Homework

The quality of the activity is far more important than the precise amount of time spent doing it. The following times provide a guide to how long students should spend on their homework, per week, for each subject:

• Years 7 should receive between 20 - 30 mins.
• Year 8 should receive between 20 - 45 mins.
• Year 9 should receive between 30 - 60 mins.
• Years 10 and 11 should receive between 30 –-70 mins.

Homework should have clear objectives linked to the work students do in class, this helps make tasks both relevant and manageable. Tasks need to be manageable for both students and teachers and should reflect all students’ abilities. Where appropriate, homework should be differentiated by task and method of completion. 

Suitable tasks could include investigations, self-evaluation, planning, analysis, interviews, simple experiments, essay writing, research, public library visits, drafting, report writing, reading, designing, revision, making a model, drawing, word processing, desktop publishing, extended projects, practising and reinforcing Personal Learning and Thinking Skills and other classroom activities. Wider reading and preparation for class presentations and/or seminars should also be used especially with KS5 students. Game based learning and other internet activities which meet the objectives above are also encouraged.

Homeworks may not necessarily be specific individual tasks set each week, instead they might be extended pieces, lasting several weeks, which the student should work on each week. This provides flexibility as to the nature of the homework which may be set and also encourages students to develop Personal Learning and Thinking Skills, particularly those of time management.

OUR COLLECTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOMEWORK.

STUDENTS WILL:

• Always have their planner and place it on the desk at the start of the lesson or tutor time.
• Use the planner to record their homework. Make sure they understand the task set and record the due date before they leave the classroom.
• Spend sufficient time completing the task to the best of their ability, showing their commitment to learning.
• Hand the homework in on time.
• Write, at the end of every piece of homework, how long they spent doing it and note any aspects of it they found really difficult.

PARENTS AND CARERS SHOULD SUPPORT THE COLLEGE BY:

• Providing a quiet and calm place where students can do their homework; or help students to attend other places where homework can be done, such as homework club, the College or local library.
• Encouraging students and praising them when they have completed homework.
• Expecting homework deadlines to be met and checking that they are by reading, discussing and signing planners each week.
• Keep Bacon’s College staff informed of any problems or concerns relating to homework, by contacting the teacher who set the work, or the Head of Year.
• Writing comments of praise for their child or to highlight concerns to the Teacher, at the end of any piece of their child’s homework.

SUBJECT TEACHERS WILL SUPPORT STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THEIR HOMEWORK BY:

• Ensuring appropriate and challenging homework is set for all ability ranges.
• Ensuring that when appropriate and necessary, homework is assessed and useful feedback about how to improve is given to the student.
• Ensure that homework is correctly recorded in student planners