At Pirbright Village Primary School, we want learning to feel meaningful, balanced and supportive — not just at school, but at home too. A few years ago, we took time to reflect on our approach to Home Learning. After thoughtful discussions with staff, pupils and families, we made some key changes.

We recognised that our previous Home Learning structure wasn’t always having the impact we hoped for. Often, pupils struggled to transfer skills from school to home tasks, or couldn’t recall key learning. In some cases, there was confusion between how certain subjects (especially maths) are taught now compared to in the past, which could unintentionally knock pupils’ confidence.

We also believe childhood should be cherished. Many of our pupils lead wonderfully busy lives beyond the classroom — playing sports, learning instruments, dancing, spending time with family, or simply enjoying being children. Rigid Home Learning routines sometimes caused unnecessary stress and disrupted this important balance.

At Pirbright, we set high expectations for learning every day in school. Our teaching ensures that pupils make strong progress and receive the support they need within the classroom. That’s why we’ve focused our Home Learning approach on reinforcing core skills — such as reading, spelling, number fluency, and topic recall — without overwhelming families.

Our goal is to keep Home Learning purposeful, manageable and flexible. When used well, it can build confidence, spark curiosity, and strengthen the link between home and school. 

With this in mind, our Home Learning process splits the learning into to two key areas.

Essential Learning: This is the expected learning that MUST occur every week. This is broken down into the core elements that pupils need to practice on a regular basis. Pupils must read to a parent and discuss what they have read 4/5 times a week. They must practice spelling rules at home 4/5 times a week. This should include reviewing previous spellings, applying the spelling rule to words that are not on spelling lists and generally writing sentences that utilise the words in context. Finally, we expect our pupils’ mental arithmetic to be practiced 4/5 times a week, with some mental questions. This might mean working on simple addition and subtraction or learning and using numbers bonds when in Key Stage 1 and extends to practicing different times-tables and performing simple problem-solving tasks in their heads for 10mins a day.

Optional Learning: The optional part refers to that the parents’ choice; if you do not have the time over a weekend to complete a task due to other commitments then that is fine, you can save it and do it at a later date without worrying about your son/daughter being in trouble at school. These tasks will supplement learning in the classroom and will generally be practical and fun tasks that can be done over time and enjoyed. Pupils may be asked to make or create things.

When pupils bring in learning they’ve completed at home, we make sure it’s acknowledged and celebrated in meaningful ways. This might include:

• Sharing their work with the class

• Talking about how they approached the task

• Having dedicated time with their teacher to reflect on what they’ve learned

• Showcasing their work on displays around school

We believe that when home learning feels purposeful and positive, it can strengthen pupils’ skills and confidence.

Our core focus for home learning is simple: reading, spelling, and mental arithmetic. These skills are the foundation of so much learning, and regular short practice can make a big difference over time.We also understand that family life is busy. Practising times tables, number facts, or spelling words doesn’t need to be forma — it can happen in the car, during the school run, or even in the supermarket aisle! We want families to feel empowered, not pressured, and for home learning to be a shared, low-stress experience — not a source of tension. By working together in a flexible and realistic way, we can make sure every child continues to thrive. Please look over our Home Learning Guides (see icon above) for each individual year group for some specific guidance and advice.