Cromwell High School sees Home Learning as a vital part of the partnership between parents and school, but also takes a very flexible view of homework so that it meets each pupil's needs. The most effective homework does not need to be paper based. Our parents do many fantastic things at home that promote their child's learning in school. All of these things we see as "homework". We use our homework system simply to communicate more effectively about the pupil's achievements at home.
Therefore, although homework may be paperbased set work, it may also involve working at home on some of the core skills of communication or everyday numeracy. Pupils, especially some pupils with Autism who like a very clear separation between home and school, may not even realise that they are doing work at home that will support their learning in school. Nevertheless this home learning will be a great support to the pupil's school work. Many pupils with learning difficulties find it very difficult to generalise the ideas or skills that they have learnt in school into the wider, or "real", world. Homework is a vital way for families to support the child/young person maximise the utility of their school based learning.
School also offers parents the opportunity to set their own target for homework, which can be anything to help the pupil grow up or develop. It can even be helping out with basic household tasks such as putting their clothes in the washing basket. School can then reinforce this target and celebrate its success using our merits system.
Elliott shows here how using money in a local shop can be valuable homework.