Bright and visual!

“For our juniors, Workabooks are an excellent preparation for secondary school and lifelong learning.”
Mrs Mary Foreman, Head Teacher
Dogsthorpe Junior School, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough

Homework at Dogsthorpe Junior School in Peterborough used to consist of ‘scruffy’ photocopied sheets that teachers produced themselves. “These were easily lost along the way and used to come back to us – if at all – in various stages of decomposition.” says Mary Foreman, Head Teacher.

The problem was one of perceived value, she feels, “We were giving them something cheap and tacky and they responded negatively as a result; we had a very low homework return, either because it was lost or just not perceived as important.”

The introduction of Workabooks at the school changed all that. “Workabooks are very bright and visual. They are a quality product that looks good, appeals to the children’s sensibilities and makes them feel valued.” says Mary. Not only do the children take pride in owning their own book but, from a practical point of view, the book format means that homework is far less likely to get lost.

“Workabooks have improved our homework return, they make tracking easier and the teaching assistants can do the marking.”

The teachers value the flexibility of theWorkabook approach; “Workabooks aren’t restrictive – you don’t have to start at page one and work your way through. They’re a resource that you can dip in and out of, choosing homework tasks that match what you have been doing in class.”

Since the introduction of Workabooks, parents and children’s attitudes to homework have changed, as demonstrated by a survey recently carried out at the school. “The feedback was very positive”, says Mary. “Workabooks have raised the profile of homework. Children find them attractive, parents like their ease of use and they’re a quality resource for teachers.”