Parents helping their children with homework
Mortimer Special School caters for primary-aged pupils with moderate learning difficulties and additional needs. Many
of the pupils have social and communication difficulties and a main focus for the school is language
development.
The School aims to encourage the support and involvement of parents and carers, and others with whom
pupils have contact outside school hours. However, as pupils travel to school from all over the Borough,
opportunities for personal contact with parents may be reduced. A Home/School Book
is therefore an essential requisite to facilitate an effective working
partnership with parents and carers. This travels to and from school with the pupils on a daily basis.
Homework policy and guidance
The School has a written 'Code of Practice for Working with Parents'. Homework features prominently
within this document, with detailed policy and guidance being provided for:
- staff - this includes a definition of homework, objectives, purpose and policy;
- parents and carers - an introductory statement, what is homework, an explanation on why it is set, the policy, and what parents and carers can do to help;
- reading - guidance for parents and carers; and
- handwriting - guidance for parents and carers.
Parents helping their children at home
The School's Code of Practice also contains procedures and guidance on the use of the Home/School
Book. Whilst the Book provides a wide range of home/school communication opportunities, it is also used to inform
parents about the curriculum and how they can help their children at home. For example, as topics
progress, parents and carers are given vocabulary lists, suggesting ways that they can reinforce
learning at home, as is noted from the following examples:
Today we have been learning about floating and sinking. You can help your child continue the experiments
by putting some objects made of different materials in the bath to see which float and which sink. See
if your child can guess what will happen!
And again:
Today we made some fruit salad. We used ÖÖ . Please look and name any fruit you have at home. Also, look
at the fruit in the market and supermarket. Practise saying the names as often as possible.
Most of the activities are very practical and designed to utilise resources usually found at home or in
the local community.
Activities of this nature are suggested at least once a week for Key Stage 1 pupils and at least two or
three times a week for Key Stage 2 pupils.
All pupils take home books to read, and parents are encouraged to read with them regularly.
Parents and carers are encouraged to feedback information to the school on the progress made at home
and other activities the children do that can be integrated into their school work.
The school believes that for pupils who have poor communication skills, working with parents to
support their children's learning outside school hours is essential. It also gives the parents
and carers the opportunity to learn more about their children's schooling.
This homework policy is very successful and is particularly welcomed by the parents.
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