most important thing a child can do to support their learning in school. All children are expected to spend at least 15 minutes each day, for at least 5 days a week. Whilst it is important for children to practice reading their ‘learn to read’ stage book, they may also choose to read their love to read book instead, some of the time. For our stage books, children also have access to an online platform called Reading Buddy. This gives children online access to the correct stage books which also includes comprehension questions which the teachers can see. An adult will need to sign their reading challenge and note down what has been read. If a child is no longer reading a stage book then they will be set a reading task on Century which will be assigned via Seesaw. This will focus on overlearning what the children have been exploring in class with their teacher and these children will not need a reading challenge.
• A mathematics task will be set each week on Century, through Seesaw, which will focus on overlearning what the children have been exploring in class with their teacher. This gives the children an opportunity to secure their learning and it gives parents an insight into what the teacher is teaching their child.
• A Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) task will be set each week on Century, through Seesaw, which will focus on overlearning what the children have been looking at in class with their teacher. This gives the children an opportunity to secure their learning and it gives parents an insight into what the teacher is teaching their child.

Year 5 and Year 6 children will receive a point each week for each of the above home learning tasks, earning up to a maximum of 3 points per week. Please see our ‘Rewards’ section for further information on how we incentivise home learning.

• This is the only home learning that is expected of Year 5 and Year 6 children to complete. However, there are non-compulsory additional fluency games which the school subscribe to, which the children may choose to explore in their own time. These activities do not replace the set home learning from the teachers. The additional online activities which the school subscribe to are:
• - Times Tables Rock Stars
• - Numbots
• - Spelling Shed

In our weekly Friday Celebration Assembly, we hand out certificates for the child who has earnt the most points in Times Tables Rock Stars and Spelling Shed, to keep the children motivated.

Rewards

Ideally children would complete home learning tasks because of the intrinsic motivation of knowing that it will improve their lives. However, we acknowledge that some children may need some support with this. Research shows that positive reinforcement is far more powerful than negative reinforcement, so each home learning task, which is completed, can earn each child points towards rewards.

Our incentivised reward system is in place to help encourage children to engage with home learning with the ultimate aim of building their intrinsic motivation. Our reward system gives children points for each piece of home learning they complete, which gives children rewards at certain milestones. At 5 points, children will receive a Bronze Award wrist band. At 10 points, children will receive a Silver Award wrist band. At 15 points children will receive a Gold Award wrist band. When a child receives a Gold Award, they also receive a gold token to use at the reading book vending machine and they will also be celebrated in assemblies too.

We do not believe that sanctions are an effective way for children to be encouraged to complete their home learning. Whilst it is essential that children do complete their home learning, those who may choose not to will not be sanctioned in school. Instead their teacher will look to work with the child and parents if necessary, to offer them encouragement and support. Additionally, it would be unfair to sanction those children who do not have sufficient technology, or the support and encouragement at home to complete their home learning. We do however offer children from a disadvantaged background the option to loan a digital device to support them with accessing their home learning.