We would like families to devote the majority of the time to reading as this skill underpins the rest of children’s learning.

In Reception and Year 1, we expect parents to listen to and discuss the decodable book their child brings home, ideally every day.  In addition, a class library book (which is to be read to the child) can be enjoyed throughout the week.

From Year 2 onwards, we would urge parents to share books with children as often as possible and at least four times a week.  This should be a relaxed and fun experience aimed to promote an enjoyment of books as well as the promotion of key skills and parents are encouraged to choose focused reading questions to elicit understanding.  Research shows:

Here’s how many words kids would have heard by the time they were 5 years old: Never read to, 4,662 words; 1–2 times per week, 63,570 words; 3–5 times per week, 169,520 words; daily, 296,660 words; and five books a day, 1,483,300 words.

Each week Reception and Year 1 parents will be informed about the sounds or alternative graphemes we have been learning during the week. Children should access the Extra Practice Zone in Floppy's Phonics with their parents which will allow children to practise both reading and decoding skills building upon the skills and knowledge learned during the week.

In addition, pupils will take home a Floppy's Phonics Activity sheet and a Cumulative Text, within their Phonics folder. These activity sheets allow pupils to develop correct letter formation; sounding out and blending skills; and spelling skills using the focus phonemes and graphemes.  It is also a chance to go over the meaning of words that have been circled by your child. 

In Year 1 we inform parents weekly via our weekly parent email of the spelling words to practise at home but we do not 'test' in class.  We expect pupils to spell these common exception words correctly by the end of year 1.  They are not the Floppy's Phonics helpful reading words (although there is some overlap). 
From Year 2 - Year 6 we set spelling home learning each week, following the No-Nonsense Spelling focus for that week. We do not routinely test for spelling, but children will be challenged to use their spelling words in the following week’s writing. 

Children should use the following online programmes for 15 minutes, at least three times a week:

• Year 1 and 2 - Numbots
• Years 3 to 6 - Times Table Rockstars 

Children in Years 3 to 6 will be set a home learning challenge each week. This might be a task on Education City, or an activity that children complete in their maths home learning book. Feedback on Education City is instant; feedback will be given on work in the maths home learning book for parents to see. 

Each week, children from Year 1 upwards will be asked to discuss a topic (Talk for Writing) which will act as pre-learning for their writing. They might be asked to chat about related experiences they may have had, or to think of key words. Children are given a notebook in which they can record helpful information and they are able to refer to this notebook in lessons. (This is not designed to be formal planning for their writing activity).

Home learning is issued on a Friday and is due back on the following Thursday in order to enable families to choose times which prove convenient for its completion. As part of preparation for secondary school, children in Years 5 and 6 who do not complete their home learning may be sanctioned.