Northland School Board of Trustees

Homework Policy
 

Rationale:

Homework activities consolidate and enhance a child's school learning. For the purposes of this policy, homework is defined as activities set by school, to be done at home, with the support and encouragement of parents. The school also recognises and values the contribution home-initiated activities make to a child's learning and see a balance between these two as desirable.

Purposes:

• To reinforce learning and to practise skills previously taught at school.
• To communicate with home about school learning, reinforcing the understanding that the children's learning is a shared process.
• To assist children to progressively develop an independent attitude to study routines and the effective management of their own time.

Guidelines:

• Homework will be relevant to the child's individual learning needs, directly linked to ongoing school learning and be age and class appropriate.
• Whether routine or specific, homework requirements should be communicated clearly and recorded in written form.
• Teacher directions should be clear and concise to ensure the child and parents can understand the expectations of teachers.
• Completed work should be acknowledged/marked at school.
• Homework may include:-
• completing unfinished work
• committing basic facts and essential spelling words to memory
• personal reading
• research or investigation related to current school-based inquiry focus
• gathering resources
• discussion with family, relevant to a study topic
• Involvement in a family related activity eg: cooking a dinner, playing a game with other family members
• Parents are encouraged to positively acknowledge their child's efforts.
• Homework deadlines should be generous and flexible to allow for home-initiated
extra-curricular activities and special circumstances.

Approved: 7 March 2011

Review Date: 2014