At Olga, we refer to homework as “home learning”.
As a parent or carer, you play a vital role in your child’s education and that includes supporting their home learning.
The Importance of Home Learning
Learning at home is an essential part of a good education. Regular home learning allows children to practise and reinforce what they have learned in class, helping them to develop key skills and make steady progress. It also encourages independence and confidence in their learning qualities that benefit them throughout school and later in life.
Home learning activities form an important part of our home–school partnership. All children are expected to take part in the range of home learning tasks set.
How Home Learning Works at Olga
Daily and Weekly Home Learning Tasks
Reading – All Year Groups
From Nursery onwards, children bring books home to share with their parents or carers.
In Reception, children begin to bring home short reading books with a few words. They will have read these books three times in school, so they should be able to read them confidently at home.
Across the school, children will take home books matched to their reading ability. In addition, each child will also bring home a book that is beyond their reading level one for parents to read aloud and enjoy together.
As children grow older, they should read for at least 20 minutes each evening. Reading aloud with an adult remains valuable throughout primary school. Even fluent readers benefit from discussing the story for example, talking about the characters, language choices and key events.
We ask parents and children to record their reading in the child’s reading diary.
Phonics – Early Years and Key Stage 1
Children at the early stages of reading should regularly practise the sounds and tricky words found at the front of their reading books. We also ask that the Little Wandle books are read each night. Supporting materials are available to help you with this.
Spellings – Years 1 to 6
From Year 1 onwards, children are given a set of spellings to learn each week. A few minutes of daily practice is far more effective than trying to learn them all at once. Spellings are carefully sequenced across the school. In Key Stage 1, they are linked to the phonics currently being taught.
Remote Learning
We will use remote learning if your child is unable to attend school due to illness or, in exceptional circumstances, during a partial or full school closure.
Our Remote Learning Platform
We use Google Classroom to share learning activities and resources.
What to Expect
- Core subjects: Your child will receive lessons and activities for English and Maths, and may also have work for other foundation subjects.
- Variety of learning: Activities may include pre-recorded sessions, links to high-quality external resources (such as BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy), and independent tasks — helping to balance screen time.
- Timetables: A daily or weekly timetable will be uploaded to help structure learning and provide clear expectations.
- Flexibility: We understand home learning can be challenging. Work can be accessed at times that best suit your family.
- Support for pupils with SEND: We will continue to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through tailored resources and regular contact with the SENCO.
Our Expectations for Parents and Pupils
To ensure the best possible remote learning experience, we ask that you:
- Establish a daily routine and provide a quiet space for learning.
- Encourage your child to complete and submit their work.
- Contact the school office if your child is ill or if you experience difficulties accessing online learning.
- Maintain a respectful and supportive tone in all communication with staff.Monitoring Engagement and Providing Feedback
- Checking engagement: Staff will monitor pupil engagement through submitted work and attendance at live sessions. Families will be contacted if concerns arise.
- Feedback: Teachers will provide feedback on submitted tasks to support ongoing progress.
Monitoring Engagement and Providing Feedback;
- Checking engagement: Staff will monitor pupil engagement through submitted work and attendance at live sessions. Families will be contacted if concerns arise.
- Feedback: Teachers will provide feedback on submitted tasks to support ongoing progress.
We are committed to ensuring every pupil can access remote education.
If you do not have a suitable device or internet access, please contact the school office so that we can arrange alternative options such as printed work packs or a loaned device.
