Forestdale Primary School

Home Learning

Expectation 

At Forestdale, we believe that learning at home plays an important role in reinforcing what your child learns in the classroom. To help support your child’s progress, we expect regular weekly home learning across a few key areas.

Here is what we ask families to support with each week:

Spellings

  • Practise spellings from the year group word lists (please see below).

  • These need to be practised regulary and should be applied in your child’s written work.

Maths Home Learning (once a week)

  • Complete maths tasks set by the class teacher.

  • These will help reinforce what has been taught in lessons (see below).

Daily Reading (at least 5 times a week)

  • Your child should read their school reading book aloud to an adult as often as possible.

  • Please sign the reading record each time.

Reading for Pleasure

  • Share a library book or a reading-for-pleasure book with a family member.

  • This could be a bedtime story, taking turns reading aloud, or simply enjoying a quiet read together.

  • This can also be logged in the contact book alongside your daily reading record. 

Times Tables Rock Stars (at least 5 times a week)

  • Practise using Times Tables Rock Stars at least five times a week.

  • Regular use helps build speed and confidence with multiplication facts.

Thank you for your continued support. Please see below for a further breakdown and explanation.

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Spellings

Each year group has a set of spelling words that pupils are expected to know by the end of the year. These are taught through our spelling scheme and are assessed termly.

Children should:

  • Practise their spelling words regularly at home

  • Use them in their writing at school and at home

The aim is not just to memorise spellings, but to understand and apply them confidently in everyday writing. Please visit our English Phonics and Reading page to see the spelling lists for each year group. 

Maths Home Learning

The children will be assigned homework each week using one of the following three apps:White Rose 1-Minute Maths is free. You can access 1 Minute Maths either on a web browser or download the app on to a suitable device. Please click on the White Rose Icon (left) to access the web browser page. The app is available on the App Store, Google Play and Amazon Kindle. White Rose 1-Minute Maths can also be accessed via desktop using a three-word code, which changes each week. This will be provided in the weekly newsletter every Friday for the following week. 

The overview of maths homework can be found on the red year group buttons below. Each week, a reminder of the homework set will also be added to Google Classroom. 

The homework set through Purple Mash and Busy Things can be completed at any point during the week. If the homework set is a White Rose 1-Minute Maths activity, these activities are designed to be short one minute bursts therefore the expectation is that your child completes this activity several times over the course of the week. Additionally, we will also be providing a link each week to a video made available by White Rose Maths. We encourage you to watch this video each week with your child, as it will help to explain some of the learning taking place in the classroom and we hope it will provide you with the information needed to be able to support your child in their learning.

Year  1    Year 2    Year 3

Year 4  Year 5     Year 6 

 

Daily Reading – Reading Records

A quick and friendly reminder:

Please make sure your child reads their assigned book every day.

This book will be one of two types:

  1. A decodable phonics book (specifically matched to the child's phonic knowledge).

  2. A book chosen by your child (as directed by the teacher).

Why repeated reading is key:

You may notice that the phonics book your child brings home is one they've already read at school. This is intentional! Reading a familiar book again is a fantastic way to build their fluency, phonics knowledge, and most importantly, their confidence.

Please use this time to celebrate your child's progress!

After each reading session, please record:

  • What was read (title and pages)

  • How well it was read (fluency, confidence, expression)

  • Any comments or opinions (Did they enjoy it? What happened? Any tricky words?)

Reading for Pleasure – Share a Book Together

One of the most powerful ways to encourage a love of reading is to share a book with your child.

Take time each week to enjoy a book together. This could be a story at bedtime, a non-fiction book on a topic you both enjoy, or even an old favourite from your own childhood. Adults can model good reading habits by reading aloud with expression, asking questions, and showing interest in the story.

You can choose books from:

  • The class or school library

  • Your local public library

  • Your own books from home

Reading for pleasure is not about testing or ticking off pages, it is about sharing the joy of reading. Laugh, wonder, explore new worlds, and talk about what you have read. These moments help build confidence, comprehension, and a lifelong love of books.

Times Tables Rock Stars – Daily Practice

To support your child's development in multiplication and division, we expect daily practice using Times Tables Rock Stars. This platform offers engaging activities that enhance speed and recall of times tables.

How to Access:

Daily Practice Expectations:

  • Frequency: At least 5 times a week.

  • Duration: Approximately 10 minutes per session.

  • Consistency: Regular practice helps improve fluency and confidence in multiplication facts.

Note: If your child has forgotten their login details, please contact your child's class teacher for assistance.

 Google Classroom 

Home learning is uploaded onto Google Classrooms. 

Each child is expected to complete tasks set by the class teacher posted each week.

Please note it is still the responsibility of parents to monitor what children are accessing online at home. We will continue to teach children the importance of being responsible digital citizens and accessing age appropriate material and we appreciate parents supporting this at home with their children.

How Google Classroom Is Used 

Google Classroom has been organised into topics so that it is easy for your child to find the correct home learning.

Autumn Week XX Date XXXX

This will display all the weekly homework such as spellings and maths home learning.

How to Sign in to Google Classroom

 

Homework assignments are to be completed on Google Classroom. 

 

1. Click on Google Classroom   or type in classroom.google.com in to a search engine.

 

2. Google Sign In with your: usernameXXX.306@apps.forestdale.croydon.sch.uk


Important. You must remember to sign out every time. 

 

3. Click on your user icon in the top left hand corner.

Google Classroom Apps 

Google Classroom

 

Google Docs

 

Google Sheets

 

Google Slides

 

Student Quick Guide to Using Google Classroom

 

Please click here for a Student Quick Guide to Using Google Classroom 

 

Student Quick Guide to Using Google Classroom 

Issues and Trouble Shooting  

 If you have any problems with access or use of Google Classroom, please contact homework@forestdale.croydon.sch.uk  and we will respond as soon we can.