Homework

At Northern Education Trust, we recognise that there is some research-based evidence that homework can have a positive impact on students’ learning and progress and that it is most effective when used as a short and focused intervention e.g. in the form of a project or specific target connected with a particular element of learning.

The purpose of great homework is to:

• provide opportunities for extended practice: Giving students tasks that enable them to improve their fluency and confidence; tasks that support deeper and more fluent recall.
• develop students’ capacity for independent learning: This includes giving students tasks that encourage them to explore subjects in self directed and/or creative ways, to develop a sense of responsibility for their own learning and to prepare for lessons so that teachers’ input is optimised given the time constraints.

With that in mind, we offer a range of homework opportunities for students in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 to support them in their learning beyond the classroom.

Key Stage 3 Homework

At Key Stage 3, there are four strands to homework:

1. Knowledge Retrieval Sheets and the use of Need to Know Books
2. Love to Learn projects
3. Above and Beyond (opportunities to extend your learning beyond the classroom)
4. The use of online resources such as Seneca or Sparx may be used in subjects at the discretion of subject teams when appropriate

Love to Learn Projects

Love to Learn is a project based learning programme that is designed to reinforce classroom learning, build independent study habits, and strengthen your child’s understanding of key concepts. Each half term, students will be given a project brief for them to complete and we encourage students to be creative in their approach to these projects.

Need to Know Books

All students will have access to their Knowledge Retrieval Sheets in their Need to Know Book. This will form the basis of their homework for each half-term. It is expected that students learn the knowledge on their Knowledge Retrieval Sheets off by heart in order to support their long-term memory.

Students can use the following top tips to help support them with using their Knowledge Retrieval Sheets

Above and Beyond (opportunities to extend your learning beyond the classroom)

Opportunities to extend a child’s learning in an individual subject in the curriculum is promoted through our Above and Beyond programme which students are signposted to via their individual class teacher in each subject area.

Key Stage 4 Homework

At Key Stage 4, there are three strands to their homework:

1. Knowledge Retrieval Sheets
2. Revision guides (Year 11) or the use of online learning programmes such as Sparx and Seneca
3. The completion of examination questions based on gap analysis

All students in Year 11 will be provided with revision guides/revision materials for their certificating subjects that will be referred to in lessons. Year 10 will receive revision guides/revision materials for the subjects that are certificating at the end of Year 10. In addition to this, students will be provided access to online learning programmes such as Sparx and Seneca. For subjects that do not have access to online learning programmes, home learning tasks can be provided if deemed necessary. Again, students should be encouraged to engage with these programmes and their participation will be celebrated within each academy.

The completion of examination questions based on gap analysis.

Students in Year 10 and Year 11 are preparing for their GCSE examinations. As such, there is a requirement that they complete examination questions to become familiar with previous examination materials. Teaching staff will design this dependent upon the gaps identified across the previous half term and within the latest STEP assessment.

There are two reasons for this:

1. Homework will be designed to support gaps in knowledge and understanding identified at the most recent STEP assessment and from Assessment for Learning (AfL) within lessons
2. It is key that student workload is taken into account over the holiday period and it is crucial that they do not become overwhelmed with the amount of work that is provided for them to complete

Praise Celebrations

Homework will be acknowledged through the school’s praise culture. Students that regularly complete their homework will be eligible to receive E1s on their report, are more likely to receive ‘Extra Applause for’ and can be celebrated through the PROUD events that take place regularly. In Key Stage 3, there is also a half termly showcase of Love to Learn projects for the school to be able to recognise their work.