Homework

15 May 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know that being physically active is mentally and physically healthy is our Living and Learning statement this week. Read this NHS link with your child: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people.

Think about what sort of physical activity your child might want to try out – maybe join an after-school club at school, or see what’s available locally.

BBC Bitesize ‘Mental and emotional wellbeing’ has lots of short clips on all sorts of things: courage, nerves, kindness…

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 Talk Time this week relates to our recent Geography learning:

I know and can use the topic vocabulary from this half term.

Years 1 and 2:

• continent – a very large area of land
• globe – a model of the Earth which shows what it looks like from space
• ocean – a large area of water between continents
• equator – an imaginary line that goes around the centre of the Earth
• physical geography – physical geography looks at the natural things in our environment
• human geography – human geography looks at changes in the environment by humans
• population – the number of people living in a certain place
• national park – a park or area of land looked after by a country’s government

Years 3 and 4:

• climate zones – areas of the world with similar temperature and weather
• hemisphere – a half of Earth, divided into a northern and southern hemisphere
• equator – an imaginary line that goes around the centre of the Earth
• latitude – the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees
• tourism – travelling to a place for fun
• economy – how a country or place makes and spends money
• overtourism – when there are too many tourists and it results in conflict with local people who live there
• flood defences – used to prevent flooding in a specific place

Years 5 and 6:

• biome – areas of the world with similar climate, landscapes, animals and plants
• vegetation belt – an area with distinct plant types
• climate zone – areas of the world with similar temperature, weather and precipitation
• natural resources – something that is found in nature and can be used by humans
• exports – goods that are sent to other countries for sale
• deforestation – the destruction of forests by humans
• agriculture – growing and harvesting crops and raising animals; another word for farming
• indigenous people – the earliest or original inhabitants of a place

Encourage your child to think back to their Geography learning so far. The following questions might prompt your child to remember even more about the vocabulary:

• What does this word mean?
• Can you use the word in a sentence?
• Can you (where possible) give an example of this?
• Have you seen a piece of art that links to that word?
• Can you link this word to one or more of the other words?
• Which of these words would you group together

08 May 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know how to seek help… is our Living and Learning statement this week. We all need to seek help from time to time. Make sure your child knows it’s ok to ask for help. Explore different situations when you and your child might both need to seek help. What could the situation be (friendships, online problems, tricky situations when out and about…)? Who could they seek help from? How would they do it?

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:

The latest Talk Time relates to our current Geography topic, Explorers:

 I can show off my knowledge of world geography.

Years 1 and 2:

I know the world’s seven continents and the world’s five oceans.

Years 3 and 4 (as above plus):

I know at least four European countries and their capital cities (not including those in the UK) and I know some of the main rivers and mountains in Europe.

Years 5 and 6 (as above plus):

I know some world-wide countries and some of their major cities.

Think back to your lessons as a geographer so far this year. What strategies have you used, or could you use, to help you remember these facts? It could be drawings, pictures, map, videos, songs or other resources.

01 May 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know that a person’s body belongs to them… is our Living and Learning statement. The NSPCC’s Speak Out, Stay Safe message is an important one. It helps children understand more about this week’s theme and supports them to speak out if they have any concerns. At home, make sure your child is aware of Childline.

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 is about science, and we’re looking for signs of the changing seasons. You are going to be a season detective, observing how the world changes as spring turns into summer.

Why not try some of the following ideas:

• Look outside each day. What is the weather like? In spring it can be sunny, rainy or a bit cool. As summer arrives, you might notice hotter days, more sunshine and longer daylight hours.
• Look at plants and trees. In spring, plants begin to grow with new leaves and flowers. In summer, you may see full green trees, bright flowers and fruits starting to grow.
• Listen carefully when you are outside. In spring, you can hear birds and buzzing insects. In summer, you might notice even more buzzing bees, chirping birds and other animal sounds as they are very active.
• Think about how you feel. What clothes do you wear in spring? Do you wear different clothes in summer? You might wear lighter clothes, hats or sunglasses when it gets warmer.

Try to spot these changes happening around you and talk about them with an adult. This is a homework activity that you should revisit every couple of weeks to notice how things change over time.

24 April 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I can assess my own risks… is our Living and Learning statement this week. It’s natural for children to encounter risks – and healthy, too. Children need to encounter risks to assess the risk and therefore manage the risk in a way which is appropriately independent. Explore different situations when your child might encounter risk. Develop the conversation by considering how to manage the risk and also when to seek help.

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 in our Talk Time we are thinking about holidays and the environment. The question we’d like you to think about is:

Do you think we should only go on holidays in our own country because long journeys can harm the environment?

Talk about your ideas with an adult. You could think about:

• What are the good things about staying in your own country?
• What are the good things about travelling to other countries?
• What would you choose and why?

27 March 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

This weeks Living and Learning statement is I know the importance of a healthy diet. Alongside your child, check out the NHS Eatwell guide.It shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. You don’t need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week. The BBC Bitesize page ‘What is a balanced diet?’ is worth visiting 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:

As we near the end of our Computing topic, this Talk Time will help you to reflect on your learning.

I know and can use the topic vocabulary from this half term.

Years 1 and 2:

• algorithm – a sequence of instructions or a set of rules to get something done
• command – an instruction that can be used in a program
• program – an algorithm or algorithms which can be run by a computer
• to debug – to find and fix errors in algorithms
• computer – a type of machine that can follow instructions and do useful things

Years 3 and 4:

• computer: a machine that can input, process and output data
• code: the commands that a program can run (eg the blocks in Scratch)
• program: an algorithm or algorithms which can be run by a computer
• repetition: to repeat the execution of certain instructions
• sprite: a 2d character in a computer game
• logical reasoning: helps us explain why something happens
• attribute: a quality or characteristic that describes someone or something
• branching database: helps a computer sort and find information by splitting a group of items into smaller and smaller groups using “Yes” or “No” questions

Years 5 and 6:

• computer: a machine that can input, process, store and output data

• search engine: program that searches for and identifies items on the internet using complex algorithms
• decomposition: the process of breaking down a task into smaller, more-manageable parts
• repetition: to repeat the execution of certain instructions
• selection: choosing to execute one set of instructions over another
• variable: a value that can be set and changed throughout the running of a program (eg a timer, a score, a number of lives left)
• simulation: modelling a real-world or imaginary situation

For your discussions at home, think about the learning that has happened in your Computing lessons. What was your favourite lesson and why? Refer to the list of vocabulary for your year group.

20 March 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

Our Living and Learning statement for this week is I know the importance of sleep. When we sleep, our bodies and minds have the time to rest, recover and process all the things which have happened to us during the day. When we’re young, our bodies are growing and changing quickly, so we need even more sleep than adults to be able to cope with everything that’s happening. We’re all different, but it’s generally recommended that children and young people get between 9 and 11 hours of sleep every night. Without you or your child getting anxious about hitting a target, think about how much sleep your child’s getting. You might want to consider bedtime routines that help sleep – for example, take an hour before bedtime to ‘wind down’ and build in a bedtime story.

Children in Key Stage 1 should check out BBC Bitesize ‘What do humans need to be healthy?’. Children in Key Stage 2 should visit ‘Why is a healthy lifestyle important?’.

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 Science theme:

I know how plants grow.

1. Start by having a conversation about what you think a plant needs to grow and why you think those things are important.
2. Next, try to grow a plant at home. This could be seeds (beans, cress, sunflower, herbs), grass, a vegetable top in water or even a weed!
3. Observe how the plant changes over time and discuss any changes you notice. You could measure the plant at regular intervals to see how it is growing. This could be measuring the height of the plant or how many leaves it has.

Challenge: What do you think would happen if a plant didn’t get one of the things it needs?

13 March 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know the importance of personal hygiene, including handwashing… is our Living and Learning statement this week.

This is a big area to think about! It would be a good idea to break this down into a few areas, and come up with a few top tips for each. For example, food hygiene (eg wash hands before eating and preparing food), hand hygiene (eg wash hands after every trip to the toilet), health hygiene (eg sneeze or cough into our elbow, not into our hands – we sometimes call this the vampire method), and oral hygiene (eg brush teeth twice a day, including last thing at night – no snacks afterwards).

Aimed at younger children, this BBC Bitesize clip called ‘Keeping clean’ is worth watching with your child.

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 poses a moral question and makes links to our current computing topic.

Are computer games bad for your health?

We suggest approaching this Talk Time with an open mind. You may already have strong views on this but it’s important to consider both sides of an argument before reaching your conclusions.

Check out these R2s to help you with your discussions at home:

• What are the health benefits of playing computer games?
  • Remember that mental health is crucial to being a healthy person.
• How does playing computer games negatively impact on your health?
  • How could this impact on your physical health?
  • Is gaming always an enjoyable experience?
• Decide which argument is the strongest.
  • This might be the side with the most points to back it up.
  • You might consider some points to be more important than others.
  • You may not agree with people you speak to – that’s okay!

After the discussion with friends and family, what conclusion do you reach? Do others around you agree?

06 March 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

Continue to develop the themes from the previous week. Some drugs can be helpful, like medicines when used in the right way. Some drugs are harmful, even medicines if we use them in the wrong way. Older children can develop this understanding in terms of knowing about some illegal drugs and dangers they present.

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 homework has a Reading theme to celebrate World Book Day. We’d like you to try reading something different to what you’d normally read.

For example:

• If you usually read stories, try a fact book.
• If you like football books, try a poem.
• If you read picture books, try a chapter book.
• If you read fiction, try non-fiction.
• You could even try a magazine, recipe, comic or instructions!

As an extra challenge can you find:

• A new word?
• An interesting fact?
• A question you now have?

27 February 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

Even young children can begin to develop an understanding of drugs. Talk to your child about medicines – they’re helpful drugs, but only when used by the right people in the right way. Older children can develop this understanding in terms of other drugs like alcohol – talk about age restrictions and drinking in moderation.

The BBC Bitesize page ‘What are medicines and drugs?’ 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 homework is another opportunity to listen to and talk about music.

I can talk about different music.

In music lessons this year, pupils have listened to different pieces of music. We’d like you to listen to two contrasting pieces of music and discuss them.

Here are some questions that could help to structure your discussions:

• How does the piece of music make them feel?
• Do you like the music? Why? Why not?
• What instruments can you hear?
• How does the music change during the piece?
• What is different and what is the same between the two pieces of music?

There is some vocabulary below (we call them musical dimensions) which we introduce to pupils in music lessons across key stage 1 and key stage 2. It would be great if you and your child could try to use some of this vocabulary when discussing the pieces.

Finally, here are some links to pieces of music which you may want to listen to:

06 February 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

As well as exploring consent generally, consider permission-seeking and permission-giving when online eg getting permission before taking and sharing images of others.

As a parent / carer, you might want to start seeking permission before uploading images of your child online (‘Shall I share this pic, or would you prefer me not to?’ is one way to ask, for example.)

This BBC Newsround clip talks about the importance of online consent.This BBC Bitesize clip talks about digital consent.

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, our Talk Time is in preparation for Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 10 February. We’ll have a full day of learning based around internet safety. With that in mind, start to think about ways you already keep yourself safe when online.

I can talk about ways to keep myself safe online

Things you might like to consider are:

• Age restrictions – where might you see these and why are these used?
• Digital content – do you know what a digital footprint is?
• Mis information, disinformation and hoaxes – are all things we read true?
• Fake websites and scam emails – are all websites trusted?
• Password safety
• Personal data and keeping it safe online
• Online vs offline behaviour
• Impact on quality of life and having a balance of online and offline activities

Have a conversation with your family and friends about how you already keep yourself safe online. After your conversation, take some time to reflect on yours and others responses. Is there anything that you could change or do differently to help keep yourself even safer online? Is there anything you’d like to know more about?