Home Learning at Anton Junior School

Key Principles

• All children also have access to home learning resources via the school’s website and Google Classrooms.
• Using these resources, they are able to repeat and practise skills learnt at school.
• Parents will be kept informed of specific interventions outside school hours, such as 1:1 tutoring or booster groups. We would also encourage you to supplement work, stimulate interest and encourage children to find out more by reading, and visiting the library and places of interest.
• Education is a partnership with children, parents/carers and school.

Overview

• Children at Anton Junior School are expected to read for 30 minutes, at least 5 times a week preferably with an adult. Reading to an adult, sharing and discussing books is still important across all year groups. This should be recorded daily in their reading record book (provided) and signed by an adult. The reading record book documents progress and problems and provides a vehicle through which adults can be directly involved in the reading process.
• All children have spelling rules and patterns or phonics intervention work that must be practised weekly.
• All children are encouraged to continue to practise their multiplication tables and regular practice at home (including division facts) is essential if they are to achieve a good standard.  Times Tables Rockstars can supplement this.
• As well as the above, we also expect specific Maths, English and Topic tasks to be completed every half term.

Half Termly Maths, English and Topic Tasks

(To be completed across the half term and submitted on the due date)

• A minimum of two English tasks
• A minimum of two Mathematics tasks
• A minimum of two Topic tasks
• Year 6 will also receive SATs style reading and writing tasks to complete regularly through the Spring Term.

• Personal research is also an important aspect of the upper school curriculum.

General

• Children may be encouraged to undertake topic based research in order to enhance their learning within a particular topic.
• From time to time, at the discretion of the class teacher, some children may be asked to complete unfinished work at home.
• Some children may be given work to help address a specific area of difficulty.
• Teachers are always willing to advise parents who may wish to do additional work with their children and to suggest activities or publications that may be useful.
• The value of parental interest and involvement cannot be underestimated, as it is crucial to a child’s success.

Recognition and Rewards

We encourage our children to be motivated, committed and engaged in all of their learning, including tasks completed at home.  Intrinsic rewards are promoted through our Anton Values so children choose to have high aspirations for themselves, take pride in their work and demonstrate a love of learning.

To supplement this, the children that demonstrate effort will also receive House Points, verbal and/or written feedback, stickers and Headteacher Awards.

Those that show consistency and commitment will be able to earn awards as follows:

All Autumn term homework completed – Bronze Award

All Spring term homework completed – Silver Award

All Summer term homework completed – Gold Award

If a child has missed out on an award for one term, they still have the opportunity to earn an award the following term e.g. A child may not complete all homework in Autumn but have managed all Spring homework, which means they earn a bronze award for that term instead.  They can then go on to earn a silver award in the summer term, if they remain consistent.

Supporting spellings at home
 

At Anton, we believe that teaching the children to become confident spellers is an important life skill. Each week, the children have a different set of words – linking to a spelling rule or statutory word list – that they will practice during three discrete spelling lessons. They will then be assessed on these words on a Friday through a dictation. These words can be found on the bottom on the half-termly homework and will also be uploaded to spelling shed each week. As part of their half-termly homework, we do ask that the children learn their spellings each week. We understand that it can be difficult to find the time during the week, however little and often is often the best strategy e.g. while making dinner, walking to school, while the bath is running etc…

To support you with this, we have created a simple guide on how to use spelling shed and attached some short (and hopefully fun) activity ideas to support the children learning their spellings at home.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to get in contact with your child’s class teacher.

Spelling shed is a fun and interactive website where children can practice their weekly spellings. All children have their own logins and will receive weekly assignments (games to play) that have been set by their class teacher and are linked to their weekly spellings.

Visit: https://www.edshed.com/en-gb/login or download the Spelling Shed App.

Login using your child’s username and password, which should be stuck on the inside of their yellow reading diary.

When you have clicked on your child’s assignment for the week, they will be given the option to play different games. They will also be given the option to select the level of difficulty for each game from easy to extreme! They will have the opportunity to earn points and buy clothing/accessories for their avatar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help my child?

• Provide a comfortable and quiet area and choose a time when your child is relaxed and not hurried.
• Talk through the set tasks and choose those that your child finds interesting and engaging.  They must also be at a level they understand, but with some challenge.
• Work alongside them, offering support when they need it.
• Encourage them to take pride in their work and remind them how it can help their learning in school.
• Check your child’s home learning when they have finished and feel free to write a comment into their home learning book.
• Remind your child to hand in their homework on the day it is due.

What if we do not fully understand the task?

• Get your child to re-read the instructions and ask them to try to recall the lesson from which the work comes. Talking this through often helps them to remember what the task entails.
• If your child is still unsure, it may be that they need to choose a different task, which is absolutely fine.
• Above all do not let your child (or yourself) get anxious or upset.

My child does not like to sit and complete schoolwork, what should I do?

• There will be a variety of learning styles incorporated, such as practical, discussion based, creative as well as written, so something to suit everyone!
• Little and often works well for children, as their concentration can be limited and we do not want them to become frustrated and learning to become negative.
• It is always worth seeking advice from your child’s teacher as they may advise on strategies that support in school.
• Prioritise reading as an absolute minimum.

What if my child is becoming distressed?

• Stop them from continuing the task and try to find out what the problem is.
• Reassure them that as long as they try their best, they should not worry if the task is not completed – no-one will tell them off if they try.
• Let the teacher know of any specific difficulties that concern you.

I want extra home learning for my child – what can I give them?

• Join the library and take your child as often as possible. Encourage them to read widely and choose both fiction and non-fiction books. Ask your child questions about the book they are reading and encourage them to retell the story or recall facts to you that they have read.

Resources for Home Learning

Using Google Classrooms

During individual periods of isolation at home related to Covid-19, the teachers will engage the children in learning via Google Classrooms; all of our pupils have been given a login and password, so that they can access their own class.

The children will be able to access any learning that is assigned to their class by the teacher.  This will allow them to work in parallel with the rest of their peers in school.

We have posted some information below, which should support you to help your child in accessing materials and sending their work back. 

If you have any concerns or queries about Google Classrooms, please email the admin team at

adminoffice@anton-jun.hants.sch.uk, they will then forward your message to a member of staff that will be able to help. 

Other useful home learning links