Homework

All pupils will be provided with Knowledge Organisers or tasks to complete in each subject at the start of each term. We believe that knowledge organisers will have a positive impact on your child’s achievement and provides them with key approaches to revision, supporting them with how to revise effectively at KS4, providing them with the best opportunity to be successful during assessments and examinations. Our expert teachers have created our own set of Knowledge Organisers which will be used both at home and during lesson time.

Educational research suggests that knowledge organisers have a significant impact on the progress made by all pupils, no matter what their academic ability. As a parent wishing to develop their child’s knowledge, it will also provide you with the opportunity to support your child at home, using a consistent approach that will be implemented across all subject areas.

What are Knowledge Organisers?
A knowledge organiser is a set of key facts or information that pupils need to know and be able to recall in order to master a unit or topic within each subject that they study. Typically, a knowledge organiser fits onto one page of A4, helping pupils to visualise the layout of the page, which in turn helps them to memorise the information more effectively. Retention of this knowledge will support your child as they progress through the key stages.

How will I access Knowledge Organisers?
There are two ways in which parents and pupils can access their knowledge organisers. Firstly, each pupil will be given a booklet containing all knowledge organisers and/or tasks each half term. Additionally, all knowledge organisers along with support material will be placed on our website, ensuring that parents and pupils can always access the resources.

How it will work?
At the start of each term, we will issue each pupil with a new booklet. This contains all the knowledge that pupils will be learning in class and will be referred to throughout their lessons. By equipping our pupils with the core knowledge from each subject, and developing their revision techniques from a young age, this gives them a strong foundation of knowledge which will be built upon as they move through school.

We will be asking pupils to spend at least 30 minutes day, 5 days a week, on 3 subjects as directed by their homework timetable. In addition to this, pupils should complete their Sparx Reader and Sparx Maths homework on the Sparx platform. Details of how to log on to this can be found on the link on this page.

Teachers will direct pupils to learn certain parts of their knowledge organiser each week, and pupils will be informed of this via their Homework Planner. Regular retrieval practice will take place during lessons to allow teachers and pupils to reflect on how well core knowledge has been learnt. Teaching will then be adjusted based on the outcomes of the retrieval practice, ensuring that knowledge that requires further clarity to be re-taught.

Where will we complete the homework?
Every pupil will be given an A4 exercise book in which they should complete their homework for all of their subjects. At the beginning of each subject pupils should write the date, subject and box number they have been asked to complete, they should then rule off after each subject. They should use the suggested techniques that they have been shown in class and by using the ‘Knowledge Organiser Guide’ located at the front of their Homework Booklet, the first technique they have been taught is look, cover, write, check, correct. Homework booklets and exercises books will be used in lessons each day, so it is vital that pupils bring them as part of their required equipment for school – this will be checked during Session 0 each day, along with homework completion.

The revision techniques each pupil will be introduced to can be found below.

Revision Techniques
Look - Cover – Write – Check - Correct

Cover up one section of the knowledge organiser and try to write out as much as you can from memory. Check the knowledge organiser to see if you are right; correct any mistakes and fill in any missing information in a different coloured pen. Repeat this process at least twice to fill your page. You could also include content from the previous week’s homework, especially if there were some parts that you struggled with.

How can parents support this process?
Print off and display their homework timetable

Encourage and reward them for completing homework each night

Test them along the way and ask them questions (all answers will be included in the knowledge organisers)

Make sure they bring their Homework Booklet and exercise book to school each day

Encourage your child to attempt different techniques as we introduce them throughout the academic year