Homework - St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School, Pontefract.

Homework at St Joseph’s:

As part of our curriculum intent, we have developed six global driver words: the environment, leadership, aspirations, resilience, service and diversity. These will be interwoven within the curriculum offer, providing the children at St Joseph’s with the ‘cultural capital’, complementing the acquired traditional academic knowledge. School leaders made the decision in September 2022 to adjust our homework provision for our children to reflect this new approach.

Our homework provision includes:

A daily reading expectation.
Weekly spellings (or High Frequency Words for younger children). These may be set using traditional methods or using the new Online Spelling programme, ‘Spelling Shed’.
A half-termly homework project which will be linked to a theme. These will be sent out for each class at the start of the half-term. Our children will have opportunity to work on a creative task over a period of weeks, developing and refining ideas as they go along. Parents and other family members are more than welcome to help, and were invited to make this a synergised family effort! Work will then be handed in and parents/cares are invited to come into school for our half termly homework showcases.
Other short tasks may be set periodically depending on the year group. Year 4 children may have Times Tables to learn linked to the Multiplication Tables Check. Likewise, Year 6 pupils may have some maths questions linked to SATs preparation.

We always look forward to seeing the children’s wonderful creations each half term!

Autumn Term One Homework Project:

During this half term our homework showcase was linked to the environment. It is important for children to know what exists beyond their immediate life experiences (home and school), the impact human actions have had on the natural environment in the past, how our actions are affecting the environment today and what changes we can make in the future to protect and value our planet.

On Friday 14th October at 2.15pm each class hosted a homework showcase event. Parents were invited into the classroom. The children shared their homework with others, and had the opportunity to discuss what they have learnt about. All efforts were praised.

Below were a few suggestions:

Research ways to save energy in your home
Create a presentation or leaflet about the environment. E.g. alternative forms of power
Make a poster to show ways to reduce your carbon footprint
Design a healthy menu for a new local restaurant, serving a balanced and varied diet.
With adult support, cook a meat free meal for your family. You could take some photographs or even bring some delicacies into school (nut free though)
Create a piece of artwork relating to God’s kingdom/creation and how we can make earth more like it.

Children can submit their homework in the following ways:

Written work
Photos/pictures
Presentation
Model/craft work

At St. Joseph’s Pontefract, we think that it is important for children to practise what they have learned in class at home to help them to be the best that they can be.

Sam – Homework Autumn 1

Autumn Term Two Homework Project

This half term, our homework showcase is linked to Christmas. The birth of Jesus (the real meaning), Christmas tree, Santa, Rudolph and Snowflakes… the list of Christmas specials can go on and on. It’s amazing how easily these Christmas elements bring a smile to a child’s face. Come December, children not only start thinking about the birth of Jesus and another important visitor but also of so many wonderful ways in which they can decorate the Christmas Tree and our homes to get in to the festive spirit.

Below are a few suggestions we have shared with our children.

Watch a Christmas film with your family and write a film review.
Listen to some Christmas songs or carols and try to learn one to perform to your family or friends.
Make a special Christmas card and send it to someone you will not see in the holidays.
Plan a party for when friends come around. What music is required? What food do we need to buy? Can you create a new game for when they come around?
Create a decoration for the tree or an ornament to sit on display.
Create your own Christmas wrapping paper-stamping, decorating brown paper etc…
With adult support, find a Christmas recipe and do some baking (your teacher may like to try these).
Wrap up warm, and with an adult, go on a walk in the dark to look at the houses decorated for Christmas. Could you write about your experience?

We have also shared that one project can be completed as a family.

Our children can submit their homework in the following ways:

Written work
Photos/pictures
Presentation
Model/craft work

George Autumn 2 Homework project

Spring Term One Homework Showcase

Spring 1 HW Local History

NJT Spring 1 homework project

Spring Term Two Homework Showcase

Spring 2 Homework Project Lenten Walk

Lent walk E and V

Summer Term One Homework Showcase

Summer 1 Homework Project- Other Faiths

B and N Summer 1 Homework Project

Summer Term Two Homework Showcase

Summer 2 HW Playground game

My Playground game

Below are some useful links for Parents and Carers to further support your child’s learning at home:

If you have any further questions about homework please speak to your child’s class teacher.

If your child has special educational needs we will adapt homework to suit them if this is needed. Also, if your child ever receives any homework which you feel is too difficult or it is not clear what to do then please speak to the class teacher. While we do expect children to complete all homework, we do not want this to be a source of anxiety for you or your children.

We also suggest providing them with a range of rich experiences that will give them increased knowledge of the world. This knowledge is invaluable in developing reading comprehension ability and gives children a wealth of information to draw on when writing in school. Suggestions of places to visit include museums, art galleries, nature reserves, theatres to see plays, libraries and restaurants. For further information regarding activities that the government suggests children should take part in please download this document My Activity Passport.