Homework

1. Revision is not a task that can afford to wait until Year 11 and 13. We want students to have mastered the knowledge introduced throughout the curriculum to reduce the need to “cram” in an exam year. Homework is considered revision in all year groups. All tasks are designed so that students are learning or practising the knowledge and application that they are taught in school. 

2. The homework strategy is based upon metacognition and so students are taught about the power of retrieval practice, the importance of spacing, and retrieval.  When discussing homework, we also teach students about the actions they can take to improve or hinder their learning.  

3. Homework activities are carefully designed to enable all students to increase their fluency with recall and to be able to apply knowledge.  They are always based on reviewing knowledge previously taught in class and are planned in a way so that all students can succeed with the task set. 

4. For a revision homework, suitable activities include revising through creating revision cards or notes, drawing flow diagrams or spider diagrams, practice of knowledge application or employing strategies to commit learning to memory. Revision homework should be followed by assessment in class. 

5. Open-ended research homework, such as ‘find out about’ or ‘find five facts’ should not be set. It is our responsibility to identify core knowledge and provide this through the curriculum and resourcing, with students taught to learn and retain it. Open-ended research, whilst providing a surface sense of independence, frequently results in low quality work and little genuine understanding or retention, and is inefficient in promoting learning.  

6. In Year 10 and 11 and in the Sixth Form, it can be appropriate to set research tasks where there are clear aims and areas of focus, based on using research skills that have been taught as part of the course. 

7. Homework should be set as outlined below: 
   Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9:   30-40 minutes per week in English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, and 30-40 minutes per fortnight in history and geography
   Year 10 and Year 11:   30-40 minutes per week per qualification 

8. Teachers talk to students about homework in class, explaining what they need to do, so that students are clear and can succeed with homework. 

9. Homework is set via epraise every week in all subjects including the final week of term.  Not setting homework disadvantages all students, but especially disadvantaged students. 

10. Teachers should check homework has been completed, strongly encourage completion to a high standard and log an S1 (homework) when it is not completed. 

11. Students receive feedback on all of their homework, this could be by self or peer-marking, in-class discussion, teacher questioning or teaching marking. 

12. Teacher have high expectations of students and expect students to complete homework to a high standard. If students have not completed homework to the required standard they will be expected to improve it and resubmit it. 

13. Failure to hand in homework after an S1 will lead to an S2 (homework) and class teachers will contact home and offer the student support, if necessary. 

14. Students regularly not completing homework will receive an S3 (homework) and will be required to complete their homework in Homework Club. 

Sixth Form Independent Study  

1. Students will be required to complete independent study for approximately 6-8 hours per subject studied per week.  

2. Independent study will be split into what a student needs to do after each lesson, once a week, once a fortnight, across a half term, across a term and preparation for tests. This will be closely monitored by staff to ensure completion.  

3. Independent study will be reviewing and practicing work that does not require teacher intervention.  

4. A large number of these hours will be completed within supervised study periods. Students will also be able to gain further help with how to study and different study techniques within these sessions to make strong use of their time.  

5. Students will also be encouraged to read around their chosen subjects and complete further study on areas of interest. Many resources will be available to students through Unifrog.