HOMEWORK POLICY

Purpose

To outline to our school community the Department’s and Alfredton Primary School’s policy requirements relating to homework.

Scope

This policy applies to students in all year levels and staff responsible for setting and monitoring homework at Alfredton Primary School.

Rationale

Alfredton Primary School has developed this Homework Policy in consultation with the School Council to support student learning and wellbeing and acknowledge the important partnership between families and school in achieving our school’s vision: – ‘Every Child will Flourish with Time, Effort and Support’ by:

• supporting learning partnerships with parents/carers.
• providing opportunities for students to review, revise, practise and reinforce newly acquired skills
• providing opportunities for students to apply new knowledge
• providing opportunities for students to prepare for future lessons
• encouraging students to enrich or extend knowledge individually, collectively and imaginatively
• fostering good lifelong learning and study habits

Definitions

Homework is tasks assigned to students by teachers that are meant to be carried out during non-school hours.  

Policy

At Alfredton Primary School, all homework set by teachers will be:

• purposeful
• curriculum-aligned
• appropriate to students’ skill level and age
• designed to help students develop as independent learners
• monitored by the teacher
• where appropriate, provide opportunities for parents/carers to partner in their child’s learning.

The types of homework that teachers at Alfredton Primary School may include are:

• to review, revise, practise and reinforce newly acquired skills e.g. practising spelling words
• reading for purpose and pleasure
• completing projects associated with set class work

STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED AND ENCOURAGED TO READ AT HOME AT LEAST 5 DAYS EACH WEEK:

• Foundation – read books and/or learn words for at least 15 minutes daily
• Years 1 and 2– read books and/or learn words for at least 20 minutes daily
• Years 3 & 4 – read for at least 25 minutes daily
• Years 5 & 6 – read for at least 30 minutes daily

Further tasks may be sent home or placed on Google Classroom as required.

Shared Expectations and responsibilities

Our vision, ‘Every Child will Flourish with time, effort and support’, promotes homework as a shared responsibility between the school, teachers, students and their parents, carers and guardians. To gain the benefits of homework tasks, it is important that everyone understands their obligations and responsibilities: –

 leaders at Alfredton Primary School are to:

• Advise teachers, students and parents/carers of homework expectations at the beginning of the school year and provide them with access to the homework policy.

Teachers at Alfredton Primary School are to:

• Set homework that is curriculum-aligned and appropriate to the student’s skill level and age
• Ensure homework tasks are purposeful – this means they are deliberately designed and planned to support student learning (so, they are not ‘busy work’ or where students ‘finish off’ work they did/could not complete in class)
• Assess homework and provide timely and practical feedback
• Ensure the amount of homework set supports a student to engage with a range of recreational, family and cultural activities outside of school hours
• Offer opportunities for families to engage in their children’s learning.

Students are to:

• Be aware of the school’s homework policy
• Discuss homework expectations with their parents/carers
• Accept responsibility for the completion of homework tasks within set time frames 
• Follow up on comments made by teachers
• Seek assistance when difficulties arise
• Organise their time to manage home obligations, participation in physical activity and sports, recreational and cultural activities and part-time employment (for older students).

Parents/carers and guardians are to:

• Ensure there is a balance between the time spent on homework and recreational, family and cultural activities
• Talk to teachers about any concerns they have about the homework
• Discuss homework with their child in their first language, if English is not the main language spoken at home,
• Connect homework to:
  • previous experiences the child and/or parent/carer or guardian may have hadfamily culture, history and language
  • relevant services, clubs, associations and community.
• Ensure there is a quiet study area where their child can complete homework.

Support for students and Parents/carers and guardians

Alfredton Primary School understands that students have different learning strengths, preferences and interests and may approach learning activities and homework differently. If parents/carers and guardians have any concerns about the homework tasks that their child does not understand or they seek clarity about the skill or processes, we encourage parents/carers and guardians to speak to their child’s teacher.

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

• Included in staff induction processes and staff training
• Available publicly on our school’s website
• Included in staff Shared Drive
• Reminders in our school newsletter
• Discussed at annual staff briefings/meetings
• Teams will communicate year-level homework expectations at the beginning of each year with updates throughout the year when necessary.
• Discussed at parent/teacher interviews as required
• Hard copy available from school administration upon request

FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following Department policies and guidelines:

• Homework – Department Policy

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL

Policy Last Reviewed	August 2024
Consultation	Leadership Team
Approved By	Principal
Next Scheduled Review Date	2028