Homework Guides for Parents
Why is homework set?
Homework helps students to:
- Extend work done during lessons
- Learn independently
- Practice skills learnt in lessons
- Develop skills of organisation and time management
- Carry out different activities suitable for their age and ability
- Pursue interests further than possible in a teaching group
- Gain from the help which parents and other adults may be able to give them
Some homework may require students to use facilities in the community such as the local library, art gallery or businesses.
Some homework is a single item which can be completed in one evening. Others consist of longer projects which may extend over several weeks.
Homework tasks
Some examples of tasks which may be set are:
- Further practice of work carried out during a lesson
- Research or investigation
- Revision and preparation for tests, coursework, or examinations
- Preparation for work to be undertaken in the next lesson
- Conducting surveys, interviews, questionnaires or visits
- Use of resources or facilities not available during lesson time
- Factual, imaginative or reflective writing
- Illustration or map work
- Use of TV, radio or newspapers
- Completion of coursework assignments
- Learning spellings, poems or quotations
How much homework is set
The amount of homework set will vary and the amount of time and effort a student commits to a task will also vary depending upon their motivation. Some tasks, especially those requiring preparation and research might be completed in a few minutes if not done correctly, while another student might prepare in depth and research extensively, and this might take hours. We are very aware that some students are unable to manage their time effectively, either by spending a disproportionate amount of time on one task, or too little. If this is a problem parents need to contact either the student’s subject teacher, or if a general problem their form tutor. As a rough guide students at Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8, 9) should be devoting about an hour and a half a night to their homework. The sample schedule below shows how a student might organise their time. This sample students might find useful to help them to develop their own homework plan. Tutorials with their form tutor will also help them to establish an effective schedule of their own.
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
|
Maths |
English |
Maths |
English |
Art |
30 minutes |
| Science |
Mod Lang |
Science |
Mod Lang |
Music |
30 minutes |
|
Geography |
History |
Geography |
History |
RE |
30 minutes
|
|
IT |
PSHCE |
DT |
|
DT |
30 minutes |
How can parents help?
It is helpful if you discuss with your child and agree on issues such as where and when homework is completed, whether the radio or television should be on during homework, how much time each evening and weekend should be devoted to homework, what to do when the work is too difficult, and so on.
Some parents may feel that there is little they can do to help with homework, but there are many ways in which all parents can help their children:
- Encouraging and supporting
- Praise and congratulating good work
- Checking presentation, handwriting and spelling
- Testing what has been learnt
- Listening to them read what they have written
- Asking them to explain what they have been studying
Students are given appropriate time to complete homework tasks. It is important that they learn to keep to deadlines. Failure to complete homework may prevent a pupil progressing to a new task in the next lesson.
If a problem arises such as illness or a family engagement which cannot be avoided we ask that students be given a note from home to explain the situation and to avoid unnecessary inquests into why the work was not forthcoming.
Each subject varies slightly in its homework requirements. The remainder of the website shows the kinds of homework set in each subject. Each section is divided into the subject and then into the year group (7, 8, 9).