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The beginner's guide to primary-school homework

What’s the point of homework?

For many families, homework is a nightly battle, but primary schools set it for a variety of reasons. ‘It helps to consolidate the skills that are being taught at school, and provides children with additional revision opportunities,’ explains head teacher Steph Matthews of St Paul’s CofE School, Gloucester .

‘It also gives children an opportunity to explore learning in an unstructured setting, encouraging them to be independent and follow their own lines of enquiry.’ In addition, homework creates a partnership between school and family, giving parents an insight into what their child is learning.

How much homework should my child get in primary school?

In the past, the Department for Education advised that Key Stage 1 children should do an hour of homework each week, rising to half an hour per night in Key Stage 2. This advice was scrapped in 2012, giving schools more freedom, but many still follow the old guidelines.

In Reception , formal homework is rarely set. However, children are likely to bring home books to share with the family, first reading books, and/or keywords to learn.

In Years 1 and 2 , children are likely to have one or two tasks per week. This could be literacy or numeracy worksheets (for example an exercise where children have to compare the weights of different household items), a short piece of writing (such as a recount of a school trip) or work relating to the class topic (find out five facts about the Great Fire of London ).

In Years 3 and 4 , most schools set two homework activities each week: typically, one literacy (such as a worksheet on collective nouns, or a book review ) and one numeracy (a worksheet on bar charts).

In Years 5 and 6 , children may have two or three pieces of homework each week. ‘The amount begins to increase to prepare children for SATs and the transition to secondary school,’ says Steph. These activities might include maths worksheets, researching a topic, book reviews and grammar exercises.

Alongside formal homework tasks, most children bring home reading scheme books from Reception onwards, with weekly spellings and times tables from Year 1 or 2.

Learning logs and homework challenges

Not all schools rely on handing out worksheets. Learning logs or challenges are becoming more popular: children are given a folder of suggested activities – from writing a poem to building a model castle – and must choose a certain number to complete throughout the term.

Other schools ensure that homework ties in with the current class topic. ‘We have a themed approach, and set homework activities that give opportunities to explore the topic in a fun way, for example, designing a method of transport that Phileas Fogg could use to travel the world,’ explains Steph.  

Modern homework methods

Unsurprisingly, technology is playing an increasingly important part in homework. Some schools use online reading schemes such as Bug Club , where teachers allocate e-books of the appropriate level, or subscription services like SAM Learning  to set cross-curricular tasks.

A growing number also set homework electronically , with children logging into the school website to download their task.

What if the homework is too much – or too hard?

If you feel your child is overloaded with homework, speak to the teacher. ‘Forcing children to complete homework is counterproductive, because they come to perceive it as a chore,’ says Rod Grant, head teacher of Clifton Hall School, Edinburgh . ‘This makes learning appear boring, arduous or both, and that is really dangerous, in my view.’

Most schools publish their homework policy on the school website , telling parents exactly what to expect. ‘Teachers should make their expectations very clear in terms of deadlines and how long it should take, and should also differentiate tasks to suit the level of the pupil,’ adds Steph.

No homework at all?

If your child doesn’t get any homework, you may feel out of touch with his learning, or concerned that he isn’t being challenged. But there are good reasons why some schools don’t set homework, or set it only occasionally, says Rod. ‘Although homework can be beneficial, family life tends to suffer as a result of it being imposed,’ he explains. ‘ If a school isn’t providing homework, there’s plenty that parents can do at home instead : reading with their children, doing number puzzles on car journeys, using online resources, and so on.’

Parents may also worry that without doing homework, children won’t develop study habits for later life. ‘There is genuinely no need for a six-year-old to get into a routine of working at home; there’s time to learn that later,’ Rod advises. ‘Parents need to relax and encourage children to love learning – and that comes when learning is fun, relevant and engaging, not through doing homework tasks that are unchallenging, or secretarial in nature.’

Homework: advice and support for primary-school parents

For information and support on all aspects of homework, from managing other siblings to helping with specific subjects, head to our Homework area.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

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Designing Effective Homework

Best practices for creating homework that raises student achievement

Homework. It can be challenging…and not just for students. For teachers, designing homework can be a daunting task with lots of unanswered questions: How much should I assign? What type of content should I cover? Why aren’t students doing the work I assign? Homework can be a powerful opportunity to reinforce the Shifts in your instruction and promote standards-aligned learning, but how do we avoid the pitfalls that make key learning opportunities sources of stress and antipathy?

The nonprofit Instruction Partners recently set out to answer some of these questions, looking at what research says about what works when it comes to homework. You can view their original presentation here , but I’ve summarized some of the key findings you can put to use with your students immediately.

Does homework help?

Consistent homework completion has been shown to increase student achievement rates—but frequency matters. Students who are given homework regularly show greater gains than those who only receive homework sporadically. Researchers hypothesize that this is due to improved study skills and routines practiced through homework that allow students to perform better academically.

Average gains on unit tests for students who completed homework were six percentile points in grades 4–6, 12 percentile points in grades 7–9, and an impressive 24 percentile points in grades 10–12; so yes, homework (done well) does work. [i]

What should homework cover?

While there is little research about exactly what types of homework content lead to the biggest achievement gains, there are some general rules of thumb about how homework should change gradually over time.

In grades 1–5, homework should:

• Reinforce and allow students to practice skills learned in the classroom
• Help students develop good study habits and routines
• Foster positive feelings about school

In grades 6–12, homework should:

• Prepare students for engagement and discussion during the next lesson
• Allow students to apply their skills in new and more challenging ways

The most often-heard criticism of homework assignments is that they simply take too long. So how much homework should you assign in order to see results for students? Not surprisingly, it varies by grade. Assign 10-20 minutes of homework per night total, starting in first grade, and then add 10 minutes for each additional grade. [ii] Doing more can result in student stress, frustration, and disengagement, particularly in the early grades.

Why are some students not doing the homework?

There are any number of reasons why students may not complete homework, from lack of motivation to lack of content knowledge, but one issue to watch out for as a teacher is the impact of economic disparities on the ability to complete homework.

Multiple studies [iii] have shown that low-income students complete homework less often than students who come from wealthier families. This can lead to increased achievement gaps between students. Students from low-income families may face additional challenges when it comes to completing homework such as lack of access to the internet, lack of access to outside tutors or assistance, and additional jobs or family responsibilities.

While you can’t erase these challenges for your students, you can design homework that takes those issues into account by creating homework that can be done offline, independently, and in a reasonable timeframe. With those design principles in mind, you increase the opportunity for all your students to complete and benefit from the homework you assign.

The Big Picture

Perhaps most importantly, students benefit from receiving feedback from you, their teacher, on their assignments. Praise or rewards simply for homework completion have little effect on student achievement, but feedback that helps them improve or reinforces strong performance does. Consider keeping this mini-table handy as you design homework:

The act of assigning homework doesn’t automatically raise student achievement, so be a critical consumer of the homework products that come as part of your curriculum. If they assign too much (or too little!) work or reflect some of these common pitfalls, take action to make assignments that better serve your students.

[i] Cooper, H. (2007). The battle over homework (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

[ii] Cooper, H. (1989a). Homework .White Plains, NY: Longman.

[iii] Horrigan, T. (2015). The numbers behind the broadband ‘homework gap’ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/ and Miami Dade Public Schools. (2009). Literature Review: Homework. http://drs.dadeschools.net/LiteratureReviews/Homework.pdf

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About the Author: Claire Rivero is the Digital Strategy Manager for Student Achievement Partners. Claire leads the organization’s communications and digital promotion work across various channels including email, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, always seeking new ways to reach educators. She also manages Achieve the Core’s blog, Aligned. Prior to joining Student Achievement Partners, Claire worked in the Communications department for the American Red Cross and as a literacy instructor in a London pilot program. Claire holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Public Policy from Duke University and a master’s degree in Social Policy (with a concentration on Education Policy) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Homework is defined as tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are intended to be carried out during non-school hours [i] .  Homework is a unique educational practice as it is the only learning strategy that crosses the boundary between the school and the home. Much virtue has been attributed to the practice of homework that has not been borne out by research. Both teachers and parents have strong feelings, both positive and negative, about the value of homework, and parents and teachers alike still confuse homework load with rigour, and compliance with responsibility. To further complicate matters, most teachers have never been trained in the effective use of homework, so tend to rely on the traditional types of tasks they experienced as students.

In recent years, the practice of homework has come under critical review, with public attitudes around the globe changing, and with the following international trends emerging:

• Eliminating homework in the first 2-3 years of primary school.
• Limiting homework to reading only in the first 6 years of primary school.
• Eliminating weekend or holiday homework at all levels.

Many of these changes in policy have occurred at the school or district level, but some countries have instituted these changes through government mandate.

Homework and families

The diversity of families makes the practice of homework even more complicated. Parents within the same community may differ in their beliefs about the place of academic work in life. Some parents prioritise academics (wanting more homework), others want a balance of academics and chosen activities, and others prioritise leisure and happiness (wanting less or no homework). There is also a growing parent activism around the world, driven by the role homework plays in children’s stress levels and an awareness of the need for balance in work, play, downtime and sleep. Parents are speaking out with concerns about ‘academic stress’ and work/life balance for students and, as a result, are demanding more control over their child’s free time.  Parents are also pushing back against using extra homework as punishment for misbehaviour in the classroom and practices that punish students for not completing homework.

There are also concerns about homework as an equity issue. Economic differences can entrench privilege as children from wealthier families enjoy ready access to technology, tutors, and educated parents, while children of poverty may lack access to technology, materials, and favourable working conditions.  A study by the OECD [ii] of students from 38 different countries showed that students from higher social classes did more homework than students from lower social classes. More affluent parents are also more likely to help with homework than less affluent parents, and families living in poverty often need to prioritise family responsibilities and paid work over homework.

In an effort to address the widening economic diversity of families and to accommodate different parental preferences, some traditional homework practices, such as punishing students for incomplete homework or for a parent’s failure to sign homework, assigning extra homework to students as punishment for classroom misbehaviour, and including homework as a prerequisite for grade or year completion, are being discontinued in primary schools. Other homework practices are gaining popularity in primary schools, such as:

• Allowing flexibility in when homework is due, moving away from daily homework to homework that may be turned in over several days.
• Differentiating homework for parents—providing additional resources for parents who desire additional work for their child (challenge packets, lists of websites) and allowing other parents to ‘opt out’ of homework, or to choose to limit the amount of time their child spends on homework.
• Providing more time during the school day or after school for students to complete homework at school. Some schools, especially those in high poverty communities, are extending the school day, so that all homework is completed at school.

The research on homework

The results of research about the benefit of homework to academic achievement are mixed, inconclusive, and sometimes contradictory. These results are not surprising given that homework involves the complex interaction of a number of factors, such as differences in children, teachers, tasks, home environments, measurements of learning, and the unique interaction between homework and classroom learning within individual students [iii] . The pervasive flaw of the early homework research was that it focused almost exclusively on the correlation between time and achievement, with no consideration of the type or quality of the homework task.  That research failed to show that homework improves the academic performance of primary school students, and revealed that, up to a point, the correlation of homework time and achievement appeared positive, but past the optimum amount of time, achievement either remained flat or declined [iv] .

What was the optimum amount of time spent on homework? Curiously, the appropriate amount of homework for different year levels was consistent with a longstanding guideline called the 10-minute rule (origin unknown).  The 10-minute rule is a guideline many schools follow that homework should not exceed 10 minutes per year level per night, all subjects combined. That is, a student in year one should be expected to complete no more than 10 minutes per night, while a student in year six should be expected to complete no more than 60 minutes per night [v] . Interestingly, there is no recommendation for any amount of new entrants’ homework by any educational group.

However, while the 10-minute rule may be helpful as an upper limit, it fails to take into account the quality of the task and differences in students’ working speeds. It is important to remember that correlation of time and achievement is not causation: it is impossible to show that homework causes higher achievement. Correlating time and achievement also ignores many any other variables that may affect achievement. After controlling for motivation, ability, quality of instruction, course work quantity, and some background variables, no meaningful effect of homework on achievement remained [vi] . 

Due to such discrepancies and other flaws in homework studies, researchers disagree as to whether or not homework enhances achievement. While many hold strongly to their assertion that homework is beneficial, others point to newer studies that seem to discount early research. A new generation of homework studies using more sophisticated analyses and controlling for more variables often fail to find a significant relationship between homework time and achievement, especially with primary students [vii] .

Teachers should view the research through the lens of what they intuitively know about their students and apply the same principles of effective teaching and learning to homework that they would apply to the classroom. Teachers know that organisation and structure of learning matters, that feedback about learning is critical, that the quality of a learning task matters, and that student differences in developmental levels, learning preferences and persistence must be considered. Achievement is related not to the amount of homework or the time spent on it, but to the quality of the homework task, the student’s perception of the value of the task, and how interesting the task appears. In other words, task quality is what really matters.

Purposes of homework

If homework is given, it should be purposeful and meaningful, not just given for the sake of assigning homework. Before designing a homework task, teachers must first determine the purpose of the task.  This may include pre-learning, diagnosis, checking for understanding, practice, or processing. Homework should not be used for new learning.

• Pre-learning: traditional preparation homework, such as reading or outlining a chapter before a discussion, was often used as background for a more in-depth lesson. A more engaging use of pre-learning would be to discover what students already know about a topic or what they are interested in learning about (such as asking them to write down questions they have about the digestive system). The most valuable use of pre-learning homework may be to stimulate interest in a concept (such as listing eye colour and hair colour of relatives for a genetics lesson).
• Diagnosis: how do we design learning if we don’t know where students are?  Diagnostic homework may include pre-tests, a checklist of ‘I can’ statements, or a practice test to assess prerequisite skills. Diagnostic homework saves time—once teachers know where students are in their skills or knowledge, they can plan instruction more efficiently.
• Checking for understanding: this is probably the most neglected use of homework, yet it is the most valuable way for teachers to gain insight into student learning. For instance, journal questions about a science experiment may ask the student to explain what happened and why. Asking students to identify literary devices in a short story shows the teacher whether the student understands literary devices. Asking students to do a few sample problems in math and to explain the steps lets the teacher know if the student understands how to do the problem.
• Practice: the traditional use of homework has been for the practice of rote skills, such as multiplication tables, or things that need to be memorised, such as spelling words. Although practice is necessary for many rote skills, there are three mistakes that teachers sometimes make with the use of practice homework. First, teachers may believe they are giving practice homework when, in fact, the student did not understand the concept or skill in class. The homework then actually involves new learning and is often quite frustrating. Second, if teachers skip the step of checking for understanding, students may be practising something incorrectly and internalising misconceptions. For instance, students should practise math operations only after the teacher has adequately checked for understanding. Third, distributed practice is better than mass practice—that is, practice is more effective when distributed over several days. A smart practice for math is two-tiered homework: Part One is three problems to check for understanding of a new skill, and Part Two is 10 problems to practise a skill previously learned.
• Processing. Processing homework asks students to do something new with concepts or skills they have learned – to apply skills, reflect on concepts that were discussed in class, think of new questions to ask, or synthesise information. Processing homework may be a single task such as applying maths skills to a new word problem, or a long-term project such as demonstrating writing skills in an original essay or creating a schematic to show the relationship between major concepts in a unit.

Designing quality homework tasks

Creating quality homework tasks requires attention to four aspects:

• Academic purpose — Tasks should communicate a clear academic purpose.
• Efficiency — Tasks should help students reach the learning goal without wasting time or energy.
• Competence — Tasks should have a positive effect on a student’s sense of competence. Homework tasks should be designed so that even young students can complete the task without adult help.
• Ownership — Tasks should be personally relevant and customised to promote ownership [viii] .

Academic purpose: all homework should clearly state the learning goal for the assignment. Sometimes homework tasks are well-intentioned attempts to have students do something fun or interesting, but the academic focus is not apparent (for instance, what exactly is the learning purpose of a word search?). Writing out definitions of vocabulary words or colouring in a map may sound like good homework, but one might question whether those tasks are appropriate to a focus on higher level thinking. Best practice suggests that students shouldn’t just write spelling words – they should use them to write declarative essays. They shouldn’t merely define the parts of the cell – they should create an analogy for the cell parts and functions. They shouldn’t just complete 20 identical math problems – they should apply math skills to new problems. Instead of reading logs which simply ask students (or parents) to document that they spent time reading, a better task would be to have the student write a reading blog to talk about what they have been reading.

Efficiency: sometraditional tasksmay be inefficient—either because they show no evidence of learning or because they take an inordinate amount of time.  Projects that require non-academic skills (like cutting, gluing, or drawing) are often inefficient.  Classic projects like dioramas, models, and poster displays are created by teachers with all the best intentions – they see them as a fun, creative way for students to show what they have learned.  But unless content requirements are clearly spelled out in a rubric, projects can reveal very little about the student’s content knowledge and much more about their artistic talents.

Competence: an important objective of primary homework is to ensure that students feel positive about learning and develop an identity as successful learners. Homework tasks should be designed not only to support classroom learning but also to instill a sense of competence in the learner. In fact, when students feel unsuccessful in approaching homework tasks, they often avoid the tasks completely as a way to protect their self-esteem. Teachers should adjust homework difficulty or the amount of work based on their assessment of the student’s skill level or understanding. Struggling learners may need simpler reading material or tasks that are more concrete or more scaffolded.  For students who work more slowly, the remedy should be to give the student less work rather than expecting them to work longer than other students. A simple differentiation for struggling learners is to make homework time-based (‘spend 20 minutes on this task, draw a line’) rather than task-based (finish the task regardless how long it takes). Just as checking for understanding is an important purpose for homework, teachers also need to check for frustration. Teachers should solicit feedback from students, finding out how students feel about approaching certain tasks and how they feel after they’ve attempted those tasks.

Ownership.  Another important objective of homework is independent learning, but often homework is not structured with enough agency to allow for that independence.  Perhaps that is because teachers believe the tasks they prescribe will naturally lead to the learning they desire for all students. But one-size-fits-all-homework rarely fits all.  When we give students more ownership of the homework task, we make it more efficient and students are more motivated. Choice is at the heart of that student ownership. Homework choice can be as limited as ‘pick any 10 of the 30 problems’, as specific as having students work only on learning goals that they are struggling with, or as wide open as a self-selected and self-designed project. Students may not always have a choice about the learning goal, but they can almost always be given some agency in designing the best task for them to reach the goal.  For instance, suppose the learning goal is for all students to memorise their multiplication tables. The homework might look like this:

• Create your own method to memorise your multiplication tables. Here are some ideas other students have tried – writing, reciting, making note cards, drawing a colour-coded chart, or creating a song.
• Share your idea with the class tomorrow.
• Practise your method this week.
• Evaluate how well your method worked after the quiz on Friday.

It may be helpful to think of the amount of ownership students are allowed in homework as a continuum from traditional to differentiated to personalised. Traditional homework is designed by teachers with no student input – prescribed tasks such as practice math problems or assigned reading in their science book. As we give students more ownership, we may give choices or we may differentiate. For instance, all students need to read, but they may be given choices of what they read. Students may need to practise subtraction, but they may create their own problems based on items in their home.

For the ultimate ownership, we may allow students to pursue personalised homework. Personalised homework involves students in goal setting (typically based on academic standards), planning a specific homework task, and planning how they will demonstrate learning. The personalised homework most familiar to teachers is probably genius hour (also called passion projects), which involves giving students a block of time to learn more about something that they are curious about, or that excites or inspires them.  These long-term research projects often start in the classroom, with students transitioning to working on them as homework, bringing them back periodically for feedback, and eventually presenting their results to an audience.   

What makes sense for many teachers is a balance of traditional homework, differentiated homework, and personalised homework over the course of a term or year.  Often, some personalised homework will be blended into day-to-day learning in tandem with other more teacher-directed assignments.  Many teachers reserve personalised homework for times when student motivation wanes, such as before the holidays or near the end of the school year. 

Should homework be graded?

Research has shown the effect of feedback to be more powerful than many other factors that influence learning [ix] . As more primary schools focus on mastery learning, homework is increasingly viewed as formative feedback. The current consensus among researchers is that homework’s role should be as formative assessment—assessment for learning that takes place during learning [x] .  Homework’s role is not assessment of learning – therefore, it should not be graded. Ideally, homework is given feedback, monitored for completion, and reported separately as a work habit.

Homework is just one part of an overall instructional plan. As our curricula, teaching strategies, and assessment strategies evolve to better meet student needs, so should our homework practices. Only by creating assignments that are effective and equitable can we make homework a valuable part of instruction and learning.

[i] Cooper, H. (2007).  The battle over homework: Common ground for administrators, teachers, and parents. (3 rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

[ii] Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2014). Does homework perpetuate inequalities in education?    www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf . Retrieved 8-4-17.

[iii] Horsley, M. and Walker, R. (2013). Reforming homework: practices, learning and policy. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan.

[iv] Cooper, H. (2007).  The battle over homework: Common ground for administrators, teachers, and parents. (3 rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

[v] Vatterott, C. (2018). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse needs , 2 nd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

[vi] Trautwein, U., & Koller, O. (2003). The relationship between homework and achievement—still much of a mystery. Educational Psychology Review, 15 (2), 115–145.

[vii] Vatterott, C. (2018). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse needs , 2 nd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

[viii] Vatterott, C. (2010).  Five hallmarks of good homework.  Educational Leadership, 68(1), 10-15.

[ix] Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning .  London: Routledge.

[x] Vatterott, C. (2018). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse needs , 2 nd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

 By Dr Cathy Vatterott

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Dr. Cathy Vatterott

Dr. Cathy Vatterott is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and a former teacher and school principal. She is the author of four books, most recently Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs, 2nd edition (ASCD, 2018), and Rethinking Grading: Meaningful Assessment for Standards Based Learning (ASCD, 2015). She frequently presents at national conferences and serves as a consultant and workshop presenter for K-12 schools on homework, grading practices, and teen stress. Dr. Vatterott has been researching, writing, and speaking about K-12 homework in the United States, Canada, and Europe for over 20 years and is considered an international expert on homework. She first became interested in homework in the late 1990s as the frustrated parent of a 5th grader with learning disabilities. Her work with schools has been the catalyst for her latest research on teen stress.

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Should Kids Get Homework?

Homework gives elementary students a way to practice concepts, but too much can be harmful, experts say.

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Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful.

How much homework students should get has long been a source of debate among parents and educators. In recent years, some districts have even implemented no-homework policies, as students juggle sports, music and other activities after school.

Parents of elementary school students, in particular, have argued that after-school hours should be spent with family or playing outside rather than completing assignments. And there is little research to show that homework improves academic achievement for elementary students.

But some experts say there's value in homework, even for younger students. When done well, it can help students practice core concepts and develop study habits and time management skills. The key to effective homework, they say, is keeping assignments related to classroom learning, and tailoring the amount by age: Many experts suggest no homework for kindergartners, and little to none in first and second grade.

Value of Homework

Homework provides a chance to solidify what is being taught in the classroom that day, week or unit. Practice matters, says Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University 's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

"There really is no other domain of human ability where anybody would say you don't need to practice," she adds. "We have children practicing piano and we have children going to sports practice several days a week after school. You name the domain of ability and practice is in there."

Homework is also the place where schools and families most frequently intersect.

"The children are bringing things from the school into the home," says Paula S. Fass, professor emerita of history at the University of California—Berkeley and the author of "The End of American Childhood." "Before the pandemic, (homework) was the only real sense that parents had to what was going on in schools."

Harris Cooper, professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and author of "The Battle Over Homework," examined more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 and found that — when designed properly — homework can lead to greater student success. Too much, however, is harmful. And homework has a greater positive effect on students in secondary school (grades 7-12) than those in elementary.

"Every child should be doing homework, but the amount and type that they're doing should be appropriate for their developmental level," he says. "For teachers, it's a balancing act. Doing away with homework completely is not in the best interest of children and families. But overburdening families with homework is also not in the child's or a family's best interest."

Negative Homework Assignments

Not all homework for elementary students involves completing a worksheet. Assignments can be fun, says Cooper, like having students visit educational locations, keep statistics on their favorite sports teams, read for pleasure or even help their parents grocery shop. The point is to show students that activities done outside of school can relate to subjects learned in the classroom.

But assignments that are just busy work, that force students to learn new concepts at home, or that are overly time-consuming can be counterproductive, experts say.

Homework that's just busy work.

Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful, experts say. Assignments that look more like busy work – projects or worksheets that don't require teacher feedback and aren't related to topics learned in the classroom – can be frustrating for students and create burdens for families.

"The mental health piece has definitely played a role here over the last couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last thing we want to do is frustrate students with busy work or homework that makes no sense," says Dave Steckler, principal of Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota.

Homework on material that kids haven't learned yet.

With the pressure to cover all topics on standardized tests and limited time during the school day, some teachers assign homework that has not yet been taught in the classroom.

Not only does this create stress, but it also causes equity challenges. Some parents speak languages other than English or work several jobs, and they aren't able to help teach their children new concepts.

" It just becomes agony for both parents and the kids to get through this worksheet, and the goal becomes getting to the bottom of (the) worksheet with answers filled in without any understanding of what any of it matters for," says professor Susan R. Goldman, co-director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois—Chicago .

Homework that's overly time-consuming.

The standard homework guideline recommended by the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association is the "10-minute rule" – 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level. A fourth grader, for instance, would receive a total of 40 minutes of homework per night.

But this does not always happen, especially since not every student learns the same. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy found that primary school children actually received three times the recommended amount of homework — and that family stress increased along with the homework load.

Young children can only remain attentive for short periods, so large amounts of homework, especially lengthy projects, can negatively affect students' views on school. Some individual long-term projects – like having to build a replica city, for example – typically become an assignment for parents rather than students, Fass says.

"It's one thing to assign a project like that in which several kids are working on it together," she adds. "In (that) case, the kids do normally work on it. It's another to send it home to the families, where it becomes a burden and doesn't really accomplish very much."

Private vs. Public Schools

Do private schools assign more homework than public schools? There's little research on the issue, but experts say private school parents may be more accepting of homework, seeing it as a sign of academic rigor.

Of course, not all private schools are the same – some focus on college preparation and traditional academics, while others stress alternative approaches to education.

"I think in the academically oriented private schools, there's more support for homework from parents," says Gerald K. LeTendre, chair of educational administration at Pennsylvania State University—University Park . "I don't know if there's any research to show there's more homework, but it's less of a contentious issue."

How to Address Homework Overload

First, assess if the workload takes as long as it appears. Sometimes children may start working on a homework assignment, wander away and come back later, Cooper says.

"Parents don't see it, but they know that their child has started doing their homework four hours ago and still not done it," he adds. "They don't see that there are those four hours where their child was doing lots of other things. So the homework assignment itself actually is not four hours long. It's the way the child is approaching it."

But if homework is becoming stressful or workload is excessive, experts suggest parents first approach the teacher, followed by a school administrator.

"Many times, we can solve a lot of issues by having conversations," Steckler says, including by "sitting down, talking about the amount of homework, and what's appropriate and not appropriate."

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Creating a Homework Policy With Meaning and Purpose

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We have all had time-consuming, monotonous, meaningless homework assigned to us at some point in our life. These assignments often lead to frustration and boredom and students learn virtually nothing from them. Teachers and schools must reevaluate how and why they assign homework to their students. Any assigned homework should have a purpose.

Assigning homework with a purpose means that through completing the assignment, the student will be able to obtain new knowledge, a new skill, or have a new experience that they may not otherwise have. Homework should not consist of a rudimentary task that is being assigned simply for the sake of assigning something. Homework should be meaningful. It should be viewed as an opportunity to allow students to make real-life connections to the content that they are learning in the classroom. It should be given only as an opportunity to help increase their content knowledge in an area.

Differentiate Learning for All Students

Furthermore, teachers can utilize homework as an opportunity to differentiate learning for all students. Homework should rarely be given with a blanket "one size fits all" approach. Homework provides teachers with a significant opportunity to meet each student where they are and truly extend learning. A teacher can give their higher-level students more challenging assignments while also filling gaps for those students who may have fallen behind. Teachers who use homework as an opportunity to differentiate we not only see increased growth in their students, but they will also find they have more time in class to dedicate to whole group instruction .

See Student Participation Increase

Creating authentic and differentiated homework assignments can take more time for teachers to put together. As often is the case, extra effort is rewarded. Teachers who assign meaningful, differentiated, connected homework assignments not only see student participation increase, they also see an increase in student engagement. These rewards are worth the extra investment in time needed to construct these types of assignments.

Schools must recognize the value in this approach. They should provide their teachers with professional development that gives them the tools to be successful in transitioning to assign homework that is differentiated with meaning and purpose. A school's homework policy should reflect this philosophy; ultimately guiding teachers to give their students reasonable, meaningful, purposeful homework assignments.

Sample School Homework Policy

Homework is defined as the time students spend outside the classroom in assigned learning activities. Anywhere Schools believes the purpose of homework should be to practice, reinforce, or apply acquired skills and knowledge. We also believe as research supports that moderate assignments completed and done well are more effective than lengthy or difficult ones done poorly.

Homework serves to develop regular study skills and the ability to complete assignments independently. Anywhere Schools further believes completing homework is the responsibility of the student, and as students mature they are more able to work independently. Therefore, parents play a supportive role in monitoring completion of assignments, encouraging students’ efforts and providing a conducive environment for learning.

Individualized Instruction

Homework is an opportunity for teachers to provide individualized instruction geared specifically to an individual student. Anywhere Schools embraces the idea that each student is different and as such, each student has their own individual needs. We see homework as an opportunity to tailor lessons specifically for an individual student meeting them where they are and bringing them to where we want them to be. 

Homework contributes toward building responsibility, self-discipline, and lifelong learning habits. It is the intention of the Anywhere School staff to assign relevant, challenging, meaningful, and purposeful homework assignments that reinforce classroom learning objectives. Homework should provide students with the opportunity to apply and extend the information they have learned complete unfinished class assignments, and develop independence.

The actual time required to complete assignments will vary with each student’s study habits, academic skills, and selected course load. If your child is spending an inordinate amount of time doing homework, you should contact your child’s teachers.

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• Collecting Homework in the Classroom

Homework tips for supporting children in primary school

Homework can be a sticking point for busy families.

After experts questioned its relevance for primary schoolers, many of you weighed in on Facebook, disagreeing on how much, if any, homework is the right amount for this age group. 

So, what is beneficial? And what are some strategies to help make it a less stressful part of the day for both parents and kids?

What's the value in homework?

Grattan Institute deputy program director Amy Haywood says there is value in homework — particularly set reading — for primary school-aged kids.

Ms Haywood, based in Naarm/Melbourne, says time spent reading independently or with an adult "is a really good use of time because it builds up the vocabulary".

In addition to reading, other key skills such as maths can be a focus.

"In classes is where they're doing a lot of the learning of new content or skills, and then outside the school might be opportunity to practise."

She says there's "clear evidence around practice leading to mastery, and then the mastery having an impact on students' engagement in school, [and] their confidence with taking on different learning tasks".

There's also a case for homework in later primary years as you might want them to build some of those study habits before they go into secondary school.

But, she says "schools need to be careful about what homework they are setting".

Communicate with the school

Ms Haywood encourages parents to speak to teachers if they have concerns about set homework.

"[Teachers] may not necessarily realise that a student is spending a lot of time or needing quite a bit of help.

"That new information is very useful for a teacher because it means that they can go back and understand what they might need to reteach and any misconceptions that they need to go over."

Find the best time for your family

Parenting expert and family counsellor Rachel Schofield says finding the best time for homework in your family's routine is important.

Based in New South Wales' Bega Valley, on traditional lands of the Yuin-Monaro Nations, she says for some families fitting it into the morning routine is easier.

It's also about when parents and caregivers are in "the best shape" to help, "because if you've got a kid that's battling homework, you're going to have to be in emotionally good shape".

"If you're really stressed at the end of the day, then that's probably not the best time."

Ms Schofield says "parents have incredibly busy lives" but if you can carve out the time "homework can become a place where you actually get to slow down and stop".

She says children below the age of 10 need a lot a supervision and shouldn't be expected to do homework independently.

Why homework straight after school might not work 

Ms Schofield says kids "need decompression time after school".

She says there's an understandable tendency among busy parents to get homework out of the way as soon as possible, but this could be working against them.

Snacks, play and time to offload are usually what primary-aged kids need, Ms Schofield says.

Some time to play and connect with a parent after school can be "really helpful".

Even 10 minutes "can make the whole trajectory of the evening go differently", she says.

Ms Schofield says kids can come home with "a lot of emotional stuff" and rough-and-tumble-play can be a good way to spend time with them and help them decompress after school.

Ms Schofield says you can also try and engage with your child 'playfully' if they are refusing to do homework.

It's tempting to be stern and serious in response, but she says treating it more "goofily" by poorly attempting to complete it yourself or asking your child for help with a task might get a better result.

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Primary school children get little academic benefit from homework

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Homework: a word that can cause despair not just in children, but also in parents and even teachers. And for primary school children at least, it may be that schools setting homework is more trouble than it’s worth.

There is evidence that homework can be useful at secondary school . It can be used to consolidate material learnt in class or to prepare for exams.

However, it is less clear that homework is useful for children at primary school (ages 5 to 11) or in early years education (ages 3 to 5).

What is homework for?

There are no current guidelines on how much homework primary school children in England should be set. In 2018 then education secretary Damien Hinds stated that “We trust individual school head teachers to decide what their policy on homework will be, and what happens if pupils don’t do what’s set”.

While there is not much data available on how much homework primary school pupils do, a 2018 survey of around 1,000 parents found that primary pupils were spending an average of 2.2 hours per week on homework.

The homework done by primary school children can include reading, practising spellings, or revising for tests. Charity the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that the uses for homework at primary school include reinforcing the skills that pupils learn in school, helping them get ready for tests and preparing them for future school lessons.

Homework can also act as a point of communication between home and school, helping parents feel part of their child’s schooling.

However, the 2018 Ofsted Parents’ Panel – which surveyed the views of around 1,000 parents in England on educational issues – found that 36% of parents thought that homework was not helpful at all to their primary school children. The panel report found that, for many parents, homework was a significant source of stress and negatively affected family life.

Little academic benefit

Not much academic research has been carried out on the impact of homework for children in primary school. The available meta-studies – research that combines and analyses the findings of a number of studies – suggest that homework has little or no positive benefit for the academic achievement of children of primary school age . A central reason for this seems to be the inability of children to complete this homework without the support provided by teachers and the school.

Some research has suggested that primary pupils lack the independent study skills to do homework, and that they are not able to stay focused on the work.

What’s more, homework may actually have a negative effect if parents set unrealistic expectations, apply pressure or use methods that go counter to those used at school.

Homework may also increase inequalities between pupils. High achievers from economically privileged backgrounds may have greater parental support for homework, including more educated assistance, higher expectations and better settings and resources.

However, it is possible that setting homework for primary school children has benefits that cannot be easily measured, such as developing responsibility and independent problem-solving skills. It could also help children develop habits that will be useful in later school life.

A common task set for homework in primary schools is for children to read with their parents. There is some evidence that this has a positive impact as well as providing enjoyment, but the quality of interaction may be more important than the quantity.

If the purpose of homework is to develop the relationship between home and school and give parents more stake in the schooling of their children then this may well be a positive thing. If this is its purpose, though, it should not be used as a means to improve test scores or school performance metrics. For the youngest children, anything that takes time away from developmental play is a bad thing.

Rather, any homework should develop confidence and engagement in the process of schooling for both children and parents.

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Homework refers to any learning activity that students are required to complete outside of curriculum time. This includes any extension of the classroom work, revision of school work, preparation of lessons, projects and online assignments.

The following table illustrates the guidelines for homework for the different levels:

Students are to take note of their homework by recording it down in their organizer daily.

To ensure that students benefit from the homework assigned, we would like to seek parents’ cooperation in the following areas:

• create a home environment conducive for studying and completion of homework;
• supervise and provide support for child’s learning;
• reinforce good study habits and attitudes;
• be mindful of the stresses arising from school homework and out-of-school activities, and help the child prioritize his/her time among these activities; and
• work in partnership with teachers to support child’s learning and development.

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The Great British Homework Debate 2024 – Is It Necessary At Primary School?

Alexander Athienitis

The homework debate is never much out of the news. Should homework be banned? Is homework at primary school a waste of time? Do our children get too much homework?

Not long ago, UK-based US comedian Rob Delaney set the world alight with a tweet giving his own personal view of homework at primary school. We thought, as an organisation that provides maths homework support on a weekly basis, it was time to look at the facts around the homework debate in primary schools as well as, of course, reflecting the views of celebrities and those perhaps more qualified to offer an opinion!

Here’s how Rob Delaney kicked things off

Gary Lineker leant his support with the following soundbite:

And even Piers Morgan weighed in, with his usual balance of tact and sensitivity:

A very experienced and knowledgeable Headteacher, Simon Smith, who has a well-earned following on Twitter (for someone working in education, not hosting Match of the Day) also put his neck on the line and, some might think controversially, agreed with the golden-heeled Crisp King of Leicester…

Fortunately Katharine Birbalsingh, Conservative Party Conference keynote speaker and Founding Headteacher of the Michaela School, was on hand to provide the alternative view on the importance of homework. Her op-ed piece in the Sun gave plenty of reasons why homework should not be banned.

She was informative and firm in her article stating: “Homework is essential for a child’s education because revisiting the day’s learning is what helps to make it stick.”

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How much homework do UK primary school children get?

Sadly, there’s little data comparing how much homework primary school-aged children in the UK and across the globe complete on a weekly basis. A study of teenagers used by The Telegraph shows that American high-schoolers spend an average of 6.1 hours per week compared with 4.9 hours per week of homework each week for UK-based teens.

Up until 2012, the Department of Education recommended an hour of homework a week for primary school Key Stage 1 children (aged 4 to 7) and half an hour a day for primary school Key Stage 2 children (aged 7-11). Many primary schools still use this as a guideline.

Teachers, parents and children in many schools across the land have seen more changes of homework policy than numbers of terms in some school years.

A ‘no-homework’ policy pleases only a few; a grid of creative tasks crowd-sourced from the three teachers bothered to give their input infuriates many (parents, teachers and children alike). For some parents, no matter how much homework is set, it’s never enough; for others, even asking them to fill in their child’s reading record once a week can be a struggle due to a busy working life.

Homework is very different around the world

We’d suggest that Piers Morgan’s argument for homework in comparing the UK’s economic and social progress with China’s in recent years based on total weekly homework hours is somewhat misguided – we can’t put their emergence as the world’s (if not already, soon to be) leading superpower exclusively down to having their young people endure almost triple the number of hours spent completing homework as their Western counterparts.

Nonetheless, there’s certainly a finer balance to strike between the 14 hours a week suffered by Shanghainese school-attendees and none whatsoever. Certainly parents in the UK spend less time each week helping their children than parents in emerging economies such as India, Vietnam and Colombia (Source: Varkey Foundation Report).

Disadvantages of homework at primary school

Delaney, whose son attends a London state primary school, has made it plain that he thinks his kids get given too much homework and he’d rather have them following more active or creative pursuits: drawing or playing football. A father of four sons and a retired professional footballer Gary Linaker was quick to defend this but he also has the resources to send his children to top boarding schools which generally provide very structured homework or ‘prep’ routines.

As parents Rob and Gary are not alone. According to the 2018 Ofsted annual report on Parents Views  more than a third of parents do not think homework in primary school is helpful to their children. They cite the battles and arguments it causes not to mention the specific challenges it presents to families with SEND children many of whom report serious damage to health and self-esteem as a result of too much or inappropriate homework.

It’s a truism among teachers that some types of homework tells you very little about what the child can achieve and much more about a parent’s own approach to the work. How low does your heart sink when your child comes back with a D & T project to create Stonehenge and you realise it’s either an all-nighter with glue, cardboard and crayons for you, or an uncompleted homework project for your child!

Speaking with our teacher hats on, we can tell you that homework is often cited in academic studies looking at academic progress in primary school-aged children as showing minimal to no impact.

Back on Twitter, a fellow teacher was able to weigh-in with that point:

Benefits of homework at primary school

So what are the benefits of homework at primary school? According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (the key research organisations dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement) the impact of homework at primary is low, but it also doesn’t cost much.

They put it at a “+2 months” impact against a control of doing nothing. To put this into context, 1-to-1 tuition is generally seen as a +5 months impact but it’s usually considered to be expensive.

“There is some evidence that when homework is used as a short and focused intervention it can be effective in improving students’ attainment … overall the general benefits are likely to be modest if homework is more routinely set.”

Key to the benefit you’ll see from homework is that the task is appropriate and of good quality. The quantity of homework a pupil does is not so important. In this matter Katharine Birbalsingh is on the money. Short focused tasks which relate directly to what is being taught, and which are built upon in school, are likely to be more effective than regular daily homework.

In our view it’s about consolidation. So focusing on a few times tables that you find tricky or working through questions similar to what you’ve done in class that day or week often can be beneficial. 2 hours of worksheets on a Saturday when your child could be outside having fun and making friends probably isn’t. If you really want them to be doing maths, then do some outdoor maths with them instead of homework !

At Third Space Learning we believe it’s all about balance. Give the right sort of homework and the right amount at primary school and there will be improvements, but much of it comes down to parental engagement.

One of our favourite ways to practise maths at home without it become too onerous is by using educational games. Here are our favourite fun maths games , some brilliant KS2 maths games , KS1 maths games and KS3 maths games for all maths topics and then a set of 35 times tables games which are ideal for interspersing with your regular times tables practice. And best of all, most of them require no more equipment than a pen and paper or perhaps a pack of cards.

Homework and parents

One of the key benefits cited by EEF is in regard to parental engagement. Time after time, the greatest differentiator between children who make great progress at school – and those, frankly – who don’t is due to the same factor in the same studies: parental engagement .

It is a fair assumption that if a parent is engaged in their child’s learning, they’re probably going to be the same parents who encourage and support their child when they’re completing their homework.

Whereas parents who are disengaged with their child’s school and schooling – for whatever reason (sorry, Piers, it’s rarely due to laziness), are highly unlikely to be aware of what homework gets set each week, let alone to be mucking in with making sure it gets handed in completed and on time.

We also encounter time and again, the issue of parents’ own lack of confidence in maths. A survey by Pearson found that:

• 30 percent of parents “don’t feel confident enough in their own maths skills to help their children with their primary school maths homework”
• 53 per cent insisted they struggled to understand the new maths teaching methods used in modern classrooms. Fortunately that’s what we’re here to address.

Setting the right homework at primary school can be tricky

Although we disagree with Piers, we can see what he may be driving at in terms of setting appropriate homework.

The question quickly becomes what would Piers think of as being ‘interesting’ homework, and if all four of his children would agree upon the same thing being ‘interesting’.

That’s the problem.

One would imagine Piers would find it hard enough finding one task to satisfy the interest of all of his four children – it’s almost impossible to find a task that will engage the interest of 30 or more children in their out of school hours.

Each with different emotional, behavioural and learning needs, then sprinkle in the varying levels of poverty each family suffers (be it financial or in terms of time), and you can see how it isn’t just about being a good or bad teacher – whatever that means – in regards to being able to set Morgan-approved homework tasks.

What does this mean for my child?

Ultimately, the question at the top of mind whenever a parent thinks about homework is a more general one – am I doing the best for my child?

Although the world is changing at a faster pace than ever before in human history, what’s best for children hasn’t changed that much (if at all).

One-to-one support is best, and young people benefit most from adult-child conversations where they acquire new vocabulary and language structures to form and share their thoughts and opinions.

These insights – that one-to-one support is best and that regular, structured adult-child conversations are life-changing within a child’s development – are what inspired us to create Third Space Learning.

A platform where children can engage with a community of specialist tutors in a safe, structured learning environment where they are able to engage in one-to-one conversations that enable them to progress in their learning with confidence.

• How to help your child with their maths homework – A parents guide
• The Best Homework Hacks: 18 Tips And Tricks To Help Busy Parents Get It Done Faster!
• The 20 Most Recommended Teaching Blogs for UK Teachers and School Leaders

DO YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly one to one tuition designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn about our experience with schools or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

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The power of a good homework policy

Published 18th March 2019 by Frog Education

With the homework debate continuing to rage and be fuelled by all parties involved, could publishing a robust homework policy help take some of the headache out of home learning?

What is a homework policy.

The idea of a homework policy is for the school to officially document and communicate their process for homework. The policy should outline what is expected of teachers when setting homework and from students in completing home learning tasks. It is a constructive document through which the school can communicate to parents, teachers, governors and students the learning objectives for homework.

Do schools have to have a homework policy?

It is a common misconception that schools are required by the government to set homework. Historically the government provided guidelines on the amount of time students should spend on home learning. This was withdrawn in 2012 and autonomy was handed to headteachers and school leaders to determine what and how much homework is set. Therefore, schools are not required by Ofsted or the DfE to have a homework policy in place.

The removal of official guidelines, however, does not give pupils the freedom to decide if they complete homework or not. Damian Hinds , Education Secretary, clarified that although schools are not obliged to set homework, when they do, children need to complete it in line with their school’s homework policy; “we trust individual school head teachers to decide what their policy on homework will be, and what happens if pupils don’t do what’s set.”

The majority of primary and secondary schools do set homework. Regardless of the different views on the topic, the schools that do incorporate homework into their learning processes, must see value in it.

Clearly communicating that value will demonstrate clarity and create alliance for everyone involved – both in and outside of school. This is where the publication of a good homework policy can help. 5 Benefits of publishing a good homework policy

#1 Manages students' workload

Studies have shown a correlation between student anxiety and demanding amounts of homework. One study found that in more affluent areas, school children are spending three hours per evening on homework. This is excessive. Secondary school students’ study between eight and ten subjects, which means they will have day-to-day contact with a number of teachers. If there is no clear homework policy to provide a guide, it would be feasible for an excessive amount of homework to be set.

A homework policy that sets out the expected amount of time students should spend on homework will help prevent an overload. This makes it more realistic for children to complete homework tasks and minimise the detrimental effect it could have on family time, out-of-school activities or students’ overall health and well-being.

#2 Creates opportunity for feedback and review

The simple act of having an official document in place will instigate opportunities for regular reviews. We often consider the impact of homework on students but teachers are also working out-of-hours and often work overtime . One reason is the need to set quality homework tasks, mark them and provide valuable feedback. No-one, therefore, wants home learning to become about setting homework for homework’s sake.

A regular review of the policy will invite feedback which the school can use to make appropriate changes and ensure the policy is working for both teachers and students, and serves the school’s homework learning objectives.

#3 Connects parents with education

Parents’ engagement in children’s education has a beneficial impact on a child’s success in school. Homework provides a great way for parents to become involved and have visibility of learning topics, offer support where needed and understand their child’s progress.

A good homework policy creates transparency for parents. It helps them to understand the value the school places on homework and what the learning objectives are. If parents understand this, it will help set a foundation for them to be engaged in their child’s education.

#4 Gives students a routine and creates good habits

Whether children are going into the workplace or furthering their education at university, many aspects of a student’s future life will require, at times, work to be completed outside of traditional 9-5 hours as well as independently. This is expected at university (students do not research and write essays in the lecture theatre or their seminars) and will perhaps become more important in the future workplace with the growth of the gig economy (freelancing) and the rise of remote working .

A homework policy encourages a consistency for out-of-school learning and helps students develop productive working practices and habits for continued learning and independent working.

#5 Helps students retain information they have learned

A carefully considered and well-constructed home learning policy will help teachers set homework that is most effective for reinforcing what has been taught.

A good homework policy will indicate how to set productive homework tasks and should limit the risk of less effective homework being set, such as just finishing-off work from a lesson and repetition or memorisation tasks. What makes a good homework policy?

A good homework policy will determine how much homework is appropriate and what type is most effective for achieving a school’s learning objectives. Publishing the homework policy – although it might not unify everyone’s views on the matter – fosters good communication across the school, sets out expectations for teachers and pupils, and makes that significant connection between parents and their children’s education. But most importantly, if the policy is regularly reviewed and evaluated, it can ensure home learning remains beneficial to pupils’ progress, is of value to teachers and, ultimately, is worth the time and effort that everyone puts into it.

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Homework Guidelines

The Sudbury Public Schools Homework Committee, comprised of teachers, administrators, and mental health staff from both the elementary and middle school levels, met over the course of the 2017-2018 school year to research the effect of homework on student achievement and the impact of homework on student life.  In addition to reading current research about homework, the committee also conducted surveys with students, staff, and parents and analyzed these results, along with results of the middle school Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey. Based on this work, the Committee has made the following recommendations.  

READING 

Reading regularly is closely tied to student achievement and is strongly encouraged at all grade levels.  Independent reading, texts chosen by the reader, has consistently been found to relate to achievement in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general information. 

STUDENT ADVOCACY

At the upper elementary and middle school level, we encourage students to connect with their teachers directly about their learning.  If they are unable to complete an assignment or the assignment is taking longer than the homework guideline times, we want them to talk to their teacher.  Parents are always invited to contact the teachers as well.

• Homework assignments will be related to instructional objectives and reinforce classroom learning.  Teachers will strive to ensure that students understand the purpose of the assignment and can complete the work independently.
• Teachers will take into consideration students’ individual needs and available home resources when assigning homework.  
• Homework assignments will provide opportunities for concept and skill development through review and enrichment experiences.  
• Completed homework assignments will be reviewed by the teacher to check for student understanding.  Instructional follow-up will occur.   
• Homework will not be assigned on designated religious holidays, over long weekends (3-days or more), or during vacation weeks.  Weekend homework will not be assigned at all for students in grades K-5. Homework may be given over the weekend in grades 6-8; however, the total time for weekend homework will not exceed the prescribed time for a single evening’s study.  
• Homework will not exceed the recommended guidelines below.  With long-term projects, teachers will break tasks into manageable chunks that can be completed within these guidelines.  

Grade Homework Time Limits per Night

K-2 No homework other than occasional activities at teacher discretion 

3 0-20 minutes per night maximum, occasional assignments given M-Th

4 0-30 minutes per night maximum, assignments given M-Th only

5 0-45 minutes per night maximum, assignments given M-Th only

6 0-60 minutes per night maximum

7 0-75 minutes per night maximum

8 0-90 minutes per night maximum

Subject teachers will coordinate assignments and assessments so that maximums are not exceeded.  Subject teachers, including World Language, will strive to minimize the number of assessments on the same day.  Team teachers will work to limit major assessments to one per day and not to exceed two per day.  

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Foreword<br />

by the Secretary of State<br />

Learning at home is an essential part of the good education to<br />

which all our children are entitled. It is not just about rein<strong>for</strong>cing<br />

learning in the classroom, although that is important. A good,<br />

well organised homework programme helps children <strong>and</strong> young<br />

people to develop the skills <strong>and</strong> attitudes they will need <strong>for</strong><br />

successful, independent lifelong learning. <strong>Homework</strong> supports<br />

the development of independent learning skills, so enquiry <strong>and</strong><br />

investigation are seen as part of the learning process. Given the increasing importance<br />

to everyone of flexibility <strong>and</strong> the ability to learn independently, developing these skills<br />

<strong>and</strong> attitudes must be a central aim <strong>for</strong> all schools.<br />

Many schools have long experience of planning <strong>and</strong> managing an effective homework<br />

programme, working in close partnership with parents. These guidelines draw on their<br />

experience <strong>and</strong> good practice, <strong>and</strong> aim to help all schools develop their own programmes.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> partnerships with parents, carers <strong>and</strong> pupils are vital to extending high quality<br />

learning beyond the limits of the school day. Our National Framework <strong>for</strong> Study Support<br />

will also help by providing study centres in schools. By working together, we can ensure that<br />

young people are equipped with the disciplines <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing they need to continue<br />

learning throughout their adult lives.<br />

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP<br />

Introduction<br />

1 Research over a number of years in this <strong>and</strong> other countries has shown that homework can<br />

make an important contribution to pupils progress at school. An OFSTED Report published in<br />

1995 (<strong>Homework</strong> in <strong>Primary</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, HMSO, London) confirmed that, many<br />

pupils <strong>and</strong> their parents saw work done at home as a valuable <strong>and</strong> essential part of school<br />

work... . Also the 1996/97 OFSTED Annual Report noted that homework is important at all<br />

stages in a child s education <strong>and</strong> that when used properly, it extends the challenge open to<br />

the pupil <strong>and</strong> ensures that teaching time is used to maximum effect . In this country there is<br />

evidence that pupils in the highest achieving schools spend more time on learning activities at<br />

home than pupils in other schools. Among primary schools, NFER research in 1995 showed<br />

that almost half of all pupils in Year 6 were not given regular homework.<br />

2 The Government believes that there is enormous advantage in children spending regular<br />

periods of time, initially quite short, on different learning activities devised by schools as part<br />

of a homework programme which supports the work they do in class. These need not be very<br />

<strong>for</strong>mal or done without help: <strong>for</strong> infants homework should consist largely of reading <strong>and</strong><br />

sharing books with parents <strong>and</strong> carers. <strong>Homework</strong> need not, <strong>and</strong> should not, get in the way of<br />

other activities which they may do after school such as sport, music <strong>and</strong> clubs of all kinds.<br />

These activities can be very beneficial <strong>and</strong> one of the aims of the Government s proposals <strong>for</strong><br />

the development of study support (see Extending Opportunity: A national Framework <strong>for</strong><br />

Study Support * published earlier this year) is that a wide range of after school activities<br />

should be available to children who have not had access to them in the past.<br />

3 The Government s White Paper, Excellence in <strong>Schools</strong> proposed that national guidelines on<br />

homework should be published. The following guidelines set out the Government s view on<br />

the purposes of homework in primary <strong>and</strong> secondary schools respectively, on how much <strong>and</strong><br />

of what sort should be set <strong>for</strong> pupils of different ages, <strong>and</strong> on what should be expected of both<br />

schools <strong>and</strong> parents in supporting pupils. They take account of comments on earlier versions<br />

of the guidelines <strong>for</strong> primary <strong>and</strong> secondary schools, published separately <strong>for</strong> consultation in<br />

April.<br />

4 There are no guidelines specifically <strong>for</strong> special schools as they vary so much both in age<br />

range <strong>and</strong> in the appropriate homework expectations. However, special schools should review<br />

their policies carefully taking account of the aspects of the primary <strong>and</strong> secondary guidelines<br />

which are most relevant to them.<br />

* Copies of the National Framework ISBN 0855 22 755 9 are available from DFEE Publications Centre, PO Box 5050,<br />

Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 6ZQ: tel 0845 602 2260; fax 0845 603 3360.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong>: <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Primary</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

The evidence on which the guidelines are based<br />

5 The guidelines draw on extensive research <strong>and</strong> analysis into current good practice in schools.<br />

They are in<strong>for</strong>med, in particular, by a study conducted by OFSTED in 1997 which involved a<br />

systematic review of research literature, analysis of the OFSTED database, a structured<br />

telephone questionnaire survey of 368 schools identified from the database <strong>for</strong> the quality<br />

of their homework arrangements, visits to a further 29 schools <strong>and</strong> a questionnaire survey of<br />

about 1,000 Key Stage 2 <strong>and</strong> Key Stage 3 pupils across the visited schools. A summary of<br />

the findings of this study is included as an annex to these guidelines (see page 25). The<br />

primary guidelines also take account of ideas <strong>and</strong> experience generated through the National<br />

Literacy <strong>and</strong> Numeracy Projects.<br />

6 The OFSTED study shows that homework is well established in a number of primary schools.<br />

Many have been very successful in ensuring that homework is well integrated within their<br />

everyday work <strong>and</strong> planning, <strong>and</strong> in winning the support of parents. In the secondary sector,<br />

while almost all schools have homework systems <strong>and</strong> policies in place, there is inconsistency<br />

across the country <strong>and</strong> room <strong>for</strong> improvement in many schools in the way it is planned,<br />

managed <strong>and</strong> evaluated. The evidence suggests that homework makes the greatest<br />

contribution to learning when:<br />

●<br />

homework policy is led by the senior management of the school as part of the school s<br />

overall learning <strong>and</strong> assessment strategy;<br />

tasks are carefully planned <strong>and</strong> structured to support progression in learning, as part<br />

of schools schemes of work;<br />

there is consistent practice across the school in setting, managing <strong>and</strong> marking<br />

homework (as appropriate);<br />

● there is a regular programme so that everyone teachers, children <strong>and</strong> parents or carers<br />

knows what to expect each week;<br />

pupils <strong>and</strong> parents or carers are very clear about what they need to do;<br />

parents <strong>and</strong> carers are treated as partners in their children s learning;<br />

there are high expectations of pupils in completing homework;<br />

pupils receive prompt, clear feedback on their work;<br />

homework policies are regularly monitored <strong>and</strong> evaluated to check that they support<br />

pupils learning in the best possible way.<br />

Implementing the guidelines<br />

7 These guidelines are intended to help schools draw up <strong>and</strong> implement effective homework<br />

policies. They are not statutory; schools are not required by law to follow them. As now,<br />

OFSTED inspectors in considering schools homework policies <strong>and</strong> their operation will<br />

be guided by the relevant section of the OFSTED framework <strong>for</strong> inspection.<br />

8 Many schools already have detailed arrangements <strong>for</strong> homework <strong>and</strong> will need to make little,<br />

if any, change to their arrangements in the light of the guidelines. For others, implementing<br />

the guidelines will require some more radical changes. New policies <strong>for</strong> homework need to<br />

be drawn up with care <strong>and</strong> sensitivity, in full consultation with parents. The Government is<br />

aware that this may take time.<br />

What is homework?<br />

9 <strong>Schools</strong> do not always define homework in exactly the same way. For these guidelines<br />

homework refers to any work or activities which pupils are asked to do outside lesson<br />

time, either on their own or with parents or carers.<br />

A partnership with parents; homework <strong>and</strong><br />

home-school agreements<br />

10 To be effective homework needs to be part of a wider partnership between parents<br />

<strong>and</strong> schools. <strong>Schools</strong> need to be able to count on parents support <strong>for</strong> their aims <strong>and</strong> parents<br />

need to be consulted <strong>and</strong> in<strong>for</strong>med about school policies. In some schools homework is<br />

already an important part of home school agreements between parents <strong>and</strong> schools. This can<br />

help to create <strong>and</strong> maintain parents commitment to homework, which is essential if it is to be<br />

effective. The School St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> Framework Act 1998 contains provisions requiring all<br />

schools to draw up home school agreements in consultation with parents. Guidance from the<br />

DFEE on the requirements of the legislation, Home-School Agreements Guidance For<br />

<strong>Schools</strong>*, makes it clear that al home school agreements will need to set out the school s<br />

expectations about homework <strong>and</strong> the means by which parents will be consulted about<br />

changes.<br />

A whole school policy <strong>for</strong> homework<br />

11 In any school, both teachers <strong>and</strong> parents need to be completely clear about what is expected<br />

of pupils in the way of homework <strong>and</strong> how it should be organised <strong>and</strong> managed. They should<br />

also be consulted regularly about school policies. The Government believes that the best way<br />

to ensure that everyone knows what is expected is <strong>for</strong> schools to have a written policy on<br />

homework, publicly available on request. All schools are encouraged to draw up a written<br />

policy or, if they have one already, to review it, consulting parents <strong>and</strong> teachers carefully.All<br />

parents should then be sent a copy of the policy <strong>and</strong> encouraged to discuss it with their<br />

child s teacher.<br />

12 Policy documents should aim to be an important source of guidance <strong>and</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>for</strong> both<br />

teachers <strong>and</strong> parents (or, in the case of secondary schools, a common consistent framework<br />

<strong>for</strong> more detailed guidance drawn up, <strong>for</strong> example, by subject faculties <strong>and</strong> departments) <strong>and</strong><br />

should cover all the issues set out in these guidelines. A good whole school policy,<br />

* Copies of the Home-School Agreement Guidance For <strong>Schools</strong> are available from DfEE publications centre, PO Box<br />

5050, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6ZQ; tel 0845 602 2260; fax 0845 603 3360.<br />

consistently applied, can ensure that homework arrangements are manageable <strong>for</strong> everyone,<br />

not least teachers, as well as educationally beneficial.<br />

Leaflet <strong>for</strong> parents<br />

13 The DFEE has published a leaflet <strong>for</strong> parents about home-school agreements which covers<br />

homework, setting out the key messages in these guidelines. <strong>Schools</strong> should ensure that<br />

parents see copies of the leaflet, Home-School Agreement Leaflet For Parents*, as part of<br />

schools consultation over their own policies.<br />

Case study (1)<br />

Greenwood Junior School, Nottingham<br />

In 1993 head teacher John Botham introduced Home Study at Greenwood Junior School<br />

in inner city Nottingham, through home school contracts. Parents agree to work with pupils<br />

at home, using an imaginative home study book which the school gives to pupils along<br />

with a special home study bag <strong>and</strong> other resources. <strong>Homework</strong> assignments follow a set<br />

pattern every week of four activities Spelling, English, Maths <strong>and</strong> Science each with<br />

a recommended time allocation usually 15 minutes <strong>for</strong> year 3 pupils ranging to around<br />

30 minutes <strong>for</strong> year 6 pupils. In return <strong>for</strong> parents commitment the school undertakes<br />

to provide regular feedback <strong>and</strong> opportunities <strong>for</strong> discussion with parents, including<br />

home visits.<br />

What should be in school homework policies?<br />

14 <strong>Homework</strong> policies need to have enough detail to give clear guidance to parents <strong>and</strong><br />

teachers about what is expected of them <strong>and</strong> of pupils on a weekly basis. The following<br />

paragraphs set out the issues which the policies of primary <strong>and</strong> secondary schools<br />

respectively should address. Individual schools may, of course, wish to add other<br />

issues to reflect their particular circumstances.<br />

* Copies of the Home-School Agreement Leaflet For Parents are available from DfEE publications centre, PO Box 5050,<br />

Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6ZQ; tel 0845 602 2260; fax 0845 603 3360.<br />

<strong>Primary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

The purpose of homework<br />

15 Policies should set out clearly the purposes of homework. In general terms these should<br />

include:<br />

developing an effective partnership between the school <strong>and</strong> parents <strong>and</strong> other carers<br />

in pursuing the aims of the school. This is also, of course, the purpose of home school<br />

agreements;<br />

consolidating <strong>and</strong> rein<strong>for</strong>cing skills <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing, particularly in literacy <strong>and</strong><br />

numeracy;<br />

exploiting resources <strong>for</strong> learning, of all kinds, at home;<br />

extending school learning, <strong>for</strong> example through additional reading; <strong>and</strong><br />

encouraging pupils as they get older to develop the confidence <strong>and</strong> self discipline needed<br />

to study on their own, <strong>and</strong> preparing them <strong>for</strong> the requirements of secondary school.<br />

Case study (2)<br />

Agreeing on purpose: Berkeley <strong>Primary</strong> School, Gloucestershire<br />

When the new head arrived in 1995, the staff supported the decision to <strong>for</strong>malise the<br />

homework structure. The findings from a parents consultation questionnaire were discussed<br />

by the staff, <strong>and</strong> the deputy head prepared a draft. The policy was tested in<strong>for</strong>mally in<br />

1996/97, amended <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong>mally adopted in September 1997. It will be evaluated each<br />

year using feedback from parents <strong>and</strong> staff. The list of purposes reflects the care taken:<br />

Through this policy we aim to:<br />

ensure consistency of approach throughout the school;<br />

ensure progression towards independence <strong>and</strong> individual responsibility;<br />

ensure the needs of the individual pupil are taken into account;<br />

ensure parents/guardians have a clear underst<strong>and</strong>ing about expectations<br />

from themselves <strong>and</strong> the pupil;<br />

improve the quality of learning experience offered to pupils;<br />

extend <strong>and</strong> support the learning experience via rein<strong>for</strong>cement <strong>and</strong> revision;<br />

provide opportunities <strong>for</strong> parents, pupils <strong>and</strong> school to work in partnership;<br />

provide opportunities <strong>for</strong> parents <strong>and</strong> pupils to work together to enjoy learning experiences;<br />

encourage children to develop long term strategies <strong>for</strong> future needs;<br />

at Year 6, to prepare children <strong>for</strong> secondary transfer.<br />

16 Policies need to reflect the fact that in primary schools the purposes of homework change as<br />

children get older. For children in Key Stage 1, developing a partnership with parents or<br />

carers <strong>and</strong> involving them actively in children s learning is the key purpose <strong>and</strong> the activities<br />

children do at home may not be described by schools as homework .<br />

17 Short activities of different kinds simple games, learning spellings <strong>and</strong> number facts <strong>and</strong>,<br />

of course, reading together provide a very important opportunity <strong>for</strong> young children to talk<br />

about what they are learning to an interested adult, <strong>and</strong> to practise key skills in a supportive<br />

environment.<br />

18 As children get older homework provides an opportunity <strong>for</strong> children to develop the skills of<br />

independent learning, <strong>and</strong> this should increasingly become its main purpose. It is important<br />

that children should gradually get into the habit of regularly devoting periods of time, which<br />

m a y not be long, to study on their own. By the time children reach Year 6 their homework<br />

programme should cover a wide range of tasks <strong>and</strong> curriculum content, with a regular<br />

weekly schedule. This approach will benefit their learning <strong>and</strong> also ensure that, in relation<br />

to homework as much as to other aspects, their transition to Year 7/secondary school is<br />

as smooth as possible. <strong>Primary</strong> <strong>and</strong> secondary schools which <strong>for</strong>m part of local pyramids<br />

or clusters should co-ordinate their homework policies so that this aim can be achieved.<br />

The type <strong>and</strong> amount of homework which is appropriate <strong>for</strong><br />

pupils of different ages<br />

19 Policies should give clear guidance about the sort of homework, <strong>and</strong> how much of it, pupils<br />

should do at different ages. In the Government s view the main focus of homework <strong>for</strong><br />

children at primary schools should be on literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy. Science <strong>and</strong> other subjects<br />

should be added to the programme as children move up the school, without losing this focus<br />

on literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy. Again, homework does not just mean <strong>for</strong>mal exercises carried out<br />

by children without help from adults. Particularly in the case of younger children, it is the<br />

involvement of parents <strong>and</strong> carers in joint activities, which can be very brief, which is most<br />

valuable in promoting children s learning.<br />

20 Regular reading is vital. For children in Key Stage 1 homework should very largely consist<br />

of regular reading with parents <strong>and</strong> carers, looking at books together. Reading practice <strong>and</strong><br />

listening to others read then continues to be essential right though primary school. One of the<br />

key messages <strong>for</strong> parents <strong>and</strong> carers of the Government s campaign in the National Year of<br />

Reading is that all primary school age children should either read to their parents or carers,<br />

listen to them reading or, if they are fluent readers, read on their own <strong>for</strong> at least 10 to<br />

20 minutes a day. This may be done in the context of homework, <strong>for</strong> example a six year old<br />

reading her school reading book to a parent or a ten year old reading a reference book <strong>for</strong> a<br />

history project. Or it may be done separately parents reading stories to children or children<br />

reading out signs or notices on the way to school.<br />

21 Other literacy related homework will include, of course, learning spellings <strong>and</strong> practising<br />

correct punctuation. In numeracy, the report of the Numeracy Task Force recommends that<br />

schools set number games <strong>and</strong> tasks, <strong>and</strong> more <strong>for</strong>mal exercises <strong>for</strong> older children, that they<br />

can do at home, involving parents or carers. These should be set about twice a week <strong>for</strong> all<br />

children, with additional, more substantial or more challenging activities set at the weekend<br />

<strong>for</strong> children in Key Stage 2. The Task Force also recommends that guidance should be<br />

produced <strong>for</strong> schools as part of the National Numeracy Strategy on appropriate homework<br />

activities <strong>and</strong> how best to support parents <strong>and</strong> carers in carrying out their role. All these <strong>and</strong><br />

other homework activities should be carefully designed to meet children s individual needs,<br />

including any special educational needs (see paragraphs 28 <strong>and</strong> 29).<br />

22 In addition to these regular activities, older children should be given some homework,<br />

gradually increasing in its dem<strong>and</strong>s, of other kinds. Again, this should be differentiated where<br />

appropriate to take account of individual pupils needs <strong>and</strong> might include:<br />

finding out in<strong>for</strong>mation;<br />

reading in preparation <strong>for</strong> lessons;<br />

preparing oral presentations;<br />

more traditional written assignments.<br />

23 <strong>Schools</strong> should be careful to ensure that too much homework time is not spent finishing off<br />

written work carried out in class. This can often place too heavy a burden on some pupils <strong>and</strong><br />

too light a dem<strong>and</strong> on others.<br />

24 The precise amount of time spent on homework is much less important than the quality of<br />

tasks set <strong>and</strong> the way they are planned to support learning. <strong>Schools</strong> need to have a clear idea<br />

of the tasks which they want pupils to do as homework <strong>and</strong> to plan these tasks as part of their<br />

schemes of work <strong>for</strong> different areas of the curriculum, particularly literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy.<br />

Some schools, <strong>for</strong> example Greenwood Junior School in Nottingham (see case study 1),<br />

prepare sets of assignments covering the whole year which are given to parents at the<br />

beginning of the year (Greenwood School s home study book ). Teachers may want to draw<br />

on national or local support services in planning tasks, <strong>for</strong> example the BBC s Learning<br />

Station on the internet.<br />

25 A regular pattern is also important, particularly <strong>for</strong> literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy. A familiar routine,<br />

<strong>for</strong> example setting tables to learn on Tuesdays <strong>and</strong> spellings on Wednesdays, is very helpful<br />

<strong>for</strong> children, parents <strong>and</strong> teachers.<br />

Case study (3)<br />

Planning <strong>for</strong> progression <strong>and</strong> manageability: Garway <strong>Primary</strong> School, Here<strong>for</strong>d<br />

<strong>and</strong> Worcester<br />

At this small rural primary, the staff have made book reviews the backbone of their KS2<br />

language homework programme. Using a variety of published <strong>and</strong> home-produced guidelines,<br />

pupils gradually learn how to develop a critique. With guidance, pupils in Years 3 <strong>and</strong> 4 chose<br />

one book to review per month (two books <strong>for</strong> Years 5 <strong>and</strong> 6). The head has gone to<br />

considerable trouble to select appropriate materials <strong>and</strong> to bring in new books, including<br />

a particular genre <strong>for</strong> reluctant readers. Starting with a very structured approach, pupils can<br />

<strong>and</strong> do progress to quite sophisticated reviews by Year 6. In addition, pupils are expected<br />

to prepare a talk on the book, to give the class.<br />

26 Broad expectations, however, about the amount of time pupils might reasonably be expected<br />

to spend on homework provide a useful framework <strong>and</strong> discipline <strong>for</strong> schools <strong>and</strong> are helpful<br />

<strong>for</strong> parents. <strong>Schools</strong> policies should there<strong>for</strong>e set out in broad terms both the kind of tasks<br />

pupils will be asked to do <strong>and</strong> the school s expectations about the amount of time children in<br />

different year groups can expect to spend on them.<br />

27 The Government believes that a sensible programme of homework activities <strong>for</strong> children in<br />

Key Stage 1 should be designed to take, on average, about 1 hour a week. At Key Stage 2<br />

the dem<strong>and</strong>s should gradually increase so that by Years 5 <strong>and</strong> 6 children are spending about<br />

30 minutes a day (two <strong>and</strong> a half hours a week) on homework.<br />

Recommended time allocation <strong>for</strong> homework<br />

Years 1 <strong>and</strong> 2 1 hour/week (reading, spellings, other literacy work<br />

<strong>and</strong> number work)<br />

Years 3 <strong>and</strong> 4 1.5 hours/week (literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy as <strong>for</strong> Years 1 <strong>and</strong><br />

2<br />

with occasional assignments in other<br />

subjects)<br />

Years 5 <strong>and</strong> 6 30 minutes/day (regular weekly schedule with continued<br />

emphasis on literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy but<br />

also ranging widely over the curriculum)<br />

As noted in paragraph 20, the daily reading which the Government recommends <strong>for</strong> all<br />

children can, of course, be done as part of homework. On days when the homework activity<br />

is something other than reading children should be encouraged, in addition, to read on<br />

their own or with others <strong>for</strong> at least 20 minutes (less <strong>for</strong> infants).<br />

Case study (4)<br />

Clear, consistent <strong>and</strong> purposeful scheduling: Harston <strong>and</strong> Newton<br />

County <strong>Primary</strong> School, Cambridge<br />

W ithin the last two years, the head of this village school (123 on roll) has introduced a<br />

systematic homework programme. The policy gives an outline of the homework tasks <strong>for</strong> each<br />

class <strong>and</strong> this is supplemented by separate <strong>and</strong> appropriate guidelines <strong>for</strong> staff <strong>and</strong> parents,<br />

agreed by the staff team. There are planning documents (a) spelling, h<strong>and</strong>writing <strong>and</strong> reading<br />

(<strong>for</strong> all classes) <strong>and</strong> (b) mathematics (<strong>for</strong> KS2 classes). For each class, some of which contain<br />

more than one year group, a letter is sent to parents covering a number of topics, including<br />

homework. And thus Class Two (years 1 <strong>and</strong> 2) parents are told in the autumn term about all<br />

the homework tasks: reading (daily, including guided choice of stories <strong>and</strong> free choice of<br />

library books), spellings (tested on Friday after a week to learn them), h<strong>and</strong>writing tasks(one<br />

week to complete a page, at five minutes per day), mathematics (<strong>for</strong> year 2 mainly tested on<br />

Thursday). Classes 3, 4 <strong>and</strong> 5 continue this pattern but also have a <strong>for</strong>tnightly topic related<br />

task. These tasks (four or five per term, depending on age) were set out in appropriate<br />

language on a separate sheet, so that parents <strong>and</strong> pupils knew, <strong>for</strong> the term, what was<br />

expected, when it would be set <strong>and</strong> when it should be completed. The five tasks <strong>for</strong> the top<br />

class were in science, history (three tasks on the term s topic, the V ictorians) <strong>and</strong> RE.<br />

Special educational needs<br />

28 Setting the right type <strong>and</strong> amount of homework <strong>for</strong> children with special educational needs is<br />

not always easy. Some children in mainstream schools may benefit from special tasks<br />

separate from the homework set <strong>for</strong> other children in the class. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, it is<br />

important that they should do as much in common with other children as possible. Setting<br />

appropriate homework, which does not dem<strong>and</strong> too much or too little of children <strong>and</strong> their<br />

parents, needs close co-ordination between class teachers, special needs co-ordinators <strong>and</strong><br />

parents. Tasks should:<br />

have a very clear focus <strong>and</strong> time-guideline;<br />

give plenty of opportunities <strong>for</strong> pupils to succeed;<br />

help develop social as well as other skills where necessary;<br />

● be varied <strong>and</strong> not purely written assignments;<br />

be manageable <strong>for</strong> teachers.<br />

29 The purposes of homework outlined in paragraph 15 should apply equally to pupils with SEN.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> should not be seen as the way of attempting to get these pupils to catch up with<br />

the rest of the class.<br />

Case study (5)<br />

Effective learning <strong>for</strong> pupils with SEN: Olney County First School, Bucks<br />

In this school, where the headteacher (as SENCO) leads a support team, homework is<br />

planned according to the stage (of the SEN code) at which pupils are. Pupils at stage 1,<br />

whose progress is being monitored by the class teacher, are given key word games to<br />

take home <strong>and</strong> play to develop their retention of these words. Pupils at stage 2 add<br />

tasks which are specifically linked to their IEP targets.<br />

There is a space on the IEP sheet <strong>for</strong> home contributions . There is a strong belief in<br />

over-learning <strong>for</strong> pupils with SEN. This is considered to be effective in helping them<br />

to make progress <strong>and</strong> depends on regular parental support which is carefully fostered.<br />

How homework will be planned <strong>and</strong> co-ordinated so that the<br />

dem<strong>and</strong>s on pupils are balanced <strong>and</strong> manageable<br />

30 Policies should set out:<br />

who is responsible <strong>for</strong> ensuring that the dem<strong>and</strong>s of homework are manageable<br />

<strong>for</strong> pupils <strong>and</strong> parents/carers on a day to day basis normally the class teacher;<br />

regular patterns to homework, particularly <strong>for</strong> literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy.<br />

31 Teachers will want to allow more than one evening <strong>for</strong> some homework to be completed, <strong>for</strong><br />

example to allow sufficient time <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation to be collected or to take account of any after<br />

school activities the children may be doing. However homework is set, it is very important to<br />

monitor the dem<strong>and</strong>s on pupils so that they are as even <strong>and</strong> balanced as possible.<br />

The role of parents <strong>and</strong> carers in supporting pupils<br />

32 Policies should contain clear guidance on the role of parents <strong>and</strong> carers in supporting pupils<br />

homework <strong>and</strong> how the school expects this role to change as children get older. This<br />

guidance must be drawn up in consultation with parents <strong>and</strong> carers.<br />

33 In general terms parents <strong>and</strong> carers should, in the Government s view, be encouraged to:<br />

provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which pupil can do their homework<br />

alone or, more often <strong>for</strong> younger children, together with an adult or help pupils attend<br />

other places where homework can be done, such as homework clubs or study support<br />

centres;<br />

make it clear to pupils that they value homework, <strong>and</strong> support the school in explaining<br />

how it can help their learning;<br />

encourage pupils <strong>and</strong> praise them when they have completed homework.<br />

34 Beyond this parents <strong>and</strong> carers of younger children, in particular, should be encouraged, as<br />

far as possible, to become actively involved in joint homework activities with children. To help<br />

them in this they may need careful guidance from class teachers. The Government<br />

recognises that some parents may find supporting their children with homework or home<br />

activities difficult <strong>and</strong> schools may find it a challenge to enlist their help. In<strong>for</strong>mation on<br />

strategies used by successful schools, including schools featured in these guidelines, is<br />

available from the St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> Effectiveness Unit at the DFEE or through the SEU s good<br />

practice database.<br />

Case study (6)<br />

Progress in mathematics against the odds: Servite Roman Catholic<br />

<strong>Primary</strong> School, London<br />

At Servite RC <strong>Primary</strong> School (Kensington & Chelsea LEA), which has commonly had<br />

N C A results above the national average despite the wide ability range <strong>and</strong> a considerable<br />

proportion of pupils eligible <strong>for</strong> free school meals, regular homework is set in maths <strong>for</strong> most<br />

year groups. In order to motivate pupils, the school set up a Tables Club . Children who had<br />

learnt one set (2x, etc) were tested on all permutations of it <strong>and</strong> then became a member of the<br />

2x Club , receiving a badge. This has now been superseded by a tables assessment card with<br />

bronze, silver <strong>and</strong> gold awards. Such schemes have worked well in a school where it is<br />

sometimes hard to involve parents, some of whom do not speak English <strong>and</strong> are not all<br />

literate in their own language. Moreover, many live in very cramped conditions. Some parents<br />

have difficulty with maths homework <strong>and</strong> have asked <strong>for</strong> a maths workshop, to which the<br />

school has agreed.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> <strong>and</strong> study support facilities<br />

35 Policies should describe any opportunities which exist <strong>for</strong> older pupils to do homework, under<br />

supervision, at places other than home. These may include opportunities at school, <strong>for</strong><br />

example during lunch time or be<strong>for</strong>e or after school, as well as opportunities away from<br />

school premises, at libraries or community centres.<br />

36 W e are aware of the excellent work already being done by many LEAs, schools, public<br />

libraries <strong>and</strong> other organisations to provide space <strong>and</strong> support <strong>for</strong> pupils to carry out<br />

homework. The framework set out by the Department in Extending Opportunity: a national<br />

framework <strong>for</strong> study support , describes the contribution which homework clubs can make to<br />

schools wider programme of out of school hours learning activities.<br />

37 The Government is providing £200 million lottery money through the New Opportunities Fund<br />

to support out of school hours learning in at least half of all secondary <strong>and</strong> special<br />

schools, <strong>and</strong> a quarter of all primary schools, by 2001. We expect homework clubs to be<br />

included in many of the projects supported by lottery funding. The Government is also making<br />

resources available to all LEAs with Premier or Division One Football Clubs in their area, to<br />

establish study support centres at the Clubs. The centres will offer a range of study support<br />

opportunities around literacy, numeracy <strong>and</strong> IT, <strong>and</strong> will include opportunities <strong>for</strong> homework.<br />

Case study (7)<br />

Pilot <strong>for</strong> lottery funding<br />

Three primary schools in Richmond, Surrey, have <strong>for</strong>med a consortium with Rectory<br />

Comprehensive School to provide homework facilities as one of 50 pilot projects <strong>for</strong> the<br />

Government s plans to use lottery funds <strong>for</strong> out of school hours learning. Children will be<br />

prepared <strong>for</strong> entry into secondary school through the facilities, which will include access<br />

to ICT <strong>and</strong> a library to develop literacy skills.<br />

Feedback <strong>for</strong> pupils, parents or carers <strong>and</strong> teachers<br />

38 Where homework is done together with adults, children will often receive immediate feedback<br />

on what they are doing. In the case of work they do on their own it is very important that they<br />

build on it, <strong>and</strong>/or receive appropriate feedback as quickly as possible. This may be through<br />

class work (<strong>for</strong> example class discussion or feedback on work of which the homework<br />

assignment is a part) or through tests (<strong>for</strong> example tables <strong>and</strong> spellings), or through individual<br />

comments from their teacher (<strong>for</strong> example on written assignments). Providing individual<br />

written feedback is, of course, dem<strong>and</strong>ing on teachers time. The range of tasks set <strong>for</strong><br />

homework should take this into account, with the aim of keeping the workload of teachers<br />

manageable. Other strategies to achieve this objective should also be employed, such as<br />

asking pupils to review their own work in small groups. At a more general level, recognition of<br />

children s ef<strong>for</strong>ts, <strong>for</strong> example by mentioning them in assemblies or publicising the<br />

achievements of particular classes, is very important in maintaining pupils motivation.<br />

39 Where parents <strong>and</strong> carers have carried out activities with children, teachers will be interested<br />

in feedback from them, both on how well the children did the activities <strong>and</strong> on whether the<br />

activities were interesting/too easy/too hard etc. Some schools find it helpful to maintain a<br />

regular dialogue with parents through homework diaries, in which both teachers <strong>and</strong> parents<br />

record comments. Reading diaries are quite common in schools; schools should consider<br />

extending these to include comments on number activities done at home.<br />

40 Policies should set out the arrangements <strong>for</strong> feedback from both teachers <strong>and</strong> parents/carers<br />

on homework so that everyone is clear what is expected of them.<br />

Case study (8)<br />

Developing a dialogue: St Oswald s RC <strong>Primary</strong> School,<br />

Newcastle upon Tyne<br />

The staff base their homework programme on a dialogue with parents which starts in the<br />

reception class. A reading workshop is held during the autumn term each year to introduce<br />

new parents to the methods used by the school so that they can support reading at home.<br />

Similarly, there is an annual maths workshop in September <strong>for</strong> the parents of Year 3 pupils.<br />

The communication from school to parents is maintained by regular newsletters. Further<br />

collaboration is planned through the Share project, to support parents working at home<br />

with their children.<br />

Two-way dialogue is encouraged from the start through the reading diary, building on the<br />

ideas given to parents in the reading workshop. In these notebooks, which go home daily with<br />

the reading books, teachers <strong>and</strong> parents make comments on how, as well as what, the child<br />

has read. The examples provided show the range of parental response, from very detailed<br />

<strong>and</strong> supportive to more laconic. As pupils get older, the teacher s comments are angled at<br />

pupils as well as parents, <strong>and</strong> are always constructive in tone. By KS2, the dialogue is<br />

maintained through a homework notebook in which tasks are reported <strong>and</strong> completed <strong>and</strong><br />

comments encouraged.<br />

Arrangements <strong>for</strong> monitoring <strong>and</strong> evaluating policies<br />

41 The efficiency <strong>and</strong> effectiveness of homework policies needs to be monitored <strong>and</strong> evaluated.<br />

For example, in some schools a teacher is responsible <strong>for</strong> checking a sample of homework<br />

diaries <strong>and</strong> assignments from time to time <strong>and</strong> discussing with teachers how far school<br />

policies are being successfully implemented.<br />

42 In addition to arrangements <strong>for</strong> day to day monitoring <strong>and</strong> evaluation, policies should also set<br />

out when the school expects to review the policy, how parents will be involved in the review,<br />

<strong>and</strong> what criteria will be used to assess its effectiveness. The key criterion should be the<br />

extent to which the policy is contributing to the progress pupils make at school <strong>and</strong> their<br />

attitude to learning.<br />

Case study (9)<br />

Clarity, consistency <strong>and</strong> rigour: Coppermill <strong>Primary</strong> School Walthamstow<br />

In this urban school, where 38% of those entering the nursery are bilingual, homework is set<br />

in a whole school programme from the nursery onwards, starting with reading activities <strong>and</strong><br />

adding in spelling (Year 1), <strong>and</strong> number <strong>and</strong> multiplication facts (Year 2). By Year 5, there is<br />

a <strong>for</strong>tnightly task linked to other subject areas; in Year 6 this becomes weekly. <strong>Homework</strong> in<br />

spelling, reading <strong>and</strong> maths is differentiated according to ability; <strong>for</strong> example in Year 3 there<br />

are four spelling groups <strong>and</strong> number facts are set on an individual basis. The policy is coordinated<br />

by the Deputy Head. A rigorous monitoring system helps staff to assess whether<br />

or not their approach is meeting pupils needs. A sample of home-school books is<br />

collected from each class every term to check <strong>for</strong> compliance with the policy. Written<br />

feed back is provided by the Deputy on the quality of the homework set. There is<br />

strong support from parents.<br />

<strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

43 <strong>Homework</strong> policies should set out clearly the purposes of homework. These should include:<br />

encouraging pupils to develop the skills, confidence <strong>and</strong> motivation needed to study<br />

effectively on their own. This is vital given the importance <strong>for</strong> pupils in the future of life<br />

long learning <strong>and</strong> adaptability;<br />

consolidating <strong>and</strong> rein<strong>for</strong>cing skills <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing developed at school;<br />

extending school learning, <strong>for</strong> example through additional reading;<br />

sustaining the involvement of parents <strong>and</strong> carers in the management of pupils learning<br />

<strong>and</strong> keeping them in<strong>for</strong>med about the work pupils are doing;<br />

managing particular dem<strong>and</strong>s, such as GCSE course work.<br />

The purpose of homework : Ninestiles Technology College, Birmingham<br />

The generally very positive 1996 inspection report had highlighted inconsistent practice in<br />

setting homework in KS3 as a key issue <strong>for</strong> action. Since then the school has tackled this<br />

issue with vigour. A sub-group of the Curriculum Committee first clarified what homework was<br />

<strong>and</strong> the purposes it should serve. Their conclusions were presented in the <strong>for</strong>m of clear <strong>and</strong><br />

simple checklists, useful <strong>for</strong> pupils, parents <strong>and</strong> teachers. Each department was required to<br />

produce its own more detailed policy to comply with these criteria.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong>: What is it <strong>for</strong>?<br />

● independent learning ● self-discipline<br />

● consolidation ● research<br />

● practice learning by doing ● pupil/parent/teacher partnership<br />

● completion of course work assignments ● work not suited to classroom situation<br />

The amount of homework appropriate <strong>for</strong> pupils of different<br />

ages<br />

44 The intrinsic value of homework activities is far more important than the precise amount of<br />

time devoted to them. Broad expectations about how much time it is reasonable <strong>for</strong> pupils to<br />

spend are useful, however, both as a framework <strong>and</strong> discipline <strong>for</strong> schools <strong>and</strong> as a guide <strong>for</strong><br />

parents <strong>and</strong> pupils. Policies should there<strong>for</strong>e contain clear <strong>and</strong> flexible guidance as to the<br />

broad amount of homework which should be expected of pupils of different ages.<br />

45 Good practice suggests that the amount of time which should be spent by pupils at<br />

secondary schools, on average, on homework or GCSE course work, should fall within<br />

the following ranges:<br />

Years 7 8<br />

Year 9<br />

Years 10 11<br />

45 90 minutes per day<br />

1 2 hours a day<br />

1.5 2.5 hours a day<br />

46 In Years 12 <strong>and</strong> 13 the amount of work done by pupils outside lessons will, of course, depend<br />

on their individual programmes, but guidance on this should be included in schools policies.<br />

dem<strong>and</strong> on pupils time is consistent <strong>and</strong> manageable on a<br />

daily basis<br />

47 Policies should set out the arrangements made by schools to ensure that the total amount of<br />

homework set <strong>for</strong> pupils either daily or weekly is consistent <strong>and</strong> manageable <strong>for</strong> them on a<br />

daily basis. They should not be required to work in a way which gives them too much to do on<br />

some days <strong>and</strong> too little on others. <strong>Homework</strong> timetables co-ordinated across subjects <strong>and</strong><br />

setting out subject allocations <strong>for</strong> each day are helpful, but it is important that subject<br />

teachers appreciate the need to work within this timetable, both in giving homework <strong>and</strong> in<br />

setting deadlines <strong>for</strong> its completion. <strong>Homework</strong> diaries can be helpful to pupils <strong>and</strong> teachers<br />

in implementing <strong>and</strong> monitoring an effective homework timetable.<br />

48 Meeting homework deadlines is not always easy <strong>for</strong> some pupils, particularly if they are<br />

expected to help at home, <strong>for</strong> example looking after younger siblings, or have weekend jobs.<br />

They should not be excused homework, but may need extra help with strategies to manage it.<br />

49 It is very important that homework arrangements, including sanctions <strong>for</strong> not completing it,<br />

should be consistently applied across the school so that all pupils see the arrangements as<br />

fair.<br />

50 Policy statements should set out clearly:<br />

what the school expects parents <strong>and</strong> carers to do to support pupils in relation to<br />

homework;<br />

pupils own responsibilities;<br />

how parental/pupil roles are expected to change as pupils move up the school.<br />

51 In the Government s view parents <strong>and</strong> carers should be encouraged, as far as possible, to:<br />

provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which pupils can do their homework or<br />

help pupils attend other places where homework can be done, such as homework clubs or<br />

study support centres;<br />

how it can help them make progress at school;<br />

encourage pupils <strong>and</strong> praise them when they have completed homework;<br />

expect deadlines to be met <strong>and</strong> check that they are.<br />

52 It is very important that pupils should have frequent <strong>and</strong> increasing opportunities to develop<br />

<strong>and</strong> consolidate their competence as independent learners. These might be achieved through<br />

homework diaries <strong>and</strong> planners, tutorials on study skills, target setting <strong>and</strong> mentoring<br />

schemes.<br />

Promoting Independent Learners: Huntington School, York<br />

In this 11 18 comprehensive school, a combination of strategies is used to encourage<br />

pupils from Year 7 onwards to develop responsibility <strong>for</strong> managing their homework, as part<br />

of a broader programme <strong>for</strong> promoting independent learning, with the support of parents (who<br />

sign a home-school contract), subject teachers <strong>and</strong> tutors. Each pupil has a student planner in<br />

which to record their homework, <strong>and</strong> these are checked systematically by tutors each week. In<br />

this way tutors can check that all the systems are working: that is that parents have signed <strong>for</strong><br />

the week s work <strong>and</strong> that tasks have been set in line with the homework timetable. By<br />

following this structured approach, all pupils are helped to get the habit of using the planners<br />

systematically. The tutors run a tutorial programme on developing independent learning, <strong>and</strong><br />

discussion of homework is built into this. (Pupils themselves confirmed that this had<br />

happened). One of the Year 8 tutors saw the main purpose of homework as teaching selfdiscipline<br />

<strong>and</strong> independence. Pupils are given relevant in<strong>for</strong>mation to help them; <strong>for</strong> example,<br />

the marking system is stuck into the front of their notebooks. Pupils displayed confidence in<br />

discussing assessments with teachers. The heads of English <strong>and</strong> Maths felt the homework<br />

system improved the pupil s ability to organise themselves.<br />

53 Policies should describe any opportunities <strong>for</strong> pupils to do homework, under supervision, at<br />

places other than home. These may include opportunities at school, <strong>for</strong> example during the<br />

lunch time or be<strong>for</strong>e or after school, as well as opportunities away from school premises, at<br />

libraries or community centres.<br />

54 W e are aware of the excellent work already being done by many LEAs, schools, public<br />

schools wider programmes of out of school hours learning activities.<br />

55 The Government plans to provide £200 million lottery money through the New Opportunities<br />

Fund to support out of school hours learning in at least half of all secondary <strong>and</strong> special<br />

opportunities around literacy, numeracy,IT, <strong>and</strong> will include opportunities <strong>for</strong> homework.<br />

As one of the 50 pilot projects <strong>for</strong> the Government s plans to use lottery funding <strong>for</strong> study<br />

support Grangefield School, Stockton on Tees, will provide a coordinated programme of after<br />

school activities academic, social <strong>and</strong> cultural. Pupils will have access to more IT facilities<br />

<strong>and</strong> CD Roms, especially <strong>for</strong> homework. Staffwilloffer a wider choice of experiences such<br />

as new sports, outdoor activities <strong>and</strong> cultural visits.<br />

Appropriate tasks <strong>for</strong> homework<br />

56 School policies <strong>and</strong>, where relevant, guidance related to specific subjects, should indicate<br />

the range of tasks which are appropriate <strong>for</strong> pupils of various ages. Tasks should have a clear<br />

objective, linked to study programmes. <strong>Schools</strong> should be careful to ensure that homework<br />

time is not regularly used simply <strong>for</strong> finishing off work carried out in class. This can often<br />

place too heavy a burden on some children <strong>and</strong> too light a dem<strong>and</strong> on others. Policies could<br />

usefully set out criteria <strong>for</strong> checking that the overall homework programme is balanced in the<br />

type <strong>and</strong> scale of tasks <strong>and</strong> manageable <strong>for</strong> both pupils <strong>and</strong> teachers.<br />

Varying the diet: Richard Hale School, Hert<strong>for</strong>d<br />

At this 11 18 comprehensive school <strong>for</strong> 800 boys, the homework policy urged subject<br />

teachers to see that homework <strong>for</strong>med a coherent part of the work being done, <strong>and</strong> gave a list<br />

of possible tasks:<br />

Investigations Interviews Simple experiments Essay writing<br />

Research Public library visit Drafting Report writing<br />

Reading Designing Revision Making a model<br />

Drawing W ord processing Desktop publishing Projects<br />

There was evidence from pupils <strong>and</strong> their homework diaries to suggest that pupils were<br />

indeed set a more varied diet of tasks than average, with quite a few research activities<br />

across a number of subjects (geography, sciences, history, design <strong>and</strong> technology).<br />

57 In order to promote consistency <strong>and</strong> progression schools may wish to consider planning<br />

homework systematically. For example, assignments designed as part of the planning of a<br />

subject scheme of work can help to make homework both relevant <strong>and</strong> manageable.<br />

Developing a bank of assignments which teachers can use as appropriate has proved a<br />

flexible approach to planning <strong>for</strong> some schools. Teachers may want to draw on national <strong>and</strong><br />

local support services where appropriate, <strong>for</strong> example the BBC s Learning Station on the<br />

internet.<br />

' John Walmsley<br />

Planning homework in to the curriculum :<br />

Cardinal Langley RC High School, Manchester<br />

This 11-18 comprehensive school could report examples of careful departmental planning<br />

of homework in several subjects, including science <strong>and</strong> art. In science, there was one<br />

homework per week <strong>for</strong> all KS3 pupils. A booklet of 5-6 self-contained assignments, which the<br />

teacher could select as appropriate, was prepared <strong>for</strong> each topic. Most booklets had been<br />

produced in two versions, one in collaboration with the Learning Support department. A<br />

marking scheme had been devised, <strong>and</strong> marks (out of 10) <strong>and</strong> comments were recorded on<br />

the front of the booklet. The art department had set the pace <strong>for</strong> the design faculty in the<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ard of their project booklets <strong>for</strong> KS3 pupils, which incorporated homework tasks, as well<br />

as in the guidance to pupils on assessment of their work. For example, the booklet <strong>for</strong> the<br />

Year 7 Portrait Project listed six homework tasks, supplied the illustrations <strong>and</strong> guidelines<br />

<strong>and</strong> listed the assessment criteria.<br />

58 Policies should provide guidelines on the management of homework <strong>for</strong> pupils with special<br />

educational needs. In setting homework <strong>for</strong> these pupils it is important to balance the right<br />

of pupils to share fully in the work of the class, including homework tasks, with their individual<br />

learning needs. These needs may include consolidation <strong>and</strong> rein<strong>for</strong>cement of specific skills.<br />

For some pupils, the continuing involvement of parents is very valuable. Policies should<br />

make clear how SEN co-ordinators will collaborate with subject teachers <strong>and</strong> tutors to<br />

ensure class tasks are manageable, <strong>and</strong> individual skill practice can be incorporated<br />

without overloading the pupil.<br />

Feedback <strong>for</strong> pupils<br />

59 If homework is to benefit pupils learning they must be given prompt <strong>and</strong> appropriate feedback<br />

on what they have done. Parents/carers have a role in encouraging <strong>and</strong> praising children <strong>for</strong><br />

the ef<strong>for</strong>t which they have devoted to homework but pupils look mainly to teachers <strong>for</strong> a<br />

response on the quality of their work. Policies should make clear the timing <strong>and</strong> character of<br />

feedback which should be provided. Effective marking <strong>and</strong> feedback have always placed<br />

dem<strong>and</strong>s on teachers, but both are fundamental to helping pupils make progress. Managers<br />

in schools need to bear this in mind when arranging meetings or making other dem<strong>and</strong>s on<br />

teachers time. Equally, however, it is possible to design many homework assignments which<br />

do not make heavy dem<strong>and</strong>s on teachers, <strong>and</strong> schools should make sensible use of these.<br />

Annex<br />

60 The efficiency <strong>and</strong> effectiveness of homework policies needs to be monitored <strong>and</strong> evaluated.<br />

<strong>Schools</strong> need to have systems in place to check that procedures are operating properly.<br />

They also need to evaluate the quality of homework, <strong>and</strong> the contribution it is making to<br />

learning. For example, in some schools a teacher is responsible <strong>for</strong> checking a sample of<br />

homework diaries <strong>and</strong> assignments from time to time <strong>and</strong> discussing with subject teachers<br />

how far school policies are being successfully implemented. The system can also be<br />

evaluated through staff appraisal <strong>and</strong> surveys of pupils or parents needs, experience <strong>and</strong><br />

attitudes. Senior managers have an important role in this monitoring <strong>and</strong> evaluation.<br />

61 In addition to monitoring arrangements policies should set out when the school expects to<br />

review the policy, how parents will be involved in the review, <strong>and</strong> what criteria will be used to<br />

assess its effectiveness. The key criterion should be the extent to which the policy is<br />

contributing to the progress pupils make at school <strong>and</strong> their attitude to learning.<br />

Evaluating the homework programme: Woodl<strong>and</strong>s School, Basildon<br />

The homework policy statement <strong>for</strong> this school states that: Each term the Senior<br />

Management Team (SMT) will undertake two homework reviews. One of these will focus on a<br />

particular department. The second will focus on a particular year group. The purposes of the<br />

review are to enable the SMT to get an overview of a range <strong>and</strong> quality of homework set, to<br />

help the department with evaluation, to monitor <strong>and</strong> report on homework set <strong>for</strong> a year group,<br />

<strong>and</strong> to investigate <strong>and</strong> report on how pupils are coping. The statement presents questions <strong>for</strong><br />

the review, including; purpose, quality <strong>and</strong> amount of homework, <strong>and</strong> responding to pupils<br />

work, <strong>and</strong> ends with the procedure <strong>for</strong> the review. This includes examination of homework<br />

done by three pupils from each teaching group involved <strong>and</strong> discussions with pupils <strong>and</strong><br />

teachers. The process results in a written summary <strong>and</strong> an action plan.<br />

Questions<br />

62 If you have any questions about these guidelines please contact Victoria White at the<br />

St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> Effectiveness Unit on 0171 925 5345 or in writing at the Department <strong>for</strong><br />

Education <strong>and</strong> Employment, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT<br />

or e-mail victoria1.white @dfee.gov.uk.<br />

* Copies of the Ofsted research study are available from The Stationery Office, The Publications Centre,<br />

P O Box 276, London SW8 5DT.Tel: 0171 873 9090; Fax: 0171 873 8200.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong>: Learning from<br />

Practice<br />

Summary of findings from the OFSTED<br />

research study<br />

Background<br />

1 The research summarised here has been carried out by, <strong>and</strong> on behalf of, OFSTED, <strong>for</strong> the<br />

Department <strong>for</strong> Education <strong>and</strong> Employment (DFEE). The findings reflect <strong>and</strong> take account of<br />

best current practice. Evidence was collected in Autumn 1997 through case studies in 19<br />

primary <strong>and</strong> 10 secondary schools <strong>and</strong> a telephone survey of 227 primary <strong>and</strong> 141 secondary<br />

schools. Further evidence was drawn from a review of previous research on homework <strong>and</strong> of<br />

current professional judgements, as expressed through responses to the consultation on the<br />

1997 White Paper. Copies of the full research report can be obtained from The Stationery<br />

Office.*<br />

Key Findings<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> <strong>and</strong> learning<br />

2 <strong>Homework</strong> is widely accepted as an essential <strong>and</strong> valuable element of learning. However,<br />

earlier research <strong>and</strong> our own study show that homework can have many meanings <strong>and</strong> be<br />

used to serve a variety of purposes. <strong>Schools</strong> there<strong>for</strong>e need to take an active role in<br />

evaluating <strong>and</strong> developing their own homework strategy to meet the needs of the future.<br />

3 Increasingly, good practice in homework builds upon <strong>and</strong> reflects broader changes in<br />

educational thinking, relating to learning as a lifelong process. As well as its traditional<br />

function of practice <strong>and</strong> rein<strong>for</strong>cement of classroom learning, homework was seen by schools<br />

in the study to offer opportunities to develop key skills <strong>for</strong> independent learning, such as<br />

in<strong>for</strong>mation retrieval, planning, analysis <strong>and</strong> time management.<br />

4 Key elements of good practice could be summarised as follows:<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> strategy<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> strategy was firmly steered <strong>and</strong> supported by senior staff as an integral part<br />

of the school s plan <strong>for</strong> learning.<br />

The strategy was designed to meet the goals <strong>and</strong> fit the circumstances of the particular<br />

institution, in its current stage of development, but also to be capable of development both<br />

to meet existing goals more effectively <strong>and</strong> to address new priorities.<br />

Collaboration <strong>and</strong> communication<br />

Most schools in the study had a written policy <strong>and</strong> other documentation to clarify<br />

homework practice. More effective schools involved teachers, parents <strong>and</strong> pupils in the<br />

process, <strong>and</strong> their roles <strong>and</strong> responsibilities were clearly defined.<br />

A variety of channels <strong>and</strong> media were used to keep parents <strong>and</strong> pupils in<strong>for</strong>med <strong>and</strong><br />

encourage them to share responsibility. These might include guidelines <strong>for</strong> each year<br />

group, regular class/subject newsletters, subject workshops <strong>and</strong> homework books or<br />

diaries.<br />

The definition <strong>and</strong> purposes of homework were clear <strong>and</strong> agreed by all staff, <strong>and</strong> the range<br />

of tasks was specified.<br />

Planning <strong>and</strong> preparation<br />

<strong>Schools</strong> recognised that the quality <strong>and</strong> effectiveness of homework depended crucially<br />

on how creatively it had been planned.<br />

Teachers took homework planning as seriously as lesson planning. They took account of<br />

the range of pupil capabilities, <strong>and</strong> drew on appropriate expertise (e.g. subject <strong>and</strong> special<br />

needs experts). Wherever possible, homework was differentiated on the basis of prior<br />

assessment, to provide an equal <strong>and</strong> appropriate challenge <strong>for</strong> individuals.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> was planned to complement (not just to complete) classroom learning.<br />

Teaching teams collaborated in planning <strong>and</strong> preparing tasks <strong>and</strong>/or materials.<br />

The time invested in planning <strong>and</strong> preparing resources was balanced by more effective<br />

use of teaching time in class.<br />

A learning partnership with parents<br />

<strong>Schools</strong> which appreciated the benefits of effective homework wanted to ensure that all pupils<br />

had access to it. At the same time, they recognised that this required the support of parents<br />

either in working directly with pupils or in ensuring that their children could, <strong>and</strong> did, complete<br />

their homework. In support of this aim:<br />

staff were well in<strong>for</strong>med about family circumstances;<br />

the school had devised strategies to involve parents in their children s learning, in keeping<br />

with their circumstances <strong>and</strong> the age of the children;<br />

particular care was taken to collaborate with parents of children with special educational<br />

needs, to ensure tasks were appropriate <strong>and</strong> feasible;<br />

alternative study support opportunities were provided where appropriate (including<br />

individual help, the use of IT, homework clubs).<br />

Assessment, feedback <strong>and</strong> progression<br />

Effective schools had clear <strong>and</strong> consistent principles <strong>and</strong> strategies <strong>for</strong> assessing<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance, setting individual learning targets <strong>and</strong> enhancing progression through feedback<br />

on per<strong>for</strong>mance. These applied equally to classroom learning <strong>and</strong> to homework.<br />

Pupils were told the criteria on which work would assessed <strong>and</strong> high st<strong>and</strong>ards were<br />

expected <strong>for</strong> homework assignments.<br />

Feedback was planned to show the pupil what <strong>and</strong> how to improve.<br />

● Progression was planned not just in the time allocated but also in type <strong>and</strong> level of study<br />

skills required.<br />

Resourcing<br />

In more effective schools an appropriate investment is made in homework.<br />

Allowances were made <strong>for</strong> staff to spend time on planning homework, as well as on<br />

marking.<br />

● The school ensured that teachers had access to appropriate resources e.g. pupils had<br />

copies of published materials to take home or use in school.<br />

Facilities were provided <strong>and</strong> staff were given time to prepare banks of homework<br />

resources or tasks.<br />

Scheduling <strong>and</strong> compliance<br />

<strong>Schools</strong> ensured that the homework programme was clearly <strong>and</strong> consistently implemented.<br />

There were clear guidelines about the schedule or timetable of subjects <strong>and</strong> tasks which<br />

were expected, how often <strong>and</strong> when these would be set <strong>and</strong> when work was to be h<strong>and</strong>ed<br />

in or tested.<br />

A monitoring system ensured that staff as well as pupils complied.<br />

Rewards <strong>and</strong> sanctions linked to the schedule were clearly defined <strong>and</strong> consistently<br />

applied.<br />

Review <strong>and</strong> evaluation<br />

The operation of homework programmes was regularly monitored <strong>and</strong> their effectiveness<br />

in achieving their aims reviewed periodically, involving parents.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> Practice in <strong>Primary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

5 Over three quarters of the primary schools in the study had a written homework policy <strong>and</strong><br />

most of these had been devised in the last few years. These schools valued homework highly.<br />

6 In most schools, homework policy was led by the head or deputy. In a number of case study<br />

schools, there had been a policy decision to develop a more structured homework programme<br />

as part of the overall strategy to raise attainment. There were some common features of<br />

these structured programmes:<br />

all pupils, in all year groups, were expected to do homework, the amount increasing<br />

with age;<br />

partnership with parents was seen as fundamental;<br />

the strategy was designed to fit the school context;<br />

the core of the homework programme in both key stages was the development of literacy<br />

<strong>and</strong> numeracy skills;<br />

progression <strong>for</strong> all pupils was usually catered <strong>for</strong> by designing or adopting comprehensive<br />

skill development schemes or frameworks to cover all age groups;<br />

homework was planned to complement the classroom programme.<br />

Because programmes were tailored to school priorities <strong>and</strong> needs, there was considerable<br />

diversity, even among effective schools, in the range of tasks, in the approach to parental<br />

involvement <strong>and</strong> to assessment, <strong>and</strong> in monitoring systems.<br />

Average amount of homework set<br />

7 One of the questions asked of head teachers in the telephone survey was how much<br />

homework was set <strong>for</strong> different year groups, in terms of the amount of time required broadly<br />

each week. The distribution, <strong>and</strong> the average amount, of homework set by the survey<br />

schools is set out below.<br />

Amount of homework set per week, in minutes, by Year Group: <strong>Primary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

Don t Average<br />

(Base) 0 30 30 59 60 89 90 119 120+ know H/Mins<br />

Reception (189) 13 28 33 10 4 10 0h57m<br />

Year 1 (192) 8 22 34 19 7 8 1h07m<br />

Year 2 (192) 4 15 30 27 15 8 1h19m<br />

Year 3 (226) 1 10 24 24 31 8 1h36m<br />

Year 4 (221) 2 10 21 20 40 6 1h43m<br />

Year 5 (201) 1 4 15 18 54 7 2h07m<br />

Year 6 (199) 1 4 10 17 61 7 2h26m<br />

8 The study showed that some primary schools had taken care to involve parents as well as the<br />

whole staff in the process of homework policy development or review. Many of the primary<br />

schools issued regular bulletins to parents, usually in the <strong>for</strong>m of class newsletters, which<br />

included in<strong>for</strong>mation on <strong>for</strong>thcoming homework tasks. They also used the letters to rein<strong>for</strong>ce<br />

guidelines on the homework rules <strong>and</strong> regulations , so that parents were clear about what<br />

was expected of them <strong>and</strong> their children.<br />

9 All the schools stressed that partnership was essential to their homework programme. It took<br />

time <strong>and</strong> ef<strong>for</strong>t to build the partnership, but it was seen as a very worthwhile investment,<br />

because of the perceived impact on pupils learning. Parents had to be brought on board<br />

from the outset. Popular strategies in support of partnership included:<br />

workshops (e.g. on practical maths <strong>and</strong> literacy activities, in KS1 <strong>and</strong> KS2);<br />

reading records, link books <strong>and</strong> diaries, used to encourage two-way (parent-teacher) <strong>and</strong>,<br />

later, three-way (parent-teacher-child) communication;<br />

shared materials (e.g. games, in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>and</strong> instructions on skills <strong>and</strong> topics);<br />

● shared activities (early years games, reading, family surveys, testing ).<br />

Staff saw two-fold benefits in a collaborative approach: children improved their skills <strong>and</strong><br />

parents had a better underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the learning programme. They found that, with careful<br />

planning, most parents were pleased to support their children in this way.<br />

10 In most of the case study schools there was a strong emphasis on planning homework:<br />

by senior managers <strong>and</strong> the whole staff, to define the overall structure;<br />

by teaching teams, who planned homework into their schemes of work.<br />

The overall structure often included whole-school schemes <strong>for</strong> literacy <strong>and</strong> numeracy.<br />

These established common criteria (<strong>and</strong> often materials) <strong>and</strong> consistent rules <strong>for</strong> all staff<br />

<strong>and</strong> pupils, while enabling class teachers to match detailed tasks to the assessed ability of<br />

individual pupils, using a common resource bank. The approach worked best when Special<br />

Educational Needs Co-ordinators helped to develop <strong>and</strong> implement the scheme. Another<br />

feature of the overall homework plan, in many schools, was the structured development<br />

of project work covering other areas of the curriculum, usually through KS2.<br />

11 In planning their schemes of work, class teachers made sure their class plans <strong>for</strong> homework<br />

fitted into the overall framework <strong>and</strong> complemented their classroom programme.<br />

12 <strong>Schools</strong> differed on whether to use comments, grades or both; those who used grades argued<br />

that this demonstrated that homework was treated as seriously as classwork; other schools<br />

felt that comments, corrections <strong>and</strong> targets were more important, particularly <strong>for</strong> younger<br />

pupils. In either case, the more effective schools had a consistent approach, defined in the<br />

school s assessment policy. Learning tasks were usually tested after an interval of several<br />

days. Where possible, parents were included in the feedback process.<br />

13 In many schools, progression in learning skills was built gradually:<br />

by extending the range of homework tasks;<br />

from numeracy/literacy to other subject areas;<br />

from practice <strong>and</strong> learning to research , problem-solving <strong>and</strong> written tasks;<br />

from closely structured to more open-ended assignments;<br />

by lengthening the time span <strong>for</strong> completing task.<br />

A few schools had programmes which developed study skills systematically, through projects<br />

or book reviews, across KS2. At each stage the school offered guidance to pupils <strong>and</strong> parents<br />

on how tasks should be tackled. In this way, parents were helped to grow with their children,<br />

from a teaching role to an enabling role, listening <strong>and</strong> offering comment <strong>and</strong> suggestions<br />

when asked, as children learned to work independently.<br />

14 The material resources provided <strong>for</strong> homework in most schools included:<br />

basic equipment (e.g. a homework bag or folder);<br />

reading books, photocopied worksheets;<br />

diaries/link books.<br />

As the homework programme grew, some schools were finding the preparation <strong>and</strong> copying<br />

of materials a considerable challenge, but it was seen as worthwhile, as was the investment<br />

of stafftime.<br />

15 Most primary schools provided a homework schedule, setting out weekly tasks <strong>for</strong> each age<br />

group <strong>and</strong> indicating other tasks that would be set, perhaps <strong>for</strong>tnightly, monthly or<br />

occasionally. While time indications might be given, schools found it more important to stress<br />

the regularity of the tasks, <strong>and</strong> the deadlines <strong>for</strong> their completion (e.g. daily reading; weekly<br />

spelling <strong>and</strong> number facts; <strong>for</strong>tnightly topic assignments; monthly book reviews).<br />

16 Most schools employed some <strong>for</strong>m of rewards <strong>and</strong> sanctions <strong>for</strong> their pupils although<br />

teachers usually achieved compliance through clear <strong>and</strong> regular instruction <strong>and</strong> flexibility. The<br />

survey of pupils in the case study schools found that most pupils accepted <strong>and</strong> even enjoyed<br />

homework.<br />

17 Most schools checked that homework was being set <strong>and</strong> completed <strong>and</strong> a few had systems<br />

<strong>for</strong> regular evaluation of the programme, <strong>for</strong> example as part of professional reviews which<br />

the head teacher had with each teacher. A few schools had gone as far as to associate<br />

improved test scores with the development of regular homework, while recognising that there<br />

could be other factors in play to explain the improvement.<br />

<strong>Homework</strong> Practice in <strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

18 <strong>Homework</strong> is an established part of secondary school practice. Less than half the schools<br />

surveyed had made any changes to their homework policy <strong>and</strong> practice in the last three<br />

years. The challenge <strong>for</strong> secondary schools was to ensure that homework was integrated with<br />

learning policy <strong>and</strong> practice at every level (whole school, department <strong>and</strong> classroom) <strong>and</strong> took<br />

account of developments in overall learning strategy.<br />

19 In some of the case study schools, common criteria <strong>and</strong> approaches were:<br />

clearly defined in the whole-school homework policy;<br />

linked to other aspects of the learning strategy;<br />

implemented in departmental policies.<br />

However, it was relatively unusual to find even this degree of coherence, since homework<br />

content <strong>and</strong> methods were often largely devolved to subject departments. It was much less<br />

common to see homework used as part of a strategy <strong>for</strong> developing independent learning.<br />

Study skills programmes, mentoring <strong>and</strong> other strategies <strong>for</strong> study support were established<br />

in only a few schools. During KS3, progression in the range of homework tasks,<br />

organisational skills <strong>and</strong> study methods seemed incidental rather than planned.<br />

20 One way used by some schools to ensure that the homework programme was managed in<br />

a way which enhanced learning was to include it within the brief of the senior manager with<br />

responsibility <strong>for</strong> the learning strategy, <strong>and</strong> to include the SEN Co-ordinator <strong>and</strong> some subject<br />

leaders in the planning group.<br />

Amount of homework set<br />

21 One of the questions asked of head teachers in the telephone survey was how much<br />

Amount of homework set each week, in minutes, by Year group: <strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />

(Base) 0 300 300 359 360 419 420 539 540+ know H/Mins<br />

Year 7 13 40 15 20 2 9 5h39m<br />

Year 8 11 22 17 36 6 7 6h27m<br />

Year 9 6 9 9 50 36 1 7h42m<br />

Year 10 1 5 2 21 68 2 10h12m<br />

Year 11 1 5 1 18 72 3 10h32m<br />

22 In most schools all staff were involved in the homework programme, both as class teachers<br />

<strong>and</strong> as <strong>for</strong>m tutors. However, only in a minority of schools <strong>and</strong> departments, it appeared, was<br />

the content <strong>and</strong> management of the programme under active discussion. The system ran<br />

more smoothly when responsibilities of middle managers, subject teachers <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong>m tutors<br />

were clearly defined (<strong>for</strong> example in the policy or staff guidelines) <strong>and</strong> rigorously monitored.<br />

23 Guidance <strong>for</strong> parents was generally in written <strong>for</strong>m, either in the policy, or in booklets written<br />

<strong>for</strong> parents or <strong>for</strong> each age group. A number of schools introduced homework to pupils<br />

through tutor group sessions in Year 7, often using guidance in the school s homework diary<br />

(issued to each pupil) as the basis.<br />

24 There were some instances of rigorous <strong>and</strong> imaginative homework planning at departmental<br />

level, to provide a range of tasks which effectively complemented the scheme of work. This<br />

included homework booklets to accompany specific course units <strong>and</strong> a bank of homework<br />

tasks <strong>and</strong> resources which teachers could draw on. However, within departments, homework<br />

planning was often delegated to the class teacher, even though the scheme of work had been<br />

planned as a team. While this meant the teacher could be flexible , in devising tasks which<br />

met a class s needs, there was a risk of a disjointed, ad hoc approach. It appeared that<br />

finishing off was used more often in some schools or departments than the written policy<br />

recommended. This could place a heavy burden on pupils with special educational needs.<br />

Careful planning was particularly important <strong>for</strong> these pupils, <strong>and</strong> some schools had involved<br />

the SENCO closely in planning a homework programme <strong>for</strong> all abilities collaboratively with<br />

subject staff.<br />

25 Almost all schools expected pupils (<strong>and</strong> subject teachers) to take the main responsibility<br />

<strong>for</strong> seeing homework was completed, with parents generally seen as having a back-up role,<br />

symbolised by signing off work in the diary. Nevertheless parental commitment to homework<br />

was seen as critical, particularly in KS3 <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> pupils with SEN. Only a minority of schools<br />

used contracts to <strong>for</strong>malise this commitment.<br />

Assessment, feedback, differentiation <strong>and</strong> progression<br />

26 Some schools recommended more selective but specific marking, to enhance the quality of<br />

feedback while keeping the marking load manageable <strong>for</strong> teachers. Pupils valued comments<br />

<strong>and</strong> suggestions <strong>for</strong> improving their work, which were relatively uncommon. Pupils were very<br />

aware that effective feedback often depended on clear leadership by heads of department.<br />

27 <strong>Homework</strong> could be used to promote progression in study skills, although this was not<br />

common. Some subject departments helped by clarifying objectives <strong>and</strong> assessment criteria<br />

<strong>for</strong> pupils (<strong>and</strong> parents). Others challenged pupils by setting dem<strong>and</strong>ing but well-structured,<br />

often differentiated, assignments, requiring the use of a range of skills. Some schools were<br />

encouraging tutors, through structured personal <strong>and</strong> social education programmes, to work<br />

more systematically on the development of study skills, including time management <strong>and</strong> the<br />

organisation of homework, <strong>and</strong> making the links between mentoring, target-setting <strong>and</strong> the<br />

development of independent study. <strong>Homework</strong> was more effective <strong>for</strong> pupils with special<br />

needs when SENCOs were able to collaborate with subject specialists in developing<br />

homework resources <strong>and</strong> planning assignments <strong>for</strong> individuals.<br />

28 Most schools <strong>and</strong> pupils in this study seemed broadly satisfied with the material resources<br />

available <strong>for</strong> homework (in particular, provision of books or worksheets). However, other<br />

studies have suggested that many KS3 pupils cannot regularly take school books home. The<br />

underlying issue was whether homework learning goals could be met within resource limits.<br />

<strong>Schools</strong> or departments with the greatest investment in homework were planing to exp<strong>and</strong> the<br />

range of resource available <strong>and</strong> teaching pupils to use them effectively.<br />

29 Development of various <strong>for</strong>ms of study support provides an effective complement to<br />

investment of time spent planning <strong>and</strong> assessing homework. One example is the homework<br />

club. <strong>Schools</strong> were exploring the most effective way of supporting pupils whose parents were<br />

unable or unwilling to provide them with appropriate homework facilities or support.<br />

30 Almost all schools had homework timetables which allocated time to be spent on each subject<br />

per week. Timetables could be important management tools, to ensure staff were realistic in<br />

their dem<strong>and</strong>s. In practice they often seemed to be applied by both staff <strong>and</strong> pupils rather<br />

flexibly. One secondary school allocated most subjects a major <strong>and</strong> a minor homework per<br />

week. Parents <strong>and</strong> pupils appreciated clear guidelines on when tasks were to be set <strong>and</strong><br />

completed.<br />

31 Again, it was commonplace to have rules <strong>and</strong> sanctions to ensure pupils complied; in<br />

effective systems, the sanctions rarely had to be invoked. The key to success seemed to be<br />

clear <strong>and</strong> manageable requirements, backed up by vigilant monitoring at all levels, to ensure<br />

homework was set, completed, assessed <strong>and</strong> returned as intended. However, there were<br />

some indications that a proportion of pupils perhaps as many as half sometimes spent<br />

much longer on their homework than the school indicated in order to meet these<br />

requirements.<br />

32 In some schools, senior managers <strong>and</strong> heads of department regularly monitored <strong>and</strong><br />

evaluated the quality of homework tasks <strong>and</strong> their relevance to the learning programme, or<br />

included homework in staff reviews. It is early days yet to see more <strong>for</strong>mal evaluation of the<br />

homework programme, through linking homework to target-setting.<br />

• More documents
• Recommendations

Foreword by the Secretary of State Learning at home is an essential part of the good education to which all our children are entitled. It is not just about rein<strong>for</strong>cing learning in the classroom, although that is important. A good, well organised homework programme helps children <strong>and</strong> young people to develop the skills <strong>and</strong> attitudes they will need <strong>for</strong> successful, independent lifelong learning. <strong>Homework</strong> supports the development of independent learning skills, so enquiry <strong>and</strong> investigation are seen as part of the learning process. Given the increasing importance to everyone of flexibility <strong>and</strong> the ability to learn independently, developing these skills <strong>and</strong> attitudes must be a central aim <strong>for</strong> all schools. Many schools have long experience of planning <strong>and</strong> managing an effective homework programme, working in close partnership with parents. These guidelines draw on their experience <strong>and</strong> good practice, <strong>and</strong> aim to help all schools develop their own programmes. <strong>Homework</strong> partnerships with parents, carers <strong>and</strong> pupils are vital to extending high quality learning beyond the limits of the school day. Our National Framework <strong>for</strong> Study Support will also help by providing study centres in schools. By working together, we can ensure that young people are equipped with the disciplines <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing they need to continue learning throughout their adult lives. Rt Hon David Blunkett MP 2

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• Page 16 and 17: Primary Schools 37 The Government i
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HOMEWORK POLICY - Ferndale Primary School

• Education, training and skills
• Running and managing a school

Schools: statutory guidance

The Department for Education’s statutory guidance publications for schools and local authorities.

Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow the guidance unless you have a very good reason not to. There is some guidance that you must follow without exception. In these cases we make this clear in the guidance document itself.

These publications reflect the current legal position (unless otherwise indicated), but may not reflect the current government’s policies.

For guidance on assessments, view Standard and Testing Agency (STA) publications .

Administration and finance

• 17 December 2010
• Statutory guidance
• 25 January 2024
• 28 January 2019
• 28 March 2024
• 9 January 2024
• 19 November 2021
• 11 March 2022
• 20 January 2023

Behaviour and attendance

• 27 June 2016
• 24 September 2015
• 5 September 2016
• 29 May 2020
• 1 September 2023
• 2 December 2014
• 16 July 2014
• 28 September 2021
• 11 September 2013
• 26 March 2021

Early years foundation stage

• 19 January 2024
• 29 August 2017
• 1 September 2003

Looked-after children

• 26 February 2018
• 8 April 2013
• 1 February 2022
• 3 July 2015
• 6 March 2015

Safeguarding children and young people

• 24 May 2024
• 23 February 2024
• 30 July 2020
• 31 August 2018
• 10 September 2012
• 17 April 2014
• 8 July 2021

Special educational / health needs

• 14 December 2023
• 30 April 2020
• 16 August 2017

Staff employment and teachers pay

• 19 April 2021
• 15 February 2024
• 19 March 2024

Schools and colleges careers guidance

• 4 April 2024
• 5 January 2023

Added 'Cost of school uniforms'.

Added 'School teachers' pay and conditions' statutory guidance for 2017.

Added 2017 assessment and reporting arrangements for key stage 1, key stage 2 and the early years foundation stage.

Added 'School teachers' pay and conditions 2016' under the 'Staff employment and teachers pay' heading.

Added 'Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation'.

Added the 2015 school teachers' pay and conditions document and guidance.

Added updated 'Keeping children safe in education' and 'Working together to safeguard children' guidance.

Added statutory guidance on 'Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006'.

Added medical conditions statutory guidance.

Added the 'SEND: managing changes to legislation from September 2014' document.

Added the 2014 school teachers' pay and conditions document and guidance.

Added 'Promoting the education of looked-after children' statutory guidance.

Updated 'Home to school travel and transport' statutory guidance.

Added link to 'P scales: attainment targets for pupils with SEN'.

Added statutory guidance on the 'Constitution of governing bodies of maintained schools'.

Added link to revised 'Early years foundation stage framework' which comes into force on 1 September 2014.

First published.

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