Homework

03 October 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning: speak with your child about respect and link with previous learning so far this year: rules, manners, rights and responsibilities. Then talk about respecting people, even if they’re different in some way – we’re all different and yet we’re all the same.

How can we make sure we show respect to everyone?

BBC Bitesize ‘What is discrimination?’ is worth checking out with children in Key Stage 2.

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time relates to a moral issue and also links with our current Geography learning.

Is it okay to build new houses on green space (fields and parks in towns and cities)?

Your child may already have some views on this. However, this statement is all about taking different viewpoints into account.

This week’s ‘Remember 2s’ (R2s) will support your child as they reflect on the pros and cons of building new houses on our green spaces:

• What are the reasons for (the pros) building new houses there?
• What are the reasons against (the cons) building new houses there?
• Reach a conclusion – Do you take one particular side or is there a compromise that could satisfy everyone?

There’s a range of ways to approach this moral question. We suggest exploring the 5Ws and H (who, what, where, when, why, how).

Check out the examples below to help get discussions flowing:

• Who needs new housing (young people, families, elderly etc)? Who would build the new houses?
• What would new housing look like? What will be the impact on the environment with fewer trees and plants?
• Where would the animals from the fields/parks go? Where else could people go for walks/exercise?
• When would things be able to run normally (traffic, pathways etc)? When would people want more houses?
• Why don’t people move into houses that are already built? Why do we need more housing?
• How long would it to take to build the houses? How much would the new housing cost? How many people could live in the new housing?

Fancy an extra challenge? Your child might like to plan the new housing or design the type of housing that should go on some green space.

26 September 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning: alongside every right comes responsibility. At school for example, children have the right to play and relax, and the responsibility to play alongside others safely and respectfully. In lots of situations, we’ve the right to express our views, but we must do so in a respectful way.
Spend some time thinking of more examples in different situations: rights and responsibilities at home, in a shop, in a park…

BBC Bitesize ‘Rules, rights and responsibilities’ is worth checking out with children in Key Stage 2.

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s talk time has a reading and oracy theme.

I know a poem.

This week, you’re going to be learning a poem. It takes great resilience and remembering skills to be able to learn a poem – two of our 8Rs for learning.

Key Stage 1

A Little Manners Poem (Anonymous)

Wait your turn – don’t interrupt.

If you use it, pick it up.

When you need some help, say “Please.” Be kind and loving – never tease.

Say “Hi” when meeting someone new, and be a friend whose words are true.

If you win a game, don’t gloat.

To thank someone, write a note.

Don’t be piggy when you eat.

And clean your space so it looks neat. These manners are the perfect start

to showing friends you have a heart!

Years 3 and 4

This poem is really powerful when read aloud.

Let No One Steal Your Dreams by Paul Cookson

Let no-one steal your dreams

Let no-one tear apart

The burning of ambition

That fires the drive inside your heart.

Let no-one steal your dreams

Let no-one tell you that you can’t

Let no-one hold you back

Let no-one tell you that you won’t.

Set your sights and keep them fixed

Set your sights on high

Let no-one steal your dreams

Your only limit is the sky.

Let no-one steal your dreams

Follow your heart

Follow your soul

For only when you follow them

Will you feel truly whole.

Set your sights and keep them fixed

Set your sights on high

Let no-one steal your dreams

Your only limit is the sky.

Years 5 and 6

Poetry from the Romantic Era focuses on the beauty of nature. The poem contrasts the tranquility of nature with the rapid urbanisation of Wordsworth’s time. The Romantic Movement was a reaction against this spread of industrialisation. We’re learning about urban expansion and the importance of urban green spaces in our Geography topic this half term.

Daffodils by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

19 September 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning: good manners help people to get on well with others. Encourage your child to greet people politely (including the adults as they arrive at school), to say please and thank you, and to avoid interrupting. Like everything else, this needs practising!

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time homework links to our current Geography topic, ‘Where in the world am I?’.

 I can talk about my local area.

We encourage you and your child to go out and explore as part of this task. Be sure to find safe spaces to pause and reflect on the surrounding area.

Refer to these ‘Remember 2s’ (R2s) when discussions are taking place:

• physical features (natural things that would be around without people)
• human features (things that have been built by people)
• respect people whose views are different

You might wish to use these ideas as a starting point for your discussions:

• what facilities there are
• what I like
• what I don’t like
• how the area might be improved
• what I could do to help improve the area

This Talk Time is all about critical thinking. Your child might find it quite easy to talk positively about their local area. They may find it trickier to talk about aspects of the local area that they don’t like. Remind your child that it is okay to say that there are things they don’t like so long as they remain respectful and polite.

Skills developed in this Talk Time can help your child with other areas of learning, too. As part of your child’s daily reading, you could prompt your child to talk critically about a character or a part of the book that could be improved.

12 September 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning: the Eight Rs promote good learning behaviour. We use an animal to symbolise each ‘R’, which might help your child remember all eight: readiness (rabbit); responsive (dog); (safe) risk-taking (cat); responsible (horse); resourcefulness (squirrel), resilience (tortoise); remembering (elephant); and reflection (owl).

Have a conversation about these Eights Rs. Do they apply at home? Which of the Rs is your child strongest at? Is there one which could be improved? If so, how?

The BBC Bitesize page ‘Learning to Learn’ is worth checking out with children in Key Stage 2.

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time homework brings together the learning that has happened in our Living and Learning sessions last week:

I understand the importance of staying safe online.

The children will be reading and talking about the Acceptable Use Agreements in class this half-term, as well as a copy being sent home to be agreed, signed and returned to school.

As well as considering these agreements within their classrooms, also talk about how these agreements can be applied at home and take the opportunity to set or reaffirm some ground rules for the use of technology in and around home.

A copy of the KS1 and KS2 agreements can be found be clicking on the links below:

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

05 September 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning: make sure your child knows our three school rules: Be ready. Be respectful. Be safe.

Have a conversation about the rules. Is one more important than another? Is there a rule that’s ‘missing’? What does each rule look like in school? What does it sound like? Make a link between our school rules and home: are there similar rules in the home? Also link to a wider context and talk about the country’s laws.

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

Our first Talk Time homework of the year is linked to Living and Learning:

I can greet someone politely.

We greet people every day, and a simple greeting has the power to brighten someone’s mood. Here’s an example of a friendly exchange we encourage children to use:

• Morning!
• How are you?
• I’m fine, thanks. What about you?
• I’m ok, thanks.

Encourage your child to greet people outside school in a similar way!

Our ‘Remember 2s’ (R2s) for this are:

• greeting
• ask how someone is, answer, and ask back
• thank them for asking

Together, talk about different ways to greet people politely and warmly.

You might also want to explore why polite greetings matter. These questions could help your discussion:

• When and where might you greet someone? (during school time, before school, after school, at the weekend)
• How can you greet someone? (facial expressions, body language, tone of voice)
• What kinds of questions might you ask when greeting someone?

Why is it important to ask questions? (What does it show? How might the other person feel?)

11 July 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Pupil health Questionnaire

I can share my views about health.

We’re proud to be a happy and healthy school.

Each year, we ask you to complete a short health questionnaire. Your views can help us to become even happier and healthier.

Parents/carers: please complete a survey with your child, to find out their views on some of our key health issues at school, and comment at the end.

You can find the link to the survey using the QR code below.

Or you can click on this link .

Please submit before Thursday 17 July 2025.

04 July 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This Talk Time relates to your end-of-year report.

I can talk with adults at home about my report, recognising successes and strengths.

It’s important to remember that your achievements come in many forms. Your key strengths could relate to your learning behaviour, your attainment in a particular subject, or your speed of progress.

This is also a great opportunity to apply your understanding of the 8Rs for learning:

• responsive
• ready
• (safe) risks
• responsible
• resourceful
• resilient
• remember
• reflect

Being reflective will be the most prominent of the 8Rs in your conversations as you’ll identify successes recognised by your teacher in the report but also other strengths that you’re aware of. Consider which of the other 8Rs you currently excel at the most. Perhaps you’re a very responsible individual who always demonstrates good learning behaviour. Maybe you’re extremely resilient and have a never-give-up attitude. It could be that you’re very resourceful, using what’s around you to support your learning and not always seeking help right away.

27 June 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time relates to the knowledge we’ve gained about Science this year.

I can show off my biological knowledge through my understanding of animals including humans.

Years 1 and 2 – Animals including humans:

• I can identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the human body is associated with each sense.
• I can identify and name a variety of common animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
• I know that animals, including humans, have offspring, which grow into adults.
• I can find out about and describe the basic needs of animals, including humans, for survival (water, food and air).
• I can describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amount of different types of food, and hygiene.

Years 3 and 4 – Animals including humans:

• I can identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.
• I can describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in humans.
• I can identify the different types of teeth in humans and their simple functions.
• I can construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey.

Years 5 and 6 – Animals including humans:

• I can describe the changes as humans develop to old age.
• I can identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system, and describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood.
• I am aware of the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way my body functions.
• I can describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals, including humans.

At school, we refer to 8Rs to promote good learning behaviour:

• responsive
• ready
• (safe) risks
• responsible
• resourceful
• resilient
• remember
• reflect

This week’s ‘Remember 2s’ (R2s) directly link to three of the 8Rs:

• Remember – Think back to Science lessons, learning, tasks, games etc.
• Reflect – Which facts are you most confident with? Which ones do you need to work on?
• Resourceful – For facts you’re unsure of, how can you improve your understanding? Who could you ask at home or at school?

Year 5/6 only – complete your My Health My School pupil diary from Saturday 28 June for the next seven days and return it to class once completed. Please ensure it is back in class by Monday 07 July.

20 June 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time has a social theme:

I can talk about a healthy friendship I have.

A friendship is something we can choose to have and it should make us feel happy and secure. Healthy relationships are positive and welcoming towards others and do not make others feel lonely or excluded. When thinking about a healthy friendship there are some important characteristics to consider such as:

• mutual respect
• truthfulness
• loyalty
• kindness
• generosity
• trust
• sharing interests and experiences
• support with problems and difficulties

Think of someone in your life who you feel you have a healthy friendship with. Discuss why you feel it is a healthy relationship by linking it to some of the important characteristics listed above.

Encourage your child to think about what they would do if they were having difficulties with a friendship and who could help them.

Living and Learning

Each week’s Living and Learning statement features in the school calendar – check out the prompt to support you and your child in this area. Find the statements in the calendar – you’ll see it in the Find Out section of our website.

13 June 2025

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Reading: please make sure your child is reading on a daily basis.

Number Fact Fluency: Use Numbots or Times Table Rock Stars in regular short bursts.

Talk Time

This week’s Talk Time has a Reading theme.

I can talk about my favourite class novel so far.

Over the year, we’ve had the opportunity to read and enjoy lots of different types of books. This week, we’d like you to think back and talk about the book/novel you enjoyed reading the most and why.

Key Stage 1

Below are some of the class novels we have enjoyed so far in KS1.

Key Stage 2

Y3/4 

Greek Myths by Marcia Williams

The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Phillip Pullman

Leodis Ledes Leeds by Tom Palmer

The Fastest Boy in the World by Elizabeth Laird

Y5/6 

Secrets of a Sun King Emma Carroll

The Nowhere Emporium Ross Mackenzie

Letters from a Lighthouse Emma Carroll