Homework
Homework
Homework is a key aspect of school life and crucial in developing the knowledge and skills of your child as they move from Year 7 through to Year 13.
In Year 7 and 8, students are given Knowledge Organisers which contain all of the knowledge required to be successful in each subject that they study. As well as developing your child’s knowledge, it also allows them to experiment with a variety of different revision techniques, so that when they have end of unit assessments or external examinations in later years, your child will know what revision technique is their most favoured.
They will also be set other homework in subjects such as Maths, English, Drama, Music and Art, in order to develop the skills required within these curriculum areas.
Your child will begin Key Stage 4 in Year 9, and this is where we see a variation in homework expectations. Although many subjects still use knowledge organisers at Key Stage 4, other homework tasks include attempting past exam questions, developing revision resources and undertaking ‘flipped learning’ activities.
Independent Study Work
If your child is unable to attend school due to illness, but you still feel that they are able to undertake work, please see below work which they could attempt in order to develop their knowledge during this time:
Students in Year 12 and 13 will have directed tasks given to them by their class teachers. if your child is unclear on what work they can do, please ask them to email their subject teachers who will be able to support with independent study work.
Microsoft Teams
Many staff members use Microsoft Teams to store class and revision materials which can support your child’s development of knowledge during their time with us. During Core IT lessons, your child will be shown how to access Microsoft Teams and the work that they have been set in their class team.
However, we are aware that students can forget information that they are given, so please see below our remote learning information for parents and our student guide to using Microsoft Teams.
All students in Year 7, 8 and 9 will be provided with Knowledge Organisers at the start of each term. We believe that knowledge organisers will have a positive impact on your child’s achievement and approach to revision, providing them with the best opportunity to be successful during assessments and examinations. Our expert teachers have created our own set of Knowledge Organisers which will be used both at home and during lesson time.
Educational research suggests that knowledge organisers have a significant impact on the progress made by all students, no matter what their academic ability. As a parent wishing to develop their child’s knowledge, it will also provide you with the opportunity to support your child at home, using a consistent approach that will be implemented across all subject areas for Key Stage 3.
Homework will be set on Arbor, and can be seen by both parents and students.
Year 7 and 8
At the start of each term, we will issue each student with a new Knowledge Organiser. This contains all the knowledge that students will be learning in class and will be referred to throughout their lessons. By equipping our students with the core knowledge from each subject, and developing their revision techniques from a young age, this gives them a strong foundation of knowledge which will be built upon as they move into Year 9.
We will be asking students to spend 1 hour a day, 5 days a week, revising 3 subjects as directed by their homework timetable. The only exception to this is when they are asked to complete Sparx work or undertake practical homework for creative subjects.
Teachers will direct students to learn certain parts of their knowledge organiser each week, and students will be informed of this via Arbor. Regular retrieval practice will take place during lessons to allow teachers and students to reflect on how well core knowledge has been learnt. Teaching will then be adjusted based on the outcomes of the retrieval practice, ensuring that knowledge that requires further clarity
to be re-taught.
Year 9
As students move into Year 9, they are encouraged to continue using Knowledge Organisers to support their learning and help them succeed. Knowledge Organisers boost confidence by aiding understanding of how to learn and revise effectively. This is part of a seven-year revision strategy designed to help students retain the core and powerful knowledge required to be successful in each subject.
In Year 9, students should aim to complete at least 1 hour and 30 minutes of home learning each school day. Teachers typically assign one homework task per week, which should take approximately 45 minutes to complete, though this may vary depending on the task and subject. Homework could involve a knowledge organiser activity, an online task, research, or other subject-specific tasks. If no homework is assigned, students are encouraged to review the day’s learning and engage in knowledge organiser activities or consolidate their understanding in a particular subject. Additionally, students should aim to read for two 20-minute sessions each week.