Homework is an important element of the learning and teaching processes. It provides pupils with an opportunity for reinforcement. It widens the curriculum to encourage individual work and it supports the development of the skills of independent learning. In seeking to challenge pupils, we must equally be sensitive to the difficulties, which some pupils may experience in coping with the demands of independent working and/or factors outside school, which may mitigate against homework or independent study.
Pupils should be instructed to keep a note of all homework or independent study activities in their planner. The planner issued to younger pupils has been designed and produced to encourage the highlighting of homework, deadlines, examination dates as well as for accessing study tips, recording achievements and other personal information. Parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their child’s use of the planner and its contents.
Homework can take a variety of forms. Careful thought should be given to the amount and type of homework being issued. This should vary according to the year stage and the ability level of the pupil. Homework should be available to all students and not restricted to higher ability groupings. Teachers should keep in mind the homework demand of other subjects. The setting of realistic deadlines is therefore crucial.
The work to be done at home should be worthwhile and linked to learning outcomes. Some exercises may be set to reinforce what has been taught in class, to prepare pupils for a revision assessment, to encourage research skills or to fire a pupil’s imagination encouraging them to accept responsibility for their own learning.
The Curriculum Leader has a key responsibility in monitoring the range, volume, regularity and appropriateness of the departmental programme on homework.
The class teacher should keep a record of all homework issued. A record should also be kept of pupils who fail to do homework and should be the basis of a referral to the Curriculum Leader, Pastoral Care Teacher and where appropriate SMT.
Please note: if pupils are to be issued with teaching resources which require to go home, it is legitimate that we insist that they exercise proper care of textbooks, diary etc. by bringing a bag to school, covering textbooks, jotters etc.
Where pupils fail to complete homework, parents will be notified and their support enlisted.
1. Homework should be meaningful, achievable and appropriate.
2. All pupils should be provided with a homework jotter.
3. Homework should be set to each class when appropriate. It should be set either at the beginning or middle of a lesson in order to give pupils sufficient time to record it and ensure that they understand the task. If pupils do not have their homework diary to hand, homework should be recorded at the back of the homework jotter.
4. Parents are encouraged to inspect and sign assessments and homework on a regular basis
5. Homework should be set regularly –
S1/2 - Learning homework after most lessons and written homework for each unit within a module
S3/4 - Learning homework after most lessons and written homework fortnightly
S5/6 - Learning homework after most lessons and written homework weekly.
6. Homework should be recorded in teacher’s planner and checked/marked/returned within a reasonable timeframe.
7. Homework should be differentiated, where necessary.
8. Homework may vary in quantity and format.
9. Learning homework (e.g. vocabulary) is to be viewed by staff and pupils as of equal importance to written homework.
10. Homework should not be set for the next lesson, if possible. It should be timed to allow pupils one day in class to check any problems with the class teacher.
11. Pupils should have an appropriate amount of time in class to access dictionaries or help from the teacher.
12. For middle and upper school one week’s notice should be given for the completion of formal homework exercises. Discussion with pupils could avoid a build-up of homework for a particular day.
13. Persistent failure to do homework should be referred firstly to the Curriculum Leader, then Pastoral Care Team, where necessary. Parents should be informed via the Departmental letter.