Homework in the primary school is a subject much debated by teachers, parents and pupils. This paper offers a brief critique of key issues in the current homework debate with particular reference to research literature, theoretical perspectives, educational policy and other professional publications. Consequently, a discourse between homework in academic literature and classroom pedagogy emerges and a number of opportunities for further research are identified. Ultimately, it is argued that whilst a range of work has been published around certain aspects of homework, many complexities remain and conclusive answers are most likely to be found only within the cultural context where the homework is actually undertaken.