Stokes Wood Primary School in Leicester used to struggle to implement an effective homework strategy. Deputy head teacher Steve Snelson has now successfully introduced a whole new approach to homework--resulting in over three-quarters of pupils returning homework at a higher standard. It's all centered around each pupil having their own personal book for all their howework. Steve's model involves setting homework using these books in the form of a series of open-ended tasks set to tie in with a specific area of work. The technique actively encourages parental involvement and, because each child responds to the task in their own way, it helps significantly with differentiation. Steve and the other staff spend one full lesson a week assessing with the pupils their completed homework and setting the following week's task. This cuts down on the amount of marking required, and improves the overall assessment of the work.

Video Series: Primary Homework
Release Date 2006