Bedlingtonshire Community High School
Homework Policy
Good homework will raise achievement.
Poor homework can have a negative impact on achievement.
When parents are asked about issues they have with their school, one group of parents will always indicate that too much homework is set, while another will tell you that there is too little.
Summary of Research:Ö Homework leads to improved achievement
Ö Homework should be structured to ensure high completion rates.
Ö There are diminishing returns when time spent on homework becomes excessive.
Ö The nature of the homework makes a difference.
Ö Task orientated has higher effects that deep learning and problem solving homework.
Ö The effects were higher when the material was not complex or if it was novel.
Ö Homework involving higher level conceptual thinking and project based learning was the least effective.
Ö A lot of homework and a lack of monitoring was an ineffective teaching method.
Ö Homework should not undermine a student’s motivation.
Ö Homework should not lead to internalising incorrect routines.
Ö Homework should be frequent and short and closely monitored by teachers.
Ö Teaching does matter when it comes to student learning. The manner in which parents become involved may or may not make a difference.
Ö The effects of homework are greater for higher than low ability students, and for older rather than younger.
Ö For many students homework reinforces that they cannot learn by themselves and they cannot do schoolwork.
Purpose:
The main purpose of homework is quite simply to improve the achievement of all of our students. It does this by:
· Reinforcing what students learn in class.
· Developing students existing knowledge or exposing students to new knowledge in preparation for the next lesson
A secondary purpose is to develop the ability to work independently.
Good homework should
þ be structured to ensure high completion rates.
þ be directly related to a specific learning goal.
þ have a well-articulated purpose that students understand.
þ be varied and meaningful.
þ be marked or given appropriate feedback as soon as possible after it is done.
þ be differentiated – it needs to be appropriate to ability and reading age of the student.
þ be designed so that students can perform it independently.
þ be able to be done by students without the help of a teacher (or parent) overseeing it.
þ be designed so that the student has all the resources (tangible or intangible) needed to complete the homework.
þ be short and frequently given
þ allow all students to be successful.
Homework should not
ý be for punishment or to demonstrate to the public that the school is a serious place of study.
ý be set for the next day
Types of Homework:
Practise
Once students have been successful in being given new knowledge / understanding or skills they need to consolidate this learning through practise so that they can achieve mastery of it.
The goal of practise homework is mastery of a skill or memorisation of knowledge.
Practise homework should only be given for material covered in class.
This type of homework allows students additional opportunities to apply knowledge / understanding / skills learned in class.
Students profit little from practising incorrectly. Teachers must take care to avoid wasted time and ensure students are not reinforcing errors rather than correct knowledge or skills.
It would be good practise to check a few solved problems / or that understanding is there before students leave class.
Preparation
This type of work is most often reading, but it can also consist of library or internet research, completing a pre-test, gathering a number of items from home to bring to class, or answering questions designed to get the student thinking about a specific topic. The goal is to lay groundwork for an upcoming lesson – to introduce new content.
Extension
The most important distinction between extension homework and practise homework is that it applies what has been learned in a new way. It is aimed atproductionof something new, rather than at the kind ofreproductionthat is the focus of much practise homework.
Duty of the RALs
RALs will conduct a scrutiny of homework and its effectiveness twice a year. This will be done in conjunction with student voice to triangulate the findings. Actions will be put into place, if necessary, and monitored until the required improvements are made.
Frequency:
KS3 (20 mins) / Lessons per fortnight / Homework Frequency*Math’s / 7 per fortnight / At least 1 per fortnight
English / 7 per fortnight / At least 1 per fortnight
Science / 6 per fortnight / At least 1 per fortnight
Technology / 5 per fortnight / 1 per fortnight
MFL / 3 per fortnight / 2-3 per ½ term
Art / 1 per fortnight / 1-2 per ½ term
ICT / 3 per fortnight / 2-3 per ½ term
Geography / 2 per fortnight / 2-3 per ½ term
History / 2 per fortnight / 2-3 per ½ term
RE / 2 per fortnight / 2-3 per ½ term
Music / 1 per fortnight / 1-2 per ½ term
Drama / 1 per fortnight / 1-2 per ½ term
KS4 (30 mins) / Lessons per fortnight / Homework Frequency*
Math’s / 8 per fortnight / 1 – 2 per fortnight
English / 8 per fortnight / 1 – 2 per fortnight
Science / 8 per fortnight / 2 - 3 per fortnight
Option Subjects / 5 per fortnight / 1 per fortnight
RE / 2 per fortnight / 2 per ½ term
VI Form (60 mins)
Each subject should give homework twice each week.
Study work should also be given for use during their study periods
* If a longer piece of work is to be set then adjust the frequency. So for example if English were to set a piece of extended writing then they might give a fortnight to do this.
Revision Record of Final VersionsAuthor / Creation Date / Version / Status
School / 20/06/2013 / 1.0 / Final version agreed by Curriculum and Staffing committee
Changed by / Revision Date
School / 12/03/2015 / 1.1 / Final version agreed by Curriculum and Staffing committee
School / 18/5/16 / 1.2 / Agreed by Staffing and Curriculum Committee on 19/5/16
School / 2/3/17 / 1.3 / Agreed by Staffing and Curriculum Committee on 9/3/17