Home Learning
At Horsenden Primary School we believe in ‘home learning’ rather than ‘homework’ because learning is fun! We therefore aim to set short home learning tasks that support and consolidate lessons taught in school and hope to provide creative ways to help parents and carers support their children at home.
Research tell us that ‘homework’ has little impact for primary age pupils, unless it requires them to rehearse and practise. There are also increasingly high pressures on children and there is a need for them to enjoy their childhood, having a break from school work when at home. Our Home Learning Policy is based on this research and therefore requires pupils to only practise key skills that need consolidating for their age group.
Weekly Home Learning Tasks:
Spellings, Maths & English tasks:
From Reception, pupils will receive weekly work that allows them to practise skills learnt in school. This is set via Google Classrooms and is therefore submitted online, however pupils can complete their work on paper and submit it this way, too. Sometimes teachers will set tasks via other online platforms that we use in school, such as Spelling Shed or Mathletics.
Reading at home:
Pupils should read for at least 15 minutes every evening from Nursery through to Year 6. This should be a mix of adults modelling reading and the child reading the ability-level books sent home from school (from Reception onward). Reading Records need to be filled in daily. If you are struggling to find the time to hear your child read, please speak to the class teacher so that we can suggest alternative ways to ensure your child’s reading progress is not hindered.
The Great Debate:
In addition, there will be school-wide ‘The Great Debate’ tasks which link to our fortnightly SMSC and Picture News topics. These are for families to discuss as a group and encourage the development of critical thinking and communication and language skills. They also provide opportunities for quality family time which helps pupils’ social and emotional development.
Each year group will have slightly different home learning routines however a letter will be sent home in the first week of the academic school year to ensure parents and carers have a clear understanding of expectations. You can also find this information outlined on the year group pages. If you have any concerns or problems with home learning tasks, please don’t hesitate to see your child’s class teacher.
Half Term and Holiday Home Learning Projects:
Home learning projects are set for each half term or holiday break. These aim to develop passion and excitement about new themes or concepts. Projects are not compulsory however allow pupils to explore ideas in a creative way with their siblings and families. These are then displayed around the school for all to see. We love seeing the imaginative and innovative ways our pupils choose to evidence their ideas! The projects will be sent out at the end of each term either with the final newsletter or via parentmail, but you can also find all the details and documents uploaded below. You'll also find some photos of the amazing work submitted and displayed in school.
Holiday Home Learning Projects
We love seeing the amazing home learning work that pupils do individually or with their families when we set optional projects for each school break. We are excited to bring even more variety to our home learning projects this year!. We always want to celebrate all the work that our pupils have done to date, so some of the highlights from previous years' home learning tasks are shown below.
Summer Break Home Learning Challenges - 2022
Summer is here, but we know that our brains like to keep ticking, so here are two optional summer challenges that you might like to try. They are fun activities and will give you two things to work on over the break... See all details below.
May Half Term Home Learning Project - 2022
The last home learning project had the theme of 'getting outside and exploring the world around us'. There were 3 STEM challenges to choose from, including taking technology outside, building a kite or helping the bees! You can see some of the work below:
April Half Term Home Learning Project - 2022
The last home learning project focused on developing art skills and showing personal creativity through the medium used - that is, they way the artworks are created! Some of the highlights are shown below:
February Half Term Home Learning Project - 2022
The February half term project was linked to the work we've been doing as a Rights Respecting school. You can see some of the fantastic work below:
December Half Term Home Learning Projects - 2021
December Design & Technology Project:
We had another 2 optional home learning projects for pupils to try over the December holiday break which both focused on developing Design & Technology skills. We had lots of photos and projects shared in school, which you can see on the 3 pages below. We were so impressed by the many submissions!
December home learning links:
December DT Home Learning Project - 2021
Ginger biscuits PowerPoint (PDF)
October Half Term Home Learning Projects - 2021
.#1 - Black History Month Project:
Below you can see some of the amazing work that pupils submitted for their October half term home learning projects, as well as the whole school display board that it's shown on for all to see.
#2 - Anti-Bullying Poster Competition:
Below you can see some of the amazing work that pupils submitted for the Anti-Bullying poster competition.
Home Learning Highlights of 2020-2021:
Home Learning Highlights of 2019-2020:
Below you can see close ups of some of the amazing home learning projects that we've seen at Horsenden in the past:
Cultural Diversity Day (click to download)
Portrait Work
