Home Learning
Home learning is designed to allow pupils to advance in their education by allowing them more in depth study through research tasks and to reinforce skills which have been introduced in lessons. At Sanders Draper students will be set home learning on a regular basis, every three to four lessons.
What makes Home learning effective:
Purpose: all home learning assignments are meaningful & students must also understand the purpose of the assignment and why it is important in the context of their academic experience (Xu, 2011).
Efficiency: homework should not take an inordinate amount of time and should require some hard thinking.
Ownership: students who feel connected to the content and assignment learn more and are more motivated. Providing students with choice in their assignments is one way to create ownership.
Competence: students should feel competent in completing homework. In order to achieve this, it’s beneficial to abandon the one-size-fits-all model. Homework that students can’t do without help is not good homework.
Inspiring: A well-considered & clearly designed resource and task impacts positively upon student motivation.
Cathy Vatterott (2010)
The Role of Students
All students are expected to complete their homework tasks to the best of their ability and submit this to their teacher by the deadline.
Students are to ensure they understand each homework task before they begin each task. If they are unsure of the expectations of a homework task, they will actively ask their teacher for clarification.
The Role of Parents/Carers
Parents can support their child in the completion of their home learning activities by:
Encourage your child to get into a regular pattern of study when they return home
Encourage the completion of home learning when it is set and to manage their time effectively so as to avoid the build-up of tasks, which may have the same deadline
Provide a reasonably peaceful, suitable place in which students can complete their home learning at home. If this is not possible, encourage your child to use the Bronte Centre to complete their home learning
Encourage students to make the most of resources available at the school to support their extension work outside of the classroom.
Make it explicit to students that, as parents, you value home learning and support the school’s policy on this
Encourage students to proof read their homework to make any necessary improvements and praise them when they have completed their homework to the best of their ability
Check the Show My Homework website on a regular basis to support your child in meeting the deadlines that they are set
Sanctions and Rewards
Tracking Missed Homework
Responsibility: The class teacher will track missed homework.
Intervention: Pupils with missing homework will attend a centralised “homework intervention” session. These sessions will be conducted every two weeks within the department.
Repeat Offenders: Pupils who miss three homework tasks per half term in a subject will be required to complete a whole school detention and they will be directed t make use of the before and after school study club which runs in room 20 (8:00 - 8: 40am daily and 3:10-4pm Tuesday to Friday)
Rewards for Homework Completion
Achievement Points: Homework achievement points will be awarded for outstanding work.
Golden Tickets: The top 10 pupils in each year group will receive a golden ticket, which enters them into the end-of-term raffle.
100% Completion: Pupils who achieve 100% homework completion will be recognized and rewarded (details to follow).