According to Richard Walker, a leading educational psychologist at Sydney University, homework at the primary school level has little impact on academic performance.  There is a lot of evidence that quality family time, sports and play-based activities are more impactful after school hours.

At Ripponlea we do not set weekly homework.  At home, and at school, we like students to be engaged in learning rather than simply completing work. It is intentional that we refer to any work that does go home as home learning rather homework.

Home learning is only given when it has a direct link to learning that is happening in the classroom. 

Home learning tasks might involve children researching, discussing a particular inquiry topic with family members, and discussing ideas for a big write session referred to as a talk task. It might also include revising spelling and mathematical concepts taught in class. 

Home learning is purposeful, curriculum-aligned, and appropriate to students’ skill level and age it is designed to help students develop as independent learners, monitored by our teachers and, where appropriate, provide opportunities for parents/carers to partner in their child’s learning.

Reading, or being read to, should remain a constant in every household, but there are times when this is not possible and that’s okay. Families are busy and it is important that time together is enjoyable and as stress-free as possible. Most of all we want to encourage our children to read for pleasure and enjoyment and focus on the meaning of the story rather than how many words they can read correctly. 

Across the school, students have access to a range of technology learning apps. We encourage students to use these at home for brief periods to practice key reading and numeracy skills. These apps include Reading Eggs, Mathletics in Foundation to Year 2, and My Numeracy Portal in Years 3-6. 

Students in Years 5/6 are introduced to developing the routines and habits expected of secondary school students. They learn how to navigate homework routines through Google Classroom, building the habits and commitment to meet homework expectations.

Please see our policy below.

Home Learning Policy