Homework & Independent Learning

Homework is an important part of school life, contributing to student progress and attainment. It plays a key role in extending the knowledge, understanding and skills that are developed in school and provides opportunities for students to consolidate, enrich and extend their learning. 

All homework is set on Arbor, to access your account click here – Arbor

As a school we support our pupils in ensuring they are knowing and remembering more. The latest educational research has shown the significant benefits of retrieval practice (retrieving knowledge from long term memory) in ensuring pupils make consistent academic progress. All departments have constructed Knowledge Organisers personalised to our KS3 Curriculum to enable pupils to recap and revise the core knowledge they need to succeed in their lessons and later life. Below are the knowledge organisers that pupils will be using in class and for independent study at home:

Aims of home learning

  • To help all students make progress; 
  • To allow practice and consolidation of the learning done in class; 
  • To extend learning from the lesson, e.g. The completion of past exam questions; 
  • To embed key subject content in long term memory, e.g. The learning of vocabulary, spellings etc. 
  • To reinforce, practise and develop mastery of key skills e.g. Calculations; 
  • To engage in wider reading and research in preparation for future learning; 
  • To allow students to gain and practise the skills and knowledge that they will be required to reproduce in assessment situations such as examinations; 
  • To give students dedicated time to reflect upon learning, correct mistakes and act on feedback to make improvements; 
  • To develop study skills such as independence, self-discipline, time management and working to deadlines; 
  • To encourage students to take pride in their learning 

What support is available to support my child with their homework? 

As a school we provide lots of support to assist all our learners with the completion of set tasks.  Many departments offer lunchtime and after school support sessions, for all Key Stages, with members of staff.  We also have homework club which provides a learning environment with accessible support and resources.   

How can I support my child with homework tasks? 

  • Help your child by going through homework and checking he/she understands what has to be done; 
  • Reinforce and discuss the importance of completing homework in order to make progress; 
  • Provide a suitable environment in which work can be done; 
  • Monitor the completion of homework and contact your s child’s form tutor if they are having difficulties completing set work.hu 

How and where should homework be recorded? 

All our home learning is set on Arbor which can be easily accessed via the school website – Arbor

Arbor is the key to all our students home learning and is also our key communication method between home and school.

Subjects will set their homework on Arbor to be completed in either homework booklets, exercise books, worksheets or online tasks such as quizzes through apps.

Students can access their lesson timetable here which is a students responsibility and must be checked every evening for the next days lessons in order to be prepared and ready to learn.

What type of work is set? 

Homework will always be meaningful, interesting and worthwhile. Homework tasks will vary between subjects 

  • Consolidation of learning by applying knowledge and using skills to answer set tasks 
  • Learning and revision for class tests and examinations 
  • Improving work and responding to teacher feedback. 
  • Learning the spelling and key subject terminology 
  • Research in preparation for future tasks 
  • Practise and develop skills 
  • To practise examination questions. 
  • Completion of controlled assessment and Non Examination Assessment tasks 
  • Comprehension questions related to key learning etc. 

Homework is planned thoughtfully to enable all students to make progress. There is an expectation that regular opportunities for homework will be set in all subjects and as such a prescriptive timetable is not required. The type and frequency of the setting of homework will be monitored closely by Curriculum Leaders and Year Leaders.