In England, there are official government guidelines stating that all children in primary and secondary school should have homework. The recommended amount starts at no more than an hour per week for children in Years 1 and 2, rises to an hour and half a week in Years 3 and 4 and then to 30 minutes a day for Years 5 and 6. In other parts of the UK it is left up to schools to decide when to start some kind of homework and how much.
The usual pattern is that children get set different kinds of homework and it is not all formal written tasks, especially for the younger ones. It may be:
* Sharing a book with a parent or carer, moving towards reading practice;
* Completing a piece of work, perhaps a drawing;
* Informal games, for instance to support mathematical skills;
* Learning and practising a small number of words for spelling;
* As children move through primary school, there will be more structured tasks. They may be asked to do simple research for a topic, using books and computer resources; prepare a short presentation for their class or make something related to class work, try a simple scientific experiment or do some cooking.
Most after-school clubs have developed as a relaxed time for children between the end of school and when parents pick them up at the end of a working day, so it is not automatic that staff will want, or feel able, to give help with homework. Most adults usually feel relatively confident helping with homework given to younger children, but the homework in later primary years - most often the maths - can present more difficulties.
What do children want?
Playworkers share an important tradition of valuing children's views and offering them an experience that enables genuine choice. The response to homework should not overturn this good practice. After-school teams I have spoken to find that children often do not want to do their homework in the evening, any more than their parents want to face this task after a long day. But neither do children want their club to slip into being a sneaky extension of school. They want a quiet place where they can do their homework with encouragement and help, but they don't want to feel harassed - and they want plenty of remaining time to play and chat with friends.
Even clubs set up specifically for homework need to look at the balance for children. Diane Sharp and Pauline Hulse are learning mentors with All Saints C of E Primary School in Bradford. Diane and Pauline explain, 'We were set up as a homework club. But we found that children didn't want to spend a whole hour doing homework. We noticed that some children would attend for a few weeks and then not come back.' Diane and Pauline wisely proposed to the children that they divide the hour. In the first half-hour children focused on their homework, with any help they wanted. Then the second half-hour was free choice for play from the activities on offer.
Soon the children were more enthusiastic and kept coming to club.
Communication with parents
An out-of-school team needs to talk with parents so everyone is clear about what happens at the club and what does not. Even clubs that offer full support for homework need to communicate that it is still a shared responsibility with parents - playworkers are not responsible for ensuring that children get top marks in a spelling test, or all the right answers in maths! Open partnership with parents complements the communication with the children.
Ann Turner of the Kids' Club in Ely explains, 'We are clear with parents that we don't take responsibility for children's homework and we don't have enough staff to give lots of help.' Yet Ann also gets across that she and her colleagues will respond if children ask for some input. Families can also see how the club has two quieter areas that some children choose to use for homework. They can access a table with supplies of stationery and a comfortable area with mats where they can read and look at books.
Stacey Hirons is the after-school careco-ordinator at the ACE Centre in Chipping Norton. Stacey and his team focus on the children's opportunities to play and their ability to manage their own time.
Stacey explains, 'It is important that children have choice and spontaneity. If a parent asks, we will encourage a child to do homework in club time but we don't have a set time.' The team recognises the realities of life for primary and secondary school children and they are developing a quiet area suitable for homework. The club shares an area with the rest of the ACE centre where children can access arts materials, books, the computer and table space, but they let parents know that children do not have access to a school library.
Communication with parents may also be written, through a club newsletter or a short brochure. However, it is probably wise to avoid over-jolly approaches, along the lines of 'homework is fun!' After all, many of your children can read and they may tell you sharply that a lot of homework may not be!
Suitable support
Children who want, and need, to get their homework done in club time will benefit from the following:
* A good sized table on which children can spread out their work. It needs to be understood that this quiet area is free of the livelier or louder games. Children need good direct light and warmth - no child will settle to homework in a gloomy or draughty area. Children appreciate a supply of suitable stationery. They will also use books and a computer, if you have them.
* All homework will not require the quiet table. Children may need your art and craft resources to complete drawing work. Your supplies of recycled material or the resources of your garden can be used for simple experiments or observations.
* Children need adult help and encouragement. The task for playworkers is very similar to that of parents. You walk the line between offering enough guidance, but not actually doing work for children, especially on projects or information finding. Your task is to support and encourage, not to take over.
Kellie-Ann Fitzgerald runs Cuddles Eager Beavers in Walthamstow, London.
She says, 'We really aim for a home from home atmosphere. The children have a quiet area with a table where they can do their homework. We encourage them, but with no pressure. We don't always wait to be asked.If children look like they're struggling, we'd offer help.'
Consultation with parents showed Kellie-Ann and her team that most families preferred their children to complete their homework in club time so that everyone could relax more at home. The club are responsive to requests from individual parents that completion of their children's homework is guaranteed.
Kellie-Ann also explains how the team has thought about incentives. For instance, children who have got down to their homework and finished, can get their first choice on the available activities after tea. The club is also organised in ways that recognise how the over-eights can take more responsibility for their homework as well as sharing care of the quiet area.
Jonathan Harvey of Kidscomefirst in Colchester, Sussex, explains that his team has steadily collected a good library of books and makes a clear time for children to do their reading practice. Club workers also help to keep a diary in which there is a record of the books a child has read, with a build-up of colourful stickers and certificates to motivate them as they progress through books. Local schools have commented on the help that the club gives to their pupils.
How to get help
Some playworkers quite reasonably say, 'We're not teachers - how are we supposed to know how to help?' This comment underlines how important it is that you are clear with parents how you support homework. But after-school teams can also access resources that will help to build their confidence.
Primary and secondary schools should have a written homework policy and some produce leaflets for parents which should be equally useful for you, so check with your local schools. You can also use two website sources aimed at parents:
* The Department for Education and Skills in England has The Parents' Centre as part of the website www.dfes.gov.uk/parents.You can download material about helping with different kinds of homework.
* The Scottish Executive Education Department has set up the Parent Zone on its website www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/parentzone.
