RATIONALE:

Homework aims to support learning and raise academic achievement by promoting opportunities for independent study.  Homework provides a real opportunity for the partnership between the student, teaching staff and parents.  Homework allows students to reflect on their work in class, extend their subject knowledge and understanding and to engage with subject content, employing personally selected learning styles where appropriate. Homework, as with all aspects of a students work is to be provided, completed and assessed to the highest standard.

All Pre and Post-16 students undertaking accredited courses should expect to complete homework regularly.

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PURPOSES:

·       Homework will provide students with the opportunity to review, revisit, consolidate learning, and broaden their understanding.

·       Homework will, in the majority of cases, be set to address specific needs or tasks and engage students in appropriate learning activities.

·         Homework will support learning through a variety of activities such as preparatory research, background reading, specific learning for assessments, recording class work activities, extension of class work, written or reading tasks, preparation for controlled assessment or coursework.

·         Homework plays an important role in a well-planned examination course.

·         Homework aims to develop good habits in planning, time management and self-directed study.

·          Where appropriate, homework will be differentiated and will, for the most able, require application to other contexts.

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GUIDELINES: 

PRE-16

·          The amount of homework set will vary between subjects and there will be busy times when homework, coursework and revision are required.

·          Students taking GCSE can expect one hour per subject per week to be spent on homework as a minimum.

·          Overload should be avoided by allowing students a minimum of 3 to 4 working days for homework tasks to be completed.

·          If work needs to be set on a shorter time scale, staff should agree this with the students concerned.  For example MFL staff may need to set shorter homework more frequently.

·          Students carry a planner to record and plan their homework.

·          Students achieving deadlines should be encouraged and praised and those missing deadlines on a regular basis must be noted using department or whole school systems. 

·          Parents of students who miss deadlines on a regular basis should be informed through either the Head of Faculty or Subject or the Personal Tutor, depending on which is most appropriate.

·         Where there is genuine cause to do so, it is reasonable to expect staff and students to negotiate deadlines for completion of homework including agreed extension time for specific special cases where this has been discussed.

·         Students can normally expect to receive feedback to homework within 10 working days of the deadline. (See Marking Policy)

·         The college and individual departments will make every effort to communicate the purpose of homework to students and parents.

·         General homework will not solely include ‘finishing off’ classroom tasks.

POST-16 COURSES

·          Students can expect and should be capable of completing a significant amount of their work unsupervised.

·           On all our Level 2 and Level 3 courses students should normally be prepared for a commitment to independent study of 6 hours a week in each subject.

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GENERAL

·       All Subject Tutors, Personal Tutors and Learning Support staff should be fully aware of the college policy on homework.

·    Faculty Team policy on homework should identify subject specific differences in practice and should be made as an addition to the college policy.                                                                                         

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