At Ivydale, home learning is designed to strengthen key skills, nurture independence, and help children develop positive study habits. We work in partnership with families to ensure pupils are supported, challenged, and confident in their learning beyond the classroom.
Reading
All children are expected to read at home every day. Pupils from Reception to Year 3 - and some in Years 4-6 - use books from our graded home-school reading scheme, which supports steady progress in fluency and comprehension.
Older pupils are encouraged to borrow books from their class book corners or bring in books from home.
Spellings and Phonics
Children receive weekly spellings or a phonics activity. We encourage the look, cover, write, check method using cursive handwriting to help secure accurate spelling. Children are tested weekly, and parents can monitor progress in homework books.
From Year 1 onwards, children receive a weekly spelling or phonics activity.
Timestables
From Year 3 onwards, children will have a login to Times Tables Rockstars to practise times tables at home.
Homework Bingo
Every half term, children receive a ‘Homework Bingo’ sheet, offering a mix of literacy, maths, and topic-based tasks. These open-ended, creative or investigative challenges help pupils build independence and research skills. Children choose one task each week. We also share recommended online activities, resources, and local visits to further support learning.
From Year 1, children have a homework book and are expected to use a school book folder to transport homework and reading books. Weekly tasks are handed out on Friday and should be returned on Wednesday.
