Parents Zone
Introduction
Homework & Home study
Safe use of the Internet
School Transfer
Dealing with bullying
Coping with SAT revision
Getting to grips with the Daily Numeracy Session
What do SEN intervention programmes & IEP's mean for my child?
What is the National Curriculum?
English as an Additional Language
Introduction
This area of the website is designed for parents who wish to access current information and advice from government and parent sites.
As this area is new, the information is limited at present. However, the area will be expanded soon with new articles. If there is a subject which you would like to see included on this page, please leave a request in the enquiry area and we will do our best to find relevant articles and place them on this page.Please note that these are externally published articles and may not exactly match School Policy. Articles should viewed only as additional information. Back to top
Homework & Home study
Government guidelines on homework give a broad indication of the type of activities and how much time pupils of different ages might reasonably be expected to spend on homework. NB: please read this article in conjunction with the schools homework policy For children at primary schools the guidelines are:
Years 1 and 2 1 hour per week
Years 3 and 4 1.5 hours per week
Years 5 and 6 30 minutes per day
How much homework?
Children should not be expected to spend significantly longer on them than the guide times set out above.
Activities may not take as long as the guide times: that does not matter at all as long as they are useful.
Schools and teachers are expected to organise homework carefully so that children are not expected to do too much on any one day.
What sort of activities should children be doing?
All homework activities should be related to work children are doing at school.
However, homework should not always be written work. For young children it will largely be:
- reading with parents or carers
- informal games to practice mathematical skills
For older children, including children at secondary school, homework may include:
- reading
- preparing a presentation to the class
- finding out information
- making something
- trying out a simple scientific experiment
- cooking
Should parents help with homework?
Generally, schools are very keen for parents to support and help children with their homework.
But there may be times when schools will want to see what your children can do on their own.
It is also important, particularly as they get older, for your children to become increasingly independent in their learning.
However, schools generally take the view that children are likely to get more out of an activity if parents get involved - as long as they do not take over too much.
If you are unsure about what your role should be you should discuss it with your child's school.
They will be very pleased that you are interested and will want to help you get the balance right.
Doing homework somewhere other than at home
Over the next few years, many schools will be given funding so that they can provide opportunities for older children to do homework either at school or somewhere else where there is supervision.
For example a study support centre - such as at a library, or in some places a football club.
Some schools already offer this opportunity; contact your child's school for information.
The Government's guidelines include broad recommendations on homework for children with special needs. Schools are expected to consider carefully the needs of individual children and think about how they can best work with parents and carers to support their learning, including their personal and social development.
Teachers are asked to be careful to ensure that children with special needs in mainstream schools are given good quality homework tasks - rather than just finishing off class work. They should also work with school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (the SENCO) to make sure that the level is right
Ten things you can do to help your child learn outside (and at) school:
- Give your child confidence through lots of praise and encouragement.
- As a parent, you have tremendous power to strengthen your child's confidence - and confidence is vital to learning.
- Specific praise focusing on a particular aspect of their work ("I like the way you have...") is more effective than bland, blanket praise.
Some people argue that to really do well, children - perhaps all of us - need ten-times as much praise as criticism!
- Read to, and with, your child as much as possible.
As part of the National Year of Reading the Government is encouraging parents and carers to read to children, hear them read, or encourage them to read to themselves, for at least 20 minutes a day.
- Encourage children to observe and talk about their surroundings.
Even young children can be helped to read notices and signs, for example, and understand what they mean.
- Make use of your local library.
Look out for special events and services for children.
- Visit museums and places you think your child might find interesting.
Children now have free admission to major national museums and art galleries.
- If your children like watching television, watch it with them sometimes and encourage them to talk about what they have seen. They will get more out of the experience.
- Try to set time aside to do "homework" activities with young children. Schools won't mind if other members of the family join in too!
- Wherever possible, try to provide a reasonably quiet place for children to do homework (or help them to get to other places where homework can be done).
- Encourage your child to discuss homework with you, including feedback from teachers. Practise helping without taking over!
- Try to help your child to see the enjoyable aspects of homework!
For the homework area of the standards site - including guidance for schools on the best ways on encouraging parental involvement with homework:
www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/homweork
Source: www.dfes.gov.uk/parents/learning Back to top
Safe use of the Internet
Internet safety is a prime area of consern for many parents. Below are some government guidelines which may help you determine appropriate home use.
If you are reading this then you are likely to be interested in what you can do. If IT is new to you then perhaps the most important thing you can do is to make sure that you do not suspend your judgement as a parent. Your instincts as a parent are as valid dealing with IT as they are in dealing with the books your child reads, the friends they meet and the TV programmes they watch. The issues are no different - good influences and bad influences, good education and bad education are the same in whatever form they appear. The worldwide web is an incredibly rich resource for everyone. It will not normally be difficult to find things on the internet that interest children, and are both stimulating and educational. But of course there are many websites on the internet which contain material which is unsuitable for children.
However, there are ways that you, as a parent, can allow your child to use the web and still keep control over what they see.
It's up to you to take the responsibility to know what information your child has access to and to guide their use of that information.
One easy way to keep track of computer usage is to keep the computer in a family room, rather than a child's bedroom.
It helps to set up your own family agreement, covering:
- computer access times and costs
- what is inappropriate computer usage
- respect for parental password systems
- any other issues which arise in your family
Older children should be aware of your family policy on violence, unsuitable text and images and unacceptable language. This policy will vary between families and it is up to you to establish the guidelines and limits which are acceptable to you.
If a young child accidentally comes across text or images which are unpleasant or disturbing, it is important to reassure them that it is not their fault.
Some sites on the internet offer software which tries to filter out unsuitable content. This kind of software can be useful, but only in addition to and never instead of parental supervision and good education of children about the internet. The technology cannot possibly ensure that no harmful content will get through the filter.
Below are some links to sites which offer advice on safe use of the internet, as well as to some filtering sites.
The Superhighway Safety Pack
This pack gives comprehensive advice about safe use of the internet for parents and schools.
Becta
Becta online information sheets provide:
- an introduction to the ways in which IT can be used to support children's learning
- guidance on the role parents could play in children's computing
- advice on censorship issues, computer addiction and video games
- help in selecting, purchasing and using computer hardware and software at home
- relevant sources of further information and support for parents
Source: www.dfes.gov.uk/parents/learning Back to top
School Transfer
We are aware that Secondary school transfer is of particular interest to parents with pupils in Years 5 & 6, and hope that this information will be of some use.Topics Covered:
- Admissions and Applications
- If your child is not offered a place
- If your preferred school is very popular. Admissions and Applications
Arrangements for admissions are similar across the whole country, but they can differ quite a lot in some important points, including when and how you must apply for a school place.
Timing your application
You will usually need to apply for a primary school place well before your child reaches five - many schools admit children at four.
You will usually need to apply for a secondary place before Christmas in the year before your child is due to start at secondary school.
How admissions are dealt with
Admissions are handled in one of two ways - either by the local authority, or by the school itself.
School admissions handled by the school
If the school you choose for your child deals with its own admissions (sometimes it will be described as being "its own admission authority") you may have to apply directly to the school.
School admissions handled by the Local Education Authority
If you want your child to go to a school for which the Local Education Authority has responsibility - even if it is your second-choice school - you MUST fill in a local authority admissions form, stating your preferred school.
If you do not fill in a local authority admissions form, your child may not be allocated a school place until all those who did state a preference have been offered a place, and it is then possible that your local school may be too full to take your child.
Never assume that your child will get a place at a new school without you having to apply. Even if your child is at a nursery which is linked to an infant school, or at an infant school which is linked to a junior school, you may still need to make an application to move them on to the next stage.
Even then, if a school is very popular there is no guarantee that your child will get a place. Look in the booklet produced by the LEA, or in the school prospectus, to see if there have been more applications than places in previous years. For more information on what to do if your preferred school is very popular, click here.
Admission authorities
A school's "admission authority" will deal with your application for a school place for your child. The admission authority will be :
the governing body of the school for foundation and voluntary aided schools; or
the Local Education Authority (LEA) for other state schools.
The admission authority will give you the information you need and make sure you receive an application form. In some areas, all the state schools are included on the same form, or work to a common applications timetable.
Most admission authorities set a deadline for receiving applications, so make sure you send your form back to the right address in good time. Also, find out whether you are expected to provide any extra information to support your application.
Sometimes, if you are applying to a voluntary-aided church school, you may need a letter from your parish priest or minister. Denominational schools and boarding schools are also permitted to interview, but only to assess religious/denominational commitment or suitability for a boarding place.
If your child is not offered a place
Your Local Education Authority must, by law, offer your child a place at a school within reasonable travelling distance.
Most children are offered places at their parents' preferred school. Some schools are very popular, and then not all the parents who apply will get a place for their child. For more information about what to do if your preferred school is very popular, click here.
Parents who are not offered their first preference school will usually be offered their second preference, or, sometimes, another school. Many parents decide that this school will be suitable for their child after all, but some are unhappy with the school place their child has been offered.
If you are unhappy with the school place allocated to your child, for whatever reason, you have a right to appeal against the decision to an independent appeal panel. If you receive a letter telling you that you have not been offered a place at your preferred school, it will also tell you about your right to appeal, and give information about what you should do next. Make sure you make your appeal within any deadline given.
The result of your appeal will depend on the strength of your case. In most admission appeals, the panel goes through two stages.
In the first stage, the panel hears the case put by the admission authority, explaining why it did not offer you a place at your preferred school. The panel decides whether there was a good reason for turning down the application (the phrase sometimes used is "whether the admission would be prejudicial to efficient education or efficient use of resources"). An example might be where the school had very small classrooms and couldn't fit your child in without making the space too cramped for good teaching and learning.
If the panel does decide there was a good reason for turning down your application, it will begin the second stage of the appeal, where the panel hears your case, and why you are appealing against the decision. You can mention all the reasons why that school would be the best for your child, and what special factors justify your child getting in, in spite of the good reason for turning you down. The panel then makes a "balancing judgement", and decides whether the benefits to your child of going to the school you are appealing for instead of the school you have been offered outweigh the bad effects on the school and the other children of having one more pupil in the class. If the appeal panel decides that your case is the stronger, it will uphold your appeal and the admission authority is then under a duty to admit your child to the school.
Different rules apply if your admission application has been refused because the school has reached its legal limit of 30 in a class.
In this type of appeal the panel are only allowed to look at two things. The first thing is whether the admission authority stuck to its own rules which were published in its admission arrangements. If the admission authority broke its own rules, either deliberately or by mistake, then your appeal can succeed, but only if your child would have got in if the rules had been applied properly.
The second thing is whether the admission authority acted unreasonably. The law defines "unreasonable" very carefully in these cases. For the decision to be "unreasonable" it must be completely illogical, or not based on the facts of the case. The facts of the case include the published admission arrangements, the number of applicants, the number of classrooms at the school, and other factors to do with the school or the admission authority. They do not include facts particular to your child or any special reason you might have for wanting your child to go to that school (the convenience of the journey between your home and the school, for example).
You are free to talk about personal factors at the appeal hearing if you want to, but in this type of appeal the appeal panel cannot take them into account unless they are relevant to one or other of the two things they are allowed to look at.
If your appeal succeeds, the admission authority must offer your child a place at the school. If your appeal does not succeed, you can ask the school to put your child on their waiting list (if the school has one), as places sometimes become free after the start of the school year. If you are unhappy about the way the appeal hearing was carried out, you could complain to the Local Government Ombudsman, who might recommend a new appeal.
If you want to know more about appeals, contact the admission authority for the school, or contact the School Admissions Teams in the Department for Education and Skills.
If your appeal succeeds, the admission authority must offer your child a place at the school. If your appeal does not succeed, you can ask the school to put your child on their waiting list (if the school has one), as places sometimes become free after the start of the school year. If you are unhappy about the way the appeal hearing was carried out, you could complain to the Local Government Ombudsman, who might recommend a new appeal.If your preferred school is very popular
The government wants as many parents as possible to obtain a place for their child at their preferred school. Most schools have enough places for each child who applies, but some schools are very popular and receive more applications than there are places available.
As a guide, the Local Education Authority's booklet and the school's own prospectus should tell you whether they had more applications than places in the previous year.
If there are more children wanting places at a school than there are places available, the admission authority will follow a set of rules to decide who to offer places to. These rules (which are sometimes called "oversubscription criteria") must by law be fair and objective, and must be published each year in the school's prospectus and in the Local Education Authority's booklet.
Some commonly used rules for oversubscription criteria include:
- whether your child has a brother or sister already at that school;
- whether you live in the area the school serves ("the catchment area");
- whether your child goes to a nursery or other school linked to the school of your choice (a "feeder school");
- whether your child or your family goes to church (for a voluntary-aided church school);
- whether there are particular medical or social reasons why your child should go to the school;
- how far away from the school you live.
Different admission authorities will use different lists of rules. They should state the order in which they will work down the list, saying what rules they will use as a tiebreaker. For example, if "brothers and sisters" is the first rule, the authority should offer places to all children with a brother or sister in the school before they offer places to anyone else. If your preferred school is very popular look carefully at these published rules and think about what to do for the best. If in doubt, ask your local authority or the school (if it does its own admissions) for advice.
Many admission authorities give priority to parents who make a school their first preference.
It is very important that you read the admissions criteria for all the schools in your area, to assess accurately at which school you have the best chance of gaining a place for your child.
For example, although you may live near to a school, there is no guarantee that you will be offered a place because of this. The school will offer places on the basis of its admission criteria, and distance from the school may not be one of those criteria. You should not risk wasting your first choice by choosing a school where you stand little chance of getting a place.
For example, if your ideal school is very popular and its first rule for allocating places is "brothers and sisters" and your child doesn't have a brother or sister there, you would be wise to state a preference for another school where your application has a more realistic chance of success, and where you will get the benefit of having made the school your first preference.
If your preferred school is very popular
The government wants as many parents as possible to obtain a place for their child at their preferred school. Most schools have enough places for each child who applies, but some schools are very popular and receive more applications than there are places available.
As a guide, the Local Education Authority's booklet and the school's own prospectus should tell you whether they had more applications than places in the previous year.
If there are more children wanting places at a school than there are places available, the admission authority will follow a set of rules to decide who to offer places to. These rules (which are sometimes called "oversubscription criteria") must by law be fair and objective, and must be published each year in the school's prospectus and in the Local Education Authority's booklet.
Some commonly used rules for oversubscription criteria include:
- whether your child has a brother or sister already at that school;
- whether you live in the area the school serves ("the catchment area");
- whether your child goes to a nursery or other school linked to the school of your choice (a "feeder school");
- whether your child or your family goes to church (for a voluntary-aided church school);
- whether there are particular medical or social reasons why your child should go to the school;
- how far away from the school you live.
Different admission authorities will use different lists of rules. They should state the order in which they will work down the list, saying what rules they will use as a tiebreaker. For example, if "brothers and sisters" is the first rule, the authority should offer places to all children with a brother or sister in the school before they offer places to anyone else. If your preferred school is very popular look carefully at these published rules and think about what to do for the best. If in doubt, ask your local authority or the school (if it does its own admissions) for advice.
Many admission authorities give priority to parents who make a school their first preference.
It is very important that you read the admissions criteria for all the schools in your area, to assess accurately at which school you have the best chance of gaining a place for your child.
For example, although you may live near to a school, there is no guarantee that you will be offered a place because of this. The school will offer places on the basis of its admission criteria, and distance from the school may not be one of those criteria. You should not risk wasting your first choice by choosing a school where you stand little chance of getting a place.
For example, if your ideal school is very popular and its first rule for allocating places is "brothers and sisters" and your child doesn't have a brother or sister there, you would be wise to state a preference for another school where your application has a more realistic chance of success, and where you will get the benefit of having made the school your first preference.
Source: www.dfes.gov.uk/parents/choosing Back to top
Dealing with bullying
This article is to help children between the ages of 4-10 who might be getting bullied at school or in the playground. Bullying takes place in many forms- it can be physical like pinching, kicking and hurting someone. Physical bullying can also include picking on someone with an intention to destroy or steal his or her property. Bullying can be mental like completely ignoring and excluding someone and can also be verbal like calling someone names.
Children may often get picked on because they look different or sound different to other children. The favourite haunts for bullies are places like the school playground or even the local playground/library. There are many occasions when parents do not have any idea that their child is being bullied especially if their child refuses to say anything to anyone about it. The symptoms to look out for are:
- Bruises, clothes being torn, personal property being damaged.
- Reluctance on your child's part to go to school - he/she may come up with continuous excuses about not feeling well enough to attend school.
- Being quite subdued - is this quite different to their normal happy behaviour?
If you even slightly suspect that your child is being bullied, please do not ignore your instincts. It is better to be safe than sorry.
For parents
If your child is being bullied, don't feel helpless. This is what you can do:
- Talk to your child to find out exactly what's going on.
- You might not always be able to get them to 'spill the beans' but with a combination of patience and love, you might be able understand from them exactly what is going on.
- With the help of your child, document everything as far as is possible including dates and exact times of when your child was bullied.
- If they are being bullied at school, arrange a meeting immediately with your child's teacher.
- When you go to see the teacher, approach the situation with calmness although that's probably not what you're feeling.
- If the meeting with the teacher is unproductive, book a meeting with the Headteacher.
- Wherever possible, make sure your child is escorted by an adult - trips to and from school, for instance.
- Find out how many teachers supervise playtime in the playgrounds- these places are usually an easy place for bullies to pick on other children without being noticed.
- If the school can't afford more supervisors, maybe it's an idea for you and other parents to volunteer their time to help supervise.
- If there are other children who are also being bullied, try to get their names. Talk to their parents, form an anti-bullying support group. Make sure people (especially the bullied) get to hear about it. Hand out posters giving people a number to contact if they want to talk to someone.
- You'll find that the bullies will soon find themselves outnumbered and in more cases than not, they stop their terrorising behaviour.
For children
Remember you don't have to be bullied! Here are a few tips parents can share with their children:
- Don't ever blame yourself for getting bullied - bullies do not need an excuse to pick on someone. It could be you or anyone else they decide to pick on.
- Don't hesitate to tell someone if you feel you are being bullied - tell a friend and a grownup like a teacher or your parents. Please don?t feel afraid of telling an adult - you're not telling tales.
- Remember bullies are cowards- they will usually trouble someone who they don't think will stand up to them.
- Shock them- Learn to say NO to the bully.
- Don't wander off alone as far as you can help it- stay in a group.
- Don't let the bully win.
What do you do if your child is the school bully?
Almost as bad as your child being bullied, is a scenario where your child is the school/local bully. In cases like this, parents must pay urgent attention to it not only for the sake of their own child but also for the sake of other children. Speak to their teacher and see if there's anything you can do.Speak to your child - he/she may be bullying others in an attempt to get attention. If there are other children involved in the 'bully gang', speak to their parents - they maybe as anxious as you to put an end to the bullying problem.
There are occasions when, for one reason or another, parents may not be able to help their children or may not know what to do. Fortunately, there are organisations and groups that deal specifically with bullying and can give advice and help on how to overcome it.
So who else can help with bullying?
Organisations that can offer some help and advice are Childline on 0800 111111 or Kidscape on 0207 730 3300 or the anti- bullying campaign on 0207 3781446.
Bullying as we can see is an extremely serious problem and no instances of bullying should be treated lightly. Hopefully, with help from within the community, you can overcome the problem.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents Back to top
Coping with SAT revision
SATs can be a stressful time for both parents and pupils alike.This article from the BBC Education site offers a parents perspective on helping your child during this time. Every parent I know wants the best for their child.
They want their children to do well at school, in sport and generally be healthy and happy. When children are young there is a tendency for parents to want to do everything to help them in certain situations. Revision time, particularly before exams, is one such situation. You want your children to do well in their exams. So how do you help them and at the same time make sure that your child is allowed to do 'his or her own thing'?
In this section, we will cover the primary age groups, from 4-11 years of age. In order to help your child, remember the one simple golden rule of Parenthood - PARENTS.
Praise
Activities/Associations
Rewards
Encouragement
Never!
Time Management
Stress Management
Praise
If you have one child in secondary school and one in primary school, you will see that the basic techniques are more or less the same to help your child revise. With young children, the really important thing is praise. Children respond well to praise and this helps motivate them to do better.
One way of engaging children is a fun revision chart with their favourite characters, maybe Tweenies or Bob the builder for the younger age group, Sabrina for slightly older children.
On this chart, set realistic goals and milestones for your child and give them praise when they achieve them. When you praise your child you are acknowledging their effort and making them want to do even better. If they don?t manage to reach a milestone that has been set it isn?t a cause for worry. Find out what went wrong and let your child try again. Do not criticise your child and make them feel they?ve failed.
Activities
Studying is always associated with being boring, but it doesn?t have to be like this.
As a parent you can plan activities with your child. These activities will stimulate them mentally and physically. Have a tea party, organise a sleepover or maybe a walk (weather permitting) for their friends and play some fun educational games. This way, revision still continues but it is in an enjoyable group scenario.
If your child is studying about the Vikings at school, have a game that involves answering questions on the Vikings and a little prize at the end. The advantages of fun learning are that:
It reinforces learning
If your child is still getting to grips with a particular topic, the fact that other people in the group might be facing similar problems, can be a huge consolation.
Associations
Learning through associations always makes it more fun. For example, if your child is learning mathematics, take them to the local supermarket. Let them pick out some items like soap, bread and cereal. You can later refer back to what you bought and how much you paid. Your child will remember this as they are part of the association. Another idea for association could be to relate learning to the songs of their favourite pop star!
Rewards
The idea of a reward works for all ages whether you are 3, 30 or 60!
A lot of the time the biggest reward is ?job? satisfaction at a task well done!
However, most children will gladly put in that extra bit of effort around revision time to get a reward. This could be a promise of camping with friends, a game for their Playstation, an item of clothing, a book or even a trip to see Harry Potter at the cinema.
The reward will obviously vary from child to child with parents judging what incentive works best for their child. Sometimes the child puts in a great deal of hard work but for one reason or another, doesn?t achieve the set goal. You should still reward them for their hard work.
Encouragement
Children progress at different levels and different speeds. Two children of the same age could have completely different abilities. Not all children are ultra confident and some children need to be drawn out of their shells.
Approaching exam time children get apprehensive and nervous about learning and become worried about making a fool of themselves. As a parent, you can encourage your child to learn new things and develop their existing skills. Encourage them to use the internet and look at relevant revision sites (supervised by an adult).
The NEVER rule
A handy hint for most parents is the ?Never? rule. Follow it and revision time need not be the nightmare most parents think it could be.
- Never compare your child to someone who is doing better than him/her.
- Never tell your child that they have let you down.
- Never lose your patience when revising with your children.
- Never tell your children 'at your age I was brilliant' or anything providing comparison to your own study methods.
- Never force your child to study if they are tired.
Time Management
Help your child to work out a revision time-planner. This can be a table which includes the number of hours a day they?re to study with regular breaks. Short, frequent sessions are more productive than one long session. The planner should have a checklist of tasks and a recap session at the end of each day.
Stress Management
The time leading up to exams is one of anxiety and stress. Make sure your child gets plenty of food, sleep and relaxation. Play soft music and avoid constant, unnecessary interruptions to your child?s revision routine. Make sure that if your child is unable to complete a particular task, you don?t make it out to be a big deal. Instead just carry it over to the next day. This way your child will be mentally and physically relaxed.
Everything aside, the main thing to remember is that your child needs you and however difficult things might get, never give up on your child!
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/article_primary
By: Ashvin Suri Back to top
Getting to grips with the Daily Numeracy Session
Many parents have commented how much ways of teaching Maths have changed since the Numeracy strategy was introduced 2 years ago. This BBC article helps to explain the changes.
Current teaching methods for mathematics and even the way that sums are recorded appear very different from those used twenty years ago and parents are sometimes reluctant to help their children with maths homework for fear of doing things in the wrong way. Children however, benefit greatly when parents take a keen interest in their mathematical learning. You can help your child to gain confidence and develop a positive attitude towards mathematics by talking about what has been taught at school and helping your child to notice and use mathematics in an everyday context. This article looks at the ways that mathematics teaching has changed since the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and covers the following areas: what is taught at school, how it is taught and how you can help your child at home What is taught at school?
Primary mathematics is divided into four areas:
1. using and applying mathematics (solving problems, using maths in practical situations)
2. number (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions, percentages, estimation)
3. shape, space and measures (properties of flat and solid shapes, standard units of time, length, weight, capacity)
4. data handling (recording and interpreting information using lists, tables, graphs, diagrams)
The first three are taught from the reception year and data handling is introduced when children enter Key Stage 2 at age seven.
Each area is divided into small units which are taught at appropriate times throughout the primary years until by the age of eleven most children know by heart all the number bonds to 20 and tables and division facts to 10 x 10 and are able to add and subtract decimals, cancel fractions and work out simple percentages. They should also understand and use information in graphs, charts and tables, know when and how to use a calculator, recognise what to do in order to solve number problems, explain their reasoning using correct mathematical terms and judge whether their answers are reasonable.
The National Numeracy Strategy publishes a series of booklets for parents listing expectations for each year. These should be available at your child's school. How is mathematics taught
Maths teaching today aims to help children develop a range of strategies so they can solve problems in the most efficient way. Teaching is often very practical with a high focus on mental calculation and children are encouraged to discuss their work with classmates and their teacher. It differs from much teaching in the past when a topic such as subtraction using tens and units was taught in just one way whether it was the best method to use or not.
From the earliest days your child will be encouraged to learn and use the language of mathematics. This is particularly important in problem solving when words such as total, make, score, and altogether may be used instead of equals. You can help your child with this by playing 'Give me another word for ...' (Try with rectangle, narrow, take away, circle, divide, above, share, and as your child becomes proficient ask for two or more alternative words)
Every mathematics lesson will include mental work. Children are encouraged to learn by heart tables and number bonds then use these known facts to solve other problems. Halving and doubling, rounding up or down, counting on and back, knowing the squares of numbers and recognising prime numbers are additional skills developed during mental sessions. Regular practice also helps children to understand inverse operations such as 3x7 = 7x3; 13 + 7 = 7 + 13 which lightens their learning load. They are taught to picture problems in their heads then work out the best method to use. If your child can recognise that 49 is 1 less than 50 then a sum such as 200 - 49 becomes easy to solve mentally. Asking your child to describe how he/she solved a problem will give you an insight into whether the strategy used was an efficient one or not.
Very few sums are formally recorded in Key Stage 1 although children are encouraged to write down jottings and diagrams to show how they solved a problem. Formal sums are written horizontally as number sentences: 50 - 39 = This layout encourages children to read fifty take away thirty-nine and notice that the sum can easily be worked out in their heads. The same sum written vertically often causes problems because children read units and tens separately rather than seeing 50 and 39 as whole numbers.
As children become older they will have to work out calculations that are too difficult to be done mentally but written methods need to build on secure mental understanding. Once your child reaches this stage encourage estimation of an approximate answer so calculations can be checked for reasonableness. This is particularly important when calculators are used. Always remind your child to look carefully at the problem and decide the best method to use - pictures, mental calculation with or without jottings, structured recording or calculator.
Helping at home
Try some of these to reinforce learning that has taken place at school:
- Sing and say songs and number rhymes with young children
- Look for numbers in the environment - house numbers, car number plates, prices, clocks, weights, phone numbers - and talk about them. Is that number more than... how much change from... what number comes after...
- Add number apparatus to your child's toy collection - counters, a purse full of change, dice, dominoes, a tape measure, ruler, pack of cards, timer, different shapes - and use them to make mathematics come alive
- Play Snakes and Ladders, Cribbage, darts and other games that depend on counting and calculation
- Watch and play sports that involve scoring, timing, counting, measuring
- Invest in a range of maths puzzle books
- Look for patterns and shapes on floors, wallpaper, plants, animals, buildings,
- Shop using money and calculate change
- Cook together and enjoy the result!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/article_primary_18032002.shtml Back to top
What do SEN intervention programmes & IEP's mean for my child?
At Crossways we aim to tailor, where ever possible, the learning environment to a child's learning needs. This article, from the BBC Education site, offers information on SEN and intervention programmes.
The government's drive to raise standards in schools has led to children?s progress being tracked and tested more than at any other time since education became available for all at the beginning of the last century. As a result of this, teachers can easily see if children are having difficulty with a particular area of learning or achieving below expected levels of attainment and an intervention programme can then be put in place quickly to help these children to catch-up. This article covers the six questions frequently asked by parents: What is an intervention programme; What types of interventions are available; How will I know if my child is taking part in an intervention programme; Will my child feel stigmatised if he/she attends a programme; If my child is receiving intervention lessons does it mean he/she has a learning problem; How can I help? What is an intervention programme?
An intervention programme is a series of extra lessons specifically designed to accelerate children's learning. Interventions are usually aimed at remedying particular weaknesses such as difficulty with spelling or problem solving in mathematics and sessions generally revolve around specially prepared materials. Programmes are often fairly short, perhaps a block of 10 x 20 minute sessions or 1 session each week for a term, while others such as Reading Recovery may involve daily half hourly sessions for up to 20 weeks.
Interventions may be delivered to individuals or small groups and are frequently run by teaching assistants who have been specially trained. Some interventions take place in the classroom delivered by teachers and TAs in turn while for others children may be withdrawn to work in another room where it is quieter, particularly if the programme requires concentrated listening.
What types of programmes are available?
The national literacy and numeracy strategies run a series of intervention programmes for children at different stages of development. There are three specific programmes for literacy: Early literacy support for 6 year olds, Additional literacy support for 7/8 year olds and Further literacy support for 9/10 year olds. All three of these give children extra support and practice with reading and writing.
The numeracy Strategy runs Interventions called Springboard for children in Key Stage 2 (ages 7 - 11). Sessions focus on different areas of mathematics some taught by teachers and some by teaching assistants and as with the literacy interventions they are delivered in addition to the normal literacy and numeracy teaching your child receives at school.
Parents with children in year 6 will probably already be familiar with booster programmes in both literacy and numeracy that aim to help children achieve level 4, the expected standard for 11 year olds. These programmes may be run during the day although many schools run them before and after normal teaching hours.
There are many computer delivered intervention programmes in both literacy and numeracy where children can log on individually and work at their own speed. Detailed print outs that highlight children's strengths and weaknesses help teachers to track progress and decide any extra support that may be required.
Schools also run interventions using materials they have developed themselves.
Children requiring more specific support may attend programmes such as Reading Recovery where they receive daily support from a highly trained specialist teacher.
How will I know if my child is involved in an intervention programme?
Schools make it their business to inform parents if children are receiving support, which is over and above that normally offered. You might be informed by letter or an information session may be arranged within school where the programme is explained and any particular support required by you as the parent is discussed. Many of these programmes have homework and additional activities that enhance the intervention itself. With younger children little games might be sent home while for older children reinforcement may take the form of written responses or learning activities.
Will my child feel stigmatised if he/she attends a programme?
The problem is usually the other way round - children who are not involved want to go. These days within school there are so many activities going on in small groups or individually such as cookery, craft, group reading and instrumental tuition that an intervention group is seen by the children as just another school activity. All children enjoy receiving attention in a small group or individually and they usually look forward to these sessions very much and become quite upset when the programme has finished or their progress has been so marked that they don't need to attend any more.
If my child is receiving intervention lessons does it mean he/she has a learning problem?
In the same way that some children grow more or less quickly than others so children develop academically at different rates. Sometimes children appear to plateau out and make very little progress for many months then they make a sudden spurt or they may progress normally in one subject and struggle with another. All children are different and intervention programmes can address a range of different needs.
Many children who attend an intervention programme make good progress, catch up with their classmates and require no further support while others may need to attend a range of different programmes for many years. It is important to remember that all of these programmes aim to help your child to make the best use of his/her time at school.
How can I help?
If your child is taking part in an intervention programme and specific tasks are not sent home then talk to your child about what was covered during a session. Try to use open questions such as how did the session begin today? - rather than - How many sums did you do? - which might lead to a one-word answer. Talking through and revisiting the learning experience with your child is very valuable indeed.
Remember that your child's teacher is the best person to ask for specific advice.
Links to useful sites related to intervention programmes.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/article_primary_18022002.shtml Back to top
What is the National Curriculum?
This article from the DFES aims to provide parents with an overview of the National Curriculum and what your child is taught at school.We suggest that you look at the source address for more information - see end of article. A Parent's Guide to the National Curriculum
Are you ever confused about what your child is learning at school? This section can help answer your questions. Gathered together here is all the information you need to find out what your child is doing at school, and help them with it. It explains exactly what schools teach and why, gives answers to some of the most common questions parents ask about the curriculum, and gives tips for helping with learning.
'What is the National Curriculum and why does it matter to parents?'
The National Curriculum:
- sets out the most important knowledge and skills that every child has a right to learn
- is a framework given to teachers by government, so that all school children are taught in a way that is balanced and manageable, but hard enough to challenge them
- gives standards that measure how well children are doing in each subject - so teachers can plan to help them do better.
The National Curriculum isn't just for teachers and schools: it belongs to everyone. This article will help you understand it, so you can help your child
Stages, years, national tests and tasks
'How does it all work?'
The National Curriculum says when things must be taught by describing broad 'key stages'. The chart below shows the different key stages, and when national tests and tasks are taken:
Age Stage Year Tests
3-4 Foundation
4-5
5-6 Key Stage 1 Year 1
6-7 Year 2 National tests and tasks in English and maths
7-8 Key Stage 2 Year 3
8-9 Year 4
9-10 Year 5
10-11 Year 6 National tests in English, maths and science
11-12 Key Stage 3 Year 7
12-13 Year 8
13-14 Year 9 National tests in English, maths and science
14-15 Key Stage 4 Year 10 Some children take GCSEs
15-16 Year 11 Most children take GCSEs, GNVQs or other national
qualifications
Schools are free to organise teaching within this time as they think best. They create their own plans, term by term and year by year.
Key Stages and National Curriculum Levels
At the end of the National Curriculum key stages 1, 2 and 3 your child will sit national tests and tasks (popularly called 'SATs'). At the end of key stage 4 they will sit national examinations, often GCSEs.
If you would like to order a free copy of one or more of the actual booklets, call 08000 96 66 26, or just complete the online order form you will find within the pages of the Learning Journey guides on this website.
Source: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/parents/curriculum/home.cfm?fuseaction=doc1 Back to top
English as an Additional Language
This article provides information for parents where English is an additional langauge.
Learning support for pupils for whom English is an Additional Language is funded by the DfES through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. The grant is administered locally by LEAs. More information about the grant is available at: http://www.dfee.gov.uk/ethnic/This website contains copies of some DfES leaflets in eleven languages. You can access the leaflets from the home page where they are arranged by language. You can read the buttons in English by holding your mouse over the translated text. The leaflets are all available in English on this site. They are:
'A Little Reading Goes a Long Way',
'Learning to Read and Write at Home and at School',
'Home School Agreements, what every parent should know',
'School Attendance, Information for Parents',
'SEN, A Parents Guide'
'The SEN Tribunal, How to Appeal'.
We have also translated some letters for schools to send home to families who have English as an Additional Language. These cover topics such as permission to go on a school trip, invitation to a Parents Evening and emergency contact details. The letters are grouped by topic and are available in eleven languages, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Somali, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Back to top