Homework

Homework is set by teachers at Passmores on a regular basis in all subjects in line with the policy that can be donwloaded from the bottom of this webpage.

If you have any questions about the homework you have been set then you can contact Mr King via email.

Homework Policy

This policy was produced in consultation with students, parents and teaching staff. 

1.    Duration of Homework:

Homework allocation should be (when averaged over the course of a week) a minimum amount of:

Year 7                  45 minutes* daily                            3 ¾ hours weekly   

Year 8 - 9             60 minutes daily                              5 hours weekly

Year 10-11          90 minutes daily                              7 ½ hours weekly

These reflect the baseline of Government advised limits.

  •  Parents may sign to say that a pupil has spent enough time on a piece of homework if they exceed these time scales.
  • *45 minutes including 10 minutes reading time (see point six below).
  • In Key Stage Four each GCSE subject sets one 60 minute piece of homework weekly.  Subjects should agree a specific day once a week for setting or allow a completion time of in excess of 48 hours (e.g. to include a weekend).
  • A minimum of two evenings should ordinarily be allowed between the setting of homework and its deadline for completion.
  • In addition to this, SAM Learning will continue to be scheduled as an additional homework on a rota basis by subject.
     

2.    Holiday Homework:

  • In Key Stage Three homework should be set each week and a usual amount set during the week preceding holiday periods.  In Key Stage Four it is much more pertinent to make use of holiday time for the completion of work.

 

3.    Assessment of Homework: 

Homework should be assessed to show pupils: 

  •  how well they have done;
  • how they could do better.

This feedback may be verbal or written.

Peer Assessment is advisable where possible.

Where feedback is about only one aspect of the work the criteria for success should be outlined in advance of completion.

Where homework is set that is more difficult to monitor (i.e. revision in preparation for a test) we would ask to parents to sign to acknowledge that appropriate effort has been made.

The use of online methods to allow drafting and giving of feedback is encouraged as a positive way to assess work and use ICT to improve communication.

4.  Revision:

With the exception of Key Stage Four Art (which requires preparatory work prior to all examinations), no homework other than revision should be set during school examination periods (including mock examination periods). 

In Years Seven, Eight and Nine structured revision tasks should be set prior to any examinations to help students with revision techniques.

The school will provide a “Revision Help Guide”, the aim of which is to support parents/carers in helping their children to revise effectively.  This should include a “How to Design a Revision Timetable” guide.

5.  Guidance to Parents:

It is good practice for individual subjects to provide online guidance and/or a drop-in surgery for parents and students, if project-based work is undertaken.

6.  Reading as Homework:

Years Seven, Eight and Nine students should have a standing homework to read aloud for 10 minutes each day (preferably to a more experienced reader).  A recording card/section of planner will be provided for the more experienced reader to sign.

7.  Project Homework:

  • Subjects may set self-study units in Key Stage Three.  These will cover a part of the curriculum.  Research may form a large part of these units.
  • Incomplete units will trigger a week of detentions.
  • There will be a review opportunity for students and parents to feed back on any project-style homework after completion and assessment. 
  • There will be an annual opportunity for students and parents to feed back on homework more generally.
     

8.  Homework for Students with Special Educational Needs including Able, Gifted and Talented Students:

  • Staff members should have regard to students with Special Educational Needs and A,G&T students.  The demands of work should be checked with the SENCO and the A,G&T Leading Teacher.

9.  Completion of Homework: 

  • Students should be set detentions to complete missing homework but not additionally for the principle of the matter.  These detentions are NOT extra lessons for staff and it is incumbent upon students to seek out help prior to a deadline – there will be no right for a student to expect help after they have missed a deadline. 
  •  Staff may require a poor piece of work to be resubmitted.
  • A minimum of ten Passmores Points should be handed out to each class for each set of homework. (e.g.  Staff members are advised to split these points between members of the class for their work).
  • Parents, tutors and subject staff are to continue to work in partnership to monitor the Homework System, as ever, via homework planners.
  • A letter will be kept for homework non-completion and sent half-termly.


Other Matters:

There is a pack of materials created for families including each of the basic items required to do homework for all subjects in Year Seven.  Additional/replacement items may be purchased with Passmores Points.

One model of good practice is to set homework at the beginning of a lesson (where appropriate) to give pupils a “roadmap” for the lesson.

As a statement of intent homework should be either:

  • a rethink of the lesson;
  • an extension of the lesson;
  • a practise of skills currently being taught;
  • preparation for a test;
  • wider research;
  • preparation for the next lesson;
  • work that consolidates learning;
  • coursework;
  • work that is, by its nature, easier to complete outside of the school environment;
  • work that keeps a subject alive between lessons, rather than restricting it to the four walls of the classroom;
  • work that gives a teacher the chance to assess independent learning and assess how well content has “sunk in.”