We encourage home learning to be a positive and supportive experience that helps children develop independence, confidence, and good learning habits. Activities set for home are designed to reinforce what has already been taught in school and should be manageable within busy family routines. Reading regularly, practising key skills, and talking together about learning all make a valuable difference. We encourage parents to support and encourage their child, while reassuring them that effort is always more important than getting everything right.

At DPS, we focus home learning around reading, spelling and Times Tables. All of these are essential life skills  and are vital in enabling pupils to access our engaging and exciting curriculum.

Reading regularly at home is one of the most important ways you can support your child’s learning and confidence. Sharing books helps to build fluency, vocabulary, and a love of reading, and we encourage children to record each read in their home reading diary. To celebrate regular reading, every five recorded reads earns your child a raffle ticket, which is entered into a draw for the chance to win a book prize. We aim to make reading enjoyable, rewarding, and something children feel proud of both at home and at school.

Spelling homework is closely linked to the Read Write Inc. (RWI) scheme used in school to ensure consistency and progression. Each week, children are given a list of words to practise at home, focusing on the phonics patterns and spelling rules they are learning in class. These words should be practised regularly and will be tested weekly, helping children to build confidence, accuracy, and secure spelling habits over time.