Homework and Tests

On this page there are some details about the way we set homework and run tests and assessments in the Mathematics Department at Europa.

Homework in S1-S3

In Maths, S1 - S3 will be set homework via the online platform MyMaths. They will be provided with an individual login by their teachers within the first couple of weeks.

Homework in S1 to S3 is provided as an optional extra support to help students and parents practice the key skills. MyMaths auto marks so students can see if they are correct immediately, and they can regenerate the homework with different numbers as many times as they want. Each homework is also attached to an online lesson which can be used too.

Teachers are able to see if students complete the work set, and their results, however they will not be compulsory. This decision has been made as we have found that compulsory homework is more likely to lead students to use AI to 'complete' the work, but when the resources are provided with no requirement for completion, students use them to actually learn. We encourage parents to support their children to access these resources responsibly.

There may be occasions when the teacher deems it necessary or helpful to set a required homework. This might be a completion of work not done in class, or extra practice that is essential to develop mathematical skills. This is up to the teacher's individual professional judgement.

Tests in S1-S4

Tests and assessments are done in two ways based on the Criteria being assessed:

Criteria A is assessed using traditional tests. These are closed book and completed in silence. They will require or ban calculators depending on the topic.
Criteria B, C and D are assessed in different ways. This can include group work and presentations, but normally it involves a written part where students can collaborate but each individual must write up their own responses.

In S1 only, criteria A tests are open book. This helps students develop their notetaking skills, helping to incentivise them to take clear and useful notes from class. It is helpful if parents take some time each couple of weeks to review the work their children have done to support this too.

All formal assessments are conducted in the same way across the year group, in particular the criteria A tests.

Homework in S4-S5

Each teacher will set homework as they think is appropriate for the group they are teaching.

Usually homework is set once per week, with a week to complete the homework. This is normally either collected by the teacher to review, or self marked in class.

We are aware of the issue of AI use, and encourage students to do the work themselves. But this is not a new problem for Maths teachers: students have always copied homework from their friends, and given the nature of Maths, we expect them to all have the same answer!

By using self-marking we aim to put the emphasis on students being accountable for their own work, and not seeing the need to use AI as it is a learning exercise, not a compliance based completion exercise.

It is common for the teacher to use GCSE Maths questions in S5. We do ensure that all students see all MYP eAssessments in class, but it is difficult to share these and there are not as many past papers. Since the content is virtually identical, GCSE Maths papers provide excellent practice of the skills, and are also an important way to prepare for further study at IB DP (or A-Level).

Exam Preparation in S5

In S5 we do fewer class tests as we prepare for the eAssessment. But there are plenty of opportunities for students to practice these:

around November students will do a practice eAssessment in class to become familiar with the programme;
in early January students will have another chance to complete an eAssessment in class;
the mock examinations give students a full experience of taking the eAssessment in exam conditions;
between February and May, students will be given opportunities to complete all active eAssessments on the computer, and older ones will be shared in paper format to practice questions.

Students are also given many opportunities to practice the Investigation.

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