KEY STAGE 2 HOMEWORK

GUIDANCE
Striving for excellence, valuing everyone and our world
HOW DO HOMEWORK CHALLENGES ENHANCE LEARNING AT HARLANDS?
At Harlands, we provide children with homework challenges for a number of reasons:
- to provide enrichment opportunities that allow children to further their learning outside of
the school environment
- to reinforce knowledge, skills and techniques, which have been developed during their time in
school (repetition and a feeling of success are key factors in developing childrens selfconfidence)
- to help children prepare for future learning (this is particularly important when children are
revisiting a topic or embarking on a totally new area)
- to help children develop a sense of personal responsibility and self-discipline (this is
particularly important for those towards the end of Key Stage 2, as they prepare themselves
for secondary school).

WHAT TYPE OF CHALLENGES MAY MY CHILD BE SET FOR HOMEWORK?

MATHS
- A weekly Maths task will be set by your childs group Maths teacher.
- Tasks will reinforce classroom learning or help to prepare children for forthcoming activities.
- Tasks will be a mixture of online activities (such as those from MyMaths) and investigational
activities to be completed in the childrens Homework Books.
- Children should continue to practise their multiplication tables and table-related facts as
often as possible outside of school.
LITERACY
- A weekly Spelling or Reading comprehension challenge to be set by your childs class
teacher.
- All children should continue to regularly engage in personal reading time at home this
could involve reading with an adult or holding a brief reading discussion with an adult.
TOPIC
- Child may occasionally receive a short homework challenge related to another area of the
curriculum. Such challenges may include collecting materials, or gathering knowledge in
preparation for a forthcoming session in the classroom.
- Once every half-term, your child may be asked to complete an extended research project,
which relates to their classroom work.

KEY STAGE 2 HOMEWORK

GUIDANCE
Striving for excellence, valuing everyone and our world
WHEN WILL MY CHILD BE GIVEN HOMEWORK? WHEN SHOULD IT BE HANDED IN?
HOW LONG SHOULD MY CHILD SPEND ON THEIR HOMEWORK?
The table below outlines some key details relating to homework in differing Key Stage 2 year groups.
If you feel your child has spent long enough on a task, but has not completed it, please indicate this by
writing a short message alongside their work.

If your child has been unable to complete their weekly homework challenges due to unforeseen
circumstances, please alert their teacher so that arrangements can be made for them to complete the
tasks as soon as possible,
YEAR
HOMEWORK SET
HOMEWORK TO BE
SUGGESTED TIME TO BE
GROUP
RETURNED
SPENT ON HOMEWORK
3
Wednesdays
Mondays
30 minutes*
4
Thursdays
Tuesdays
40 minutes*
5
Fridays
Tuesdays
50 minutes*
6
Thursdays
Tuesdays
60 minutes*
Please note: Those children in Years 5 and 6, who are in Mrs Harmans Maths group, will be given their
Maths homework on a Wednesday; it will be due in on a Monday.
*Personal reading time and regular times-tables practice should be completed in addition to weekly
homework challenges.
HOW CAN I BEST SUPPORT MY CHILD WITH THEIR HOMEWORK IN KEY STAGE 2?
Creating a calm and supportive environment in which your child can complete their homework is
extremely important; arranging a regular routine would also be beneficial.
In Key Stage 2, the challenges set will relate specifically to childrens classwork so they should be
able to complete most challenges independently. Once they have had a go, feel free to support them
through encouragement and praise; please let your childs teacher know if they have experienced any
specific difficulties.
Taking personal responsibility for completing homework challenges and handing work in on time are
challenges in themselves. Children will require differing levels of parental and school support in order
to become successful in this area, However, by Year 6, children are expected to take full
responsibility for the completion and return of their homework on time.