Homework

10 July 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know how to cope with change… is our Living and Learning statement this week. Talk about change: big changes and little changes, long-term and short-term changes, changes we can predict and plan for, and changes which are unexpected. What changes has your child already successfully encountered?
BBC Bitesize ‘How to deal with change’ 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:

We’re now a couple of weeks into our final topic of the school year, Design and Technology.

Thinking about the new topic vocabulary, I can begin to use these words at home.

Years 1 and 2:

• design process: the steps that need to happen for something to go from an idea to a finished product
• to plan: to think about and decide how you’re going to do something
• to evaluate: to decide, after careful consideration, how good or bad something is
• felt: a kind of cloth made from wool
• needle: a thin piece of metal or plastic with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread in the other, used in sewing
• thread: a long, thin strand of cotton used in sewing or weaving
• over stitch / whip stitch: a stitch that circles the edge of a piece of fabric

Years 3 and 4:

• product: something that is designed and made
• function: the purpose of something
• design brief: a description of what a new product should do
• design criteria: the precise features a product must have to be successful
• annotated sketch: a detailed sketch labelled with notes (eg dimensions, materials)
• fabric: cloth or other material produced by weaving or knitting fibres
• binka: a firm piece of fabric with holes in to help beginners to sew and embroider
• over stitch: a stitch that circles the edge of a piece of fabric
• running stitch: a line of small even stitches
• template: a tool used to mark out shapes repeatedly

Years 5 and 6:

• design criteria: the precise features a product must have in order to be successful
• innovative: an adjective to describe new or original ideas
• sustainable material: a material is sustainable if it comes from renewable sources and it does not damage the environment
• dimension: a measurement of something in a particular direction (eg height, length, width)
• aesthetic: something about the appearance (eg something can be aesthetically pleasing)
• running stitch: of a line of small even stitches
• back stitch:  a method of sewing with overlapping stitches to form a solid line of stitching
• applique: pieces of fabric sewn or stuck on to a larger piece to form a picture or pattern
• pattern: a repeated decorative design

When having your discussions at home, you could start by explaining the end goal of this topic. What product are you designing and then making? What materials and skills will be required? Refer to the definitions provided when you’re explaining new vocabulary Challenge yourself to see if you can explain them in your own words.10

03 July 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know that people I see in the media don’t always reflect real life… is our Living and Learning statement this week.

Body image is part of self-esteem. It is how you feel about how you look. Body image also includes how you think others see you. Physical appearance shouldn’t really matter too much in contrast to what you might have talked about in the previous week. However, children – like everyone – are exposed to so many images of people in the media: music stars, actors, YouTubers, influencers… Often, these people present an image of themselves that’s far from real life. Help your child become a savvy media critic by talking about bodies on television, in magazines and on the internet. Chat with them about the pictures of models they see in print and online ads. Explain that many of these images are retouched or changed so the bodies appear ‘perfect’.
For children in Key Stage 2, BBC Bitesize talks about a related theme: ‘Understanding the media’.

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 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.

26 June 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I can say one good thing about myself… is our Living and Learning statement this week. Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. These feelings can change as things in your life change, such as going to a new school or becoming a brother or sister. Does your child recognise their strengths? Do they know subjects at school they’re strongest at? Outside school, do they know what skills are they especially good at? Just as importantly, what are their strengths in their character? (Think back to Autumn 2 when we thought about giving and receiving compliments – there’s a link here: does your child accept compliments?)

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 links with staying safe.

 I can talk about how to be safe near drugs (over-the-counter medicines and prescription drugs, for example)

Talk about how to stay safe around medicines and other drugs. Think about what you have learnt in school and discuss why medicines should only be taken when given by a trusted adult, doctor or pharmacist. You could talk about where medicines are stored, why they should never be shared, and what to do if you find medicine that does not belong to you.

19 June 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know the importance of permission (consent) in relationships with friends, peers and adults… is our Living and Learning statement this week. The NSPCC’s Pants are Private message is an important one. It might seem more appropriate for younger children, so find ways to discuss the same message with older children. This NSPCC video clip is definitely worth watch with younger children. Get some tips about Pants Rules for older children.

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:

Year 5/6 only – complete your My Health My School pupil diary from Saturday 20 June for the next seven days and return it to class once completed. Please ensure it is back in class by Monday 29 June.19

12 June 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I seek help if I’m unhappy with a relationship… is our Living and Learning statement this week. Talk to your child about seeking help – this will echo a conversation from a few weeks ago when the Living and Learning statement was ‘I know how to seek help’. Try to encourage self-help first, but make sure your child knows when to ask a trusted adult or organisation for bigger problems. What small problems can your child sort out on their own? It may be a disagreement with a friend, for example. When might your child need more help? For example, if they feel they’re being bullied or forced to do something they don’t like. Encourage the examples to be ones in other situations: school, home, clubs…

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 an L&L theme:

I know how to stay safe in different situations (for example, having a fire plan at home).

This week, talk with an adult at home about how to stay safe in different situations. Think carefully about what you would need to do to keep yourself safe.

For example, you might talk about what you would do if there was a fire. You could discuss how you would get out of your home safely, where your safe meeting place would be outside, what you should do first in an emergency, and who could help you.

05 June 2026

Our whole-school homework this week is:

Living and Learning:

I know the ingredients of a happy and healthy relationship… is our Living and Learning statement this week. Think about what things make a good relationship. You could maybe think of a relationship in different situations: at school, at home and possibly at work. When appropriate, try to explore what makes an unhealthy relationship, too.

For younger children, there’s a range of short BBC Bitesize clips about Relationships to watch and discuss.

Check out the BBC Bitesize page ‘Relationships’ 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, your challenge is linked to our Design and Technology topic. Your task is to design something that solves a problem. The problem could be something you or your family experience, or it could be a problem that affects other people. Think carefully about what the problem is and how your design could help make life easier, safer or more enjoyable. Be creative and remember that even small ideas can make a big difference!

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?