Homework Planner
Every day, your child
must use their planner to record the exact details of their homework tasks.
These can also be viewed via the online platform, Satchel One.
Homework includes:
§ Sparx
for English, Maths and Science
§ Subject
worksheets and tasks
§ Subject
self-quizzing
§ Reading
for pleasure
Sparx for English, Maths and Science
Sparx is an online
platform that your child will use each week to study English, Maths and
Science. Sparx can quickly identify the level that your child is working at in
each subject and will set questions suited to them. It provides additional
questions in areas that your child is struggling with, to help them close their
knowledge gaps.
In Maths, Sparx is set
weekly and students must gain 100% in all tasks. Students must also write their
working out in their Sparx book. Additional support videos are available if
your child is struggling. Students can complete extra work to challenge themselves
via the XP Boost or independent learning sections.
In English, students
must achieve a pre-set number of Sparx reader points each week (Year 7-9 only).
Of course, if they would like to push for extra points, they are welcome to!
In Science, students are
set Sparx questions every fortnight and must score 80% (Year 7-9 only).
Rewards are given out in assembly each week for achievement on
Sparx.
Subject self-quizzing
Your child has been
issued with a Knowledge Organiser. It has been created to help our
students learn a wide range of knowledge, which in turn will allow them to
connect different ideas and apply higher order skills in their lessons. It will
also prepare our students for the new style, more rigorous and challenging,
GCSEs that they will sit in the future. Once a fortnight, your child’s subject
teachers will quiz your child on the essential knowledge that they are expected
to learn.
According to significant
educational research, frequent quizzing has many benefits for memory and
motivation. These include producing better organisation of knowledge, causes
students to learn more from their next study episode, identifies gaps in knowledge
and improves long term retention.
At home, your child
should revise the specific knowledge, as directed by their teachers, using the
highly effective Look, Cover, Write, Check self-quizzing strategy.
The video here provides
guidance on how to do this. Please be proactive and support your child by
quizzing them daily. Your child must bring their Knowledge Organiser to
school every day and take it home every evening.
Reading for pleasure
Year 7-9 students will
read independently each week using the Sparx Reader platform, described above.
However, we encourage all students to read beyond this, to increase their sense
of achievement, build their confidence and develop their vocabulary – but most
of all, for your child to learn to enjoy reading. We encourage your child to
challenge themselves with their choice of reading material. Your child should
try to read a range of fiction across genres with increasing levels of
difficulty. Students visit the school Library in their English lesson each
week, and have the opportunity to borrow books and discuss what sort of book
they might like to try next with our Librarian.
Support
If your child is
struggling with any aspect of their homework then please encourage them to go
and see their tutor or subject teacher. Your child can also attend our after
school Homework Club, which is held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3.30 –
4.30pm in I2. Please contact your child's Head of Year to secure them a
place.