Policy Objectives

  • To ensure that Melksham Oak Community School is a “centre of excellence for learning”
  • Therefore, to ensure that all staff are involved in the delivery of homework that is “fit for purpose”.
  • To ensure that homework is both purposeful and challenging.
  • To ensure the principles and values of Melksham Oak Community Schoolinform all aspects of the planning and setting of homework

Policy Outcomes

  • Homework that fully supportsthe agreed Teaching & Learning“TEEP* framework” which promotes creativityin the planning of teaching and learning.*Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme
  • To secure a high quality educational entitlement for all learners.

Key principles underlying our approach to homework

  • As part of the “Review” phase of the TEEP Cycle homework effectively reinforces key concepts and skills learnt in lessons
  • As part of the “Prepare for Learning” phase of the TEEP Cycle, includingthe Flipped Classroom* methodology.
  • All learners are entitled to be presented with learning challenges which take account of their ability to meet the demands of the challenge and which move them towards independence as learners.

*Flipped Classroom – the use of ICT to produce short Multi-Media videos, for example in the form of short online tutorials, that “Present New Information” prior to lessons, thereby freeing up time in lessons for the active-learning phases of the TEEP Cycle of “Construct Meaning” and “Apply to Demonstrate”.

Our beliefs about homework

As a school we:

  • Are committed to setting homework that is purposeful, in that it explicitly enhances the learning experience by “Presenting New Information” prior to the lesson, or “Reviewing” learning after the lesson
  • Are unequivocally committed to developing students’ abilities as independent and collaborative lifelong learners through setting purposeful and challenging homework
  • Believe that high quality homeworkis a contributor to students making “rapid progress”
  • Believe learners should be given opportunities to produce homework in different ways, such as through speaking and listening, through writing, through the use of ICT, the use of images, and through creativity and imagination
  • Acknowledge that learners are different and therefore that homework should be differentiated
  • Acknowledge that learning can be affected by environmental factors, especially background and peer culture, therefore ensure that school provides a homework club to support all students

Expectations of Teachers

In order to deliver the entitlement to high quality homework, and for Melksham Oak Community School to be a “centre of excellence for learning”, as described above in this policy, teachers are expected to;

  • immerse themselves in the methodology of the TEEP framework and exercise the freedom to plan homework creatively within this
  • take responsibility for their own learning about developments in pedagogy affecting homework,for example “Flipped Classroom”.
  • collaborate in the sharing of good practice re homework through coaching activity, as part of the school’s agreed coaching programme
  • plan and prepare homework tasks thoroughly, in accordance with the provisions of this policy (see below) and relevant schemes of work and departmental/faculty policies
  • mark and assess learners’ homework conscientiously, in accordance with the school marking and assessment policy and department/faculty requirements
  • set reasonable deadlines for the completion of homework

Expectations of Learners

In order to secure high quality homework, learners at Melksham Oak Community School are expected:

  • to complete homework to the best standard he/she is capable of
  • to take responsibility for managing his/her own homework e.g. to meet reasonable deadlines
  • to seek and act upon guidance from others about how to raise his/her standards through homework
  • to maintain his/herstudent planner correctly, as a means of managing homework deadlines and recording homework tasks with clarity

Expectations of Parents / Guardians

In order to secure high quality homework, parents / guardians at Melksham Oak Community School are expected:

  • to provide where possible a suitable space in the home for students to complete their homework; or where not possible to direct them to the school’s Homework Club based after the school day in the school library
  • monitor homework and express any concerns to their son/daughter’s Tutor
  • monitor the quality of homework produced and to challenge their son/daughter to produce homework that reflectshis/her best effort

Specific Guidance

a)Planning

  1. Most homework set at Melksham Oak Community School should be supported by appropriate Departmental documentation, which includes long term and medium term plans. These should identify what has to be covered, when key assessment tasks will be attempted by the learners and specify what these tasks are going to be.

However, teachers are empowered to set homework tasks based upon Assessment for Learning feedback and that are set to meet specific learners’ needs

All homework must be “fit for purpose” in that it is:

-well-considered

-differentiated, where possible

-purposeful in that it clearly supports learning

-never simply set as an add-on to lessons or as an afterthought

-rarely set as “To complete the unfinished work from today’s lesson…”

Homework should be supported by the careful use of prior data and knowledge about the learners, to match challenges to ability and need, sound subject knowledge and reference to the medium and long term planning documentation of the Department or Faculty for the course being delivered.

  1. Literacy – Reading Homework

As part of our focus on literacy all students will be expected to read for work and pleasure to support their progress in lessons. This may be as part of a flipped classroom homework task or linked to the books being read in English lessons. Subjects will set homework tasks with links to the themes and narrative of the books being read in Year 7 and 8 English lessons.

b)“i am learning”

Subjects are encouraged to use technology to enhance the engagement with homework tasks, for example many subjects use the VLE and “I am Learning Programme” to set and monitor homework; for example. The mathematics department uses the “MyMaths” programme as a homework tool.

c) From September 2015 homework is set using the Show My Homework on line homework calendar that staff, students and parents can access.

Monitoring & Review

The Deputy Head Teacher – Teaching & Learning will be responsible for:

  • monitoring the application of this homework policy, carrying out self-evaluation as necessary, e.g. in the form of Student Planner audits, Work Samples and Teacher Lesson Plan audits
  • reviewing the impact of homework on learning and student attainment, as well as keeping abreast of developments in pedagogy

Linked Policies and Documents

Teaching & Learning Policy

Marking and Assessment Policy

Faculty Planning Documentation

Assessment policy

Adopted at Full Govs 10.07.2013 Melksham Oak Community School