No stressing out!

“Workabooks consolidate what the children have done, it’s about building confidence.”
Mrs S Nettey, Head Teacher
Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School, Brent, London

At Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School in Brent, homework had been ‘an issue’ for a long time. “Parents were always complaining about it” says Mrs Nettey, Head Teacher. “So I was always researching the options for homework, trying to find something that would enable us to be consistent across the whole school, that would give the children the right amount of homework to do, but at the same time wouldn’t increase the workload for teachers.”

Mrs. Nettey used the downloadable presentation from the Workabook website to make presentations to both teachers and parents. She also asked – and got – parents to fund the purchase of their child’s own personal Workabook.

The school decided to go over entirely to Workabooks for homework in both literacy and numeracy, beginning in September 2005.

Teachers like the flexibility the Workabooks have brought, “There’s no stressing out, because the book is there as a constant. Not having to come up with your own homework frees up time and allows you to focus on other things.”

Children like them because they offer so much variety, “It’s all in there – they can do their work independently. If they find one task easy, then they can go on and do the next. It’s got no limits.”

For parents and carers, the Workabooks have made it much easier both to get involved; “Anyone can just pick up that book and instantly see how their child is doing. You can see the continuity and progress because it’s all in there in one book” says Mrs. Nettey. She particularly likes the open task questions; “These allow the parents to be involved in the child’s learning and to take it to any extent they choose.”

Her advice to other schools thinking of taking the plunge? “Try them! You can’t go wrong with them.”

Parents are just as happy; since the school switched to Workabooks, complaints about homework have ceased!