Homework Policy Aims

1. To reinforce work covered in school.
2. To promote self-discipline as a life skill.
3. To help with retention of facts.
4. To encourage parental involvement in process of education.

A Diary / homework sheet / actual homework to be signed each night on completion of work.
Reading, learning and oral work is as important as written work. Please listen to your child read and examine spellings and tables.
Active homework is regularly given on a whole school basis in line with our Active School Flag Activities (e.g. ‘Move on Mondays!’).

Subjects and Time:

The following are guidelines for time spent at homework. Different children will complete the same homework in different lengths of time. Time spent will vary from day to day and also from the beginning to the end of the school year. It is important to remember that it is the quality and not the quantity of homework that matters.

Junior / Senior Infants 10-20 mins.
Reading, maths, letters, poems.
1st & 2nd Classes approximately 30 mins.
Reading, spellings, tables, maths, writing activity every night
3rd & 4th Classes approximately 40 mins.
Reading, spellings, tables, maths, writing activity every night.
5th & 6th Classes approximately 50 mins-1 hr.
Reading, spellings, tables, maths, writing activity every night.

How often is homework given?

Homework is given on Mondays to Thursdays, but not on Fridays. Sometimes at the discretion of the class teacher or the principal, children are given “homework off” as a treat or as acknowledgement of some special occasion.

Pupils should:

• Enter homework accurately in homework diary.
• Ensure they take home relevant books and copies.
• Complete homework assignments to the best of their ability.
• Present written work neatly.

Parents/Guardians should:

• Encourage a positive attitude towards homework in all subjects from an early age.
• Encourage children to work independently in so far as is possible. Resist over-helping or completing homework for children.
• Encourage children to organise themselves for homework. Have all books and materials to hand. The pupil should have the Homework Journal open to tick off work as it is completed.
• Agree a suitable time for doing homework.
• Provide a quiet place, suitable work surface, free from distractions, interruptions and T.V.
• Monitor children to ensure homework is being done and concentration is being maintained.
• Encourage good presentation and neatness within a reasonable time.
• Check children’s homework even if they attend homework clubs.
• Sign the homework diary, checking that all homework is complete.
• Check that the child has all necessary books, homework journal, copies, pencils, dictionary, P.E. clothes etc. for the next school day.
• Communicate difficulties to the teacher using the homework journal.

How much help should parents give?

Parents should try to help their children with homework by:

• Providing them with a suitable place and time to do their homework.
• To prevent interruptions or distractions, like T.V. or excessive noise/interruptions from brothers/sisters/friends (children).
• Children should do written homework themselves and parents should only help when the child has difficulty.
• If a child has difficulty with homework, parents should help the child to overcome the difficulty with further explanation or examples, but not by actually doing the homework for the child. In this case the parent should write a note to the teacher explaining the problem.
• Shared reading is not homework in the regular sense and it is simply meant to be an enjoyable exercise between parent and child.

How often should parents monitor homework?

• Parents should check and sign a child’s homework journal every evening.
• The pupil’s journal is an important record of the child’s homework. It is also a valuable means of communication between parents and teachers.
• Ideally, all written messages to your child’s teacher should be put in the homework journal.
• Please check that your child records his/her homework neatly in the correct page and ticks each item of homework when completed.
• Newsletters to parents are folded and placed in the current day of the homework journal. Please check your child’s journal for such notes on a regular basis.

How often do teachers monitor homework?

• Ideally teachers like to check homework and homework journal on a daily basis. However with large class numbers it is not always possible to check each child’s homework and homework journal every day.
• As children get older and learn to work independently, some items of homework are checked less often, e.g. every second day or once per week.
• Some items of homework (and classwork) may be checked by children themselves under the direction of the teacher. This can be a useful part of the learning process for children.

When should parents communicate with the teachers about homework?

• When your child cannot do homework due to family circumstances.
• When your child cannot do homework after an honest attempt because she/he cannot understand some aspect.
• If the time being spent at homework is often longer than the recommended amount of time.

What happens when homework is not done?

When homework is not done regularly the teacher contacts parents with a view to supporting them with their child’s learning. If the situation continues, then the matter is brought to the attention of the Principal who will contact the parent(s) and arrange a meeting to discuss how the matter can be resolved.