Introductory Statement

This policy was reviewed during the school year 2010 - 2011, following consultation with parents/guardians, teachers and members of the Board of Management.

Aims:

Our Homework Policy aims to:

• Promote positive home/school communication
• Reinforce work done in class
• Promote consistency and a similar approach to homework across all classes
• Develop skills and self discipline that will be of benefit to children in order to enhance learning

Guidelines:

Homework is given Monday to Thursday inclusive. (Sometimes at the discretion of the class teacher or the principal, children may be given "homework off" on special occasions.) Ideally homework will contain a balance between oral, reading and written work, with an understanding that time devoted to oral and reading is as important as written work.

Differentiation

Pupils attending S.E.T.s may need to have homework adjusted to their individual needs. Special arrangements for these children will be agreed after consultation between class teacher, S.E.T.s and parents.

The following are guidelines for time spent at homework. Different children will complete the same homework in different lengths of time. Quality not quantity of homework is what matters.

• Junior Infants up to 10 minutes
• Senior Infants up to 15 minutes
• First Class up to 20 minutes

Parental and Guardian Involvement:

Parents and Guardians can help their children with homework by providing them with a suitable place and time and by trying to prevent interruptions or distractions e.g. television or other children. Parents are asked to inform teachers if the time being spent on homework is often longer that the recommended amount of time. When homework is a stressful experience between parent and child, something is wrong! This leads to poor learning and defeats the purpose of this policy.

Success Criteria:

Feedback from teachers, pupils and parents will provide indicators of the success of this policy.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The implementation of this updated policy is dependent on the co-operation and collaboration of:

• Principal
• Class Teachers
• Special Education Teachers
• Pupils
• Parents & Guardians

Implementation Date:

This policy will come into effect on 1st February 2011.

Timetable for Review:

This policy will be reviewed in 2014 or before if necessary.