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Homework

Homework teaches students to work independently and develop self-discipline, as well as encouraging students to take initiative and responsibility for completing a task.

Homework allows parents to have an active role in their child's education and helps them to evaluate their child's progress in close proximity.

 
 
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  • Encourage students to develop the skills needed to learn independently

  • Develop self-discipline in work habits including working to deadlines

  • Consolidate, reinforce and extend the skills, knowledge and understanding developed in the classroom

  • Open up areas of study or sources of information that are not accessible in the classroom

  • Enable students to meet the demands of GCSE and other controlled assignments

  • Prepare students for school and public examinations

What is the purpose of homework at RFSS?

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There is a direct link between 

homework and academic 

achievement. 

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​​Our approach to homework is based on research from the Education Endowment Foundation, which states that homework is:

  • Assisting students to develop skills and attitudes that they need for successful work place and lifelong learning

  • Supporting the development of: good organisation, time management and the confidence to think for oneself

  • Providing teachers with further evidence to ascertain how much of the work in class students have understood and can apply, so that they are better able to plan for progression

How can I support my child’s learning at home?

  1. Timetabling: Get to know your child’s timetable and talk about what they have learned that day in the evening. Make this conversation a routine. If you are not familiar with a subject, get your child to teach you so that they are putting their new knowledge into practice.
  2. Here to Help: Help with homework, but don’t do it for them. Be there to help your child find answers to problems. If your child needs to research a particular subject, help them and guide them when they are looking.
  3. Use what’s around you: Choose programmes that are related to what your child is studying. Ask your child’s opinion about what they have watched. The History Channel and the National Geographic Channel are excellent for this type of content for Humanities subjects, for example.
  4. Equipment: Have a handy ‘toolbox’. Keep a box of pens, pencils, rubbers, and so on. Try to ensure it is as close to ‘real-life’ as possible.
  5. Get them there: Ensure they access the entire day. Any time off from school affects your child’s progress, and any time away from remote learning will also have the same consequences. Make sure your child virtually arrives on time, and give them healthy food to keep their concentration levels up.
  6. Curriculum Knowledge: Get to know the National Curriculum so that you know that your child will study every year. Visit: www.gov.uk/national-curriculum where you will find a section on the National Curriculum which explains which subjects your child will study. There is also a handy app that you can download.
  7. Balance: Learning from home does not need to be for 18 hours a day. Make sure your child has some ‘down time’ and that they aren’t constantly working. Too much work will lead to burnout.
  8. Praise them: We know that working from home can be more challenging than working in school, so reward any positives that arise.



The 4 Pillars of Habit Formation



What might homework look like?

The format of homework may include the following: • Reinforcement of class work. • Research topics and investigations. • Preparation for topic/class work. • Reviewing, redrafting or summarising a piece of work. • Activities related to personal and social development. • Preparation for a presentation. • Activities to support learning vocabulary, concepts and key words. • Preparation for topic test. • Completion of classwork extension activities set within the classroom. • Blended learning.



Revision strategies

Revision is also a key part of home learning, and is encouraged to take place from Year 7 onwards. ‘Studies indicate that there is an optimum amount of independent study of between one hour and two hours per evening, with effects diminishing beyond this point. The quality of the revision and independent study is more important than the absolute quality.’ (EEF) There are several things that you can do to make revision more effective: 1. Get rid of any clutter 2. Keep distractions away 3. Be comfortable (but not too comfortable) 4. Let there be light 5. Set the noise levels 6. Personalise it 7. Make it easy to manage your time 8. Keep your supplies to hand



Creating your own 4 pillars

  1. Identify and acknowledge potential distractions such as television, music, social media, games, mobile phones etc.
  2. Limit access: For your revision period, turn off your phone or put it in a different room, for example.
  3. Work in chunks: Set a specific time limit (20 minutes is the most effective) and then have a break for 10 minutes. Reward yourself in this ten minute interlude.
  4. Engage others: Make sure others do not distract you during this period. Resist the temptation to distract yourself with other people (unless revising together).



Knowing your subjects inside out



What does this look like in reality?



Reading