Home Learning
Homework is a word that can send shudders through many adults, bringing back memories of Sunday evenings spent hunched over books at a desk or kitchen table. At Primrose Lane, we are committed to ensuring that homework does not create tension or stress for our families or the children who attend our school.
Our homework approach is deliberately simple and achievable. For our younger pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1, we ask that children read daily with their parents and record this in their reading diaries. As pupils progress through the school, we continue to emphasise daily reading, with records that can be shared with teachers. When children are learning new phonic sounds, we provide these both as paper copies and via our class web page. We also encourage pupils to discuss their reading with parents, helping to develop a love of reading that extends from school to home.
We have made a deliberate choice to move away from traditional weekly spelling tests. Research has shown that learning spellings purely for a test does not necessarily improve spelling skills and can cause unnecessary stress for some children. Instead, we use a systematic approach with Read Write Inc spellings and teachers support pupils in learning spelling patterns from previous years for those who need additional help. Spellings for the half term are shared on webpages and parents can then see what patterns children will be focusing on.
For mathematics, pupils in Key Stage 1 are encouraged to practice number bonds to 10 and times tables as they learn them. Our class website pages also provide links to useful websites that can support learning at home.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that homework supports learning without creating pressure. We believe children should have time to play and relax , after all, childhood is a remarkably short period of life!
Reading at Home
At Primrose Lane, we believe that reading daily at home is essential for developing children's fluency skills and fostering a lifelong love of reading. There is nothing better than curling up with a good book and letting it transport you to another place, especially on a dark winter’s day.
For our youngest learners in Reception and Key Stage One, we send home phonically decodable books that are closely linked to our Read Write Inc. phonics scheme. These books are carefully chosen to support children as they develop their decoding and reading confidence.
Across the school, children also enjoy weekly opportunities to visit our school library, where they can explore and borrow a wide range of books to enjoy at home. We encourage all our pupils to take advantage of this wonderful resource to discover new stories and deepen their love of reading.
Reading together at home and school helps build strong foundations for learning and opens up a world of imagination and knowledge.
Questions you might ask a child when reading:
What do you think this story might be about?
What do you think might happen next?
Can you find a word that means..?
Why do you think a character is feeling the way they are?
Did you learn anything from the story?
Spellings
We have made a deliberate choice to move away from traditional weekly spelling tests. Research has shown that learning spellings purely for a test does not necessarily improve spelling skills and can cause unnecessary stress for some children. Instead, we use a systematic approach with Read Write Inc spellings and teachers support pupils in learning spelling patterns from previous years for those who need additional help. Spellings for the half term are shared on webpages and parents can then see what patterns children will be focusing on.
Maths Games
You can access Maths Games, as well as other curriculum areas on Purple Mash (https://purplemash.com). Purple Mash requires an individual log-in, which is available on request of the children's class teacher.
Purple Mash has activities and games for all areas, where children can navigate their way through the platform and choose activities , read the instructions and gain instant feedback for their efforts.
White Rose Maths has a 1 minute maths app that provides a number of games to support children in developing early maths skills.
Times Tables
Times tables can be practised via Purple Mash and times tables tests can be found on class pages.
