As we begin the new academic year, we would like to share our approach to homework at St Joseph’s. This year, we are introducing a clear and consistent approach across the whole school, so that children and families know what to expect each week. We recognise how precious family time is, and our intention is not to create unnecessary workload at home. Instead, homework will focus on short, purposeful opportunities to practise and consolidate the essential knowledge and skills children are learning in school.

Our weekly homework routine

Homework will be sent home each Friday, giving children a full week to practise and complete the relevant learning. Where appropriate, this learning will then be reviewed or tested in school on the following Friday.

Spellings

From Year 2 upwards, children will receive a set of spellings to practise at home each week. Children will complete a spelling test in school every Friday.

For children in Year 1, weekly spellings will begin after Christmas, allowing the Autumn Term to remain firmly focused on developing strong early phonics and reading foundations.

Times Tables
Children in the relevant year groups will be expected to practise their times tables regularly at home, with a short times tables test each Friday.

Children will also have access to Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS), which provides a fun and engaging way to build speed, accuracy and confidence with multiplication and division facts. Regular, short bursts of practice are far more valuable than lengthy sessions. The Class Teacher will provide guidance on how you set this up for your child.

Reception – NumBots
Our Reception children will use NumBots rather than formal times tables homework. NumBots is designed to develop children's early number fluency and confidence through short, age-appropriate activities and games. The Class Teacher will provide guidance on how you set this up for your child.

Six-week homework projects (Years 1-6)

Alongside weekly practice, each class will be given a creative homework project linked to their current curriculum learning. Children will have approximately six weeks to complete their project and will be asked to choose one project option to work on at home. These projects are deliberately designed to allow children to follow their interests and be creative. They might choose to make a model, produce some artwork, carry out research, create a poster, write something, make a video or present their learning in another imaginative way. At the end of the six weeks, children will have an opportunity to bring their projects into school and proudly share what they have created and learned with their class.

We want these projects to be enjoyable opportunities for families to engage with children's learning – they are not intended to become a competition or require families to spend money on resources!

And, of course, keep reading!

Alongside homework, our whole-school expectation is that every child reads at home with their family at least three times each week. Please remember to log these reads on Class Dojo.

Children who complete their three reads will receive additional Dojos and automatic entry into our weekly Reading Raffle, with a special prize awarded to a randomly selected winner each Friday. To complement this essential reading at home, every child will also be heard reading by an adult in school at least once each week.

Keeping homework positive

Above all, we want homework to establish positive routines and good learning habits. A little practice, completed regularly, is much more valuable than a stressful rush on a Thursday evening! Our expectation is therefore simple: read regularly, practise little and often, and have fun with the projects. If your child is finding any aspect of their homework particularly difficult, please speak to their class teacher. We would always rather know so that we can support them appropriately.