Homework policy
Belief statement
At Virginia State School we believe that independent home study is an essential part of every student’s day. In order to develop good home study habits and practice, review or complete a learning task, it is expected that all students will be set some homework activity.
Homework tasks can engage students in independent learning to complement work undertaken in class through:
revision and critical reflection to consolidate learning (practising for mastery)
applying knowledge and skills in new contexts (a topic of interest, an authentic local issue)
pursuing knowledge individually and imaginatively (investigating, researching, writing, designing, making)
preparing for forthcoming classroom learning (collecting relevant materials, items, information)
Expectations
Homework tasks differ greatly dependent on year level and teacher expectations. In some cases, homework tasks may be completed daily or over a week or fortnightly period which will be specified by the classroom teacher. In accordance with departmental policy, the following times are recommended:
Years 1 to 3 - up to 1-2 hours per week
Years 4 and 5 - up to 2-3 hours per week
Year 6 - up to 3-4 hours per week
Reading, either in the form of home readers in the lower grades or recreational reading for more advanced readers is still considered an integral part of a students home study practices. We encourage all children to fill in their ‘Reading Log’ sheets to enable the classroom teacher to monitor their home reading.
The role of parents and caregivers
Parents play a vital role in monitoring, guiding and assisting their children with the completion of homework tasks. Working with your child and offering encouragement can greatly assist your child develop the right attitude to homework and learning in general. If your child is having difficulty completing homework tasks or if you have concerns, please contact the classroom teacher.