Home Learning
Home Learning is an invaluable opportunity for pupils to continue their learning outside the timetabled curriculum and is an important element in the ‘Work Hard’ aspect of the Callington Community College ethos.
We want our learners to have well-developed independent study skills, to take pride in and responsibility for their learning and have the resilience and resourcefulness to overcome problems so that they are successful and aspirant learners.
Through relevant and challenging Home Learning, we will support and enhance the curriculum in ways which enable students to develop knowledge, skills, and cultural capital. We aim to inspire intellectual curiosity and enable students to explore their passions and develop their interests. Home Learning is therefore an integral part of learning for all Callington Community College students and serves to strengthen our pursuit for restless excellence.
Home Learning has a positive impact on pupil progress at it will:
- Help students to consolidate their learning through the independent practice of skills and through knowledge retrieval.
- Allow pupils to prepare for future lessons, important assessments and exams.
- Give students the opportunity, support, and guidance to further research the subjects and topics they are interested in.
- Build independent learning skills
- Give parents the opportunity to see what their child is learning and get involved in supporting their child in their learning.
Teachers will set home learning using the online home learning platform Show My Homework. Parents and students are encouraged to download the Show My Homework App to keep track of when home learning tasks have been set and when they are due.
Each home learning task will be carefully designed by the class teacher to ensure that it is appropriate, challenging and accessible for all students. Students will always be given enough time to complete their home learning tasks, enabling them to seek help and advice from their teacher if they need it. Home learning tasks will be varied and aspirational and will encourage students to think critically and creatively about their learning.
Inclusion
All students should be able to access and benefit from Home Learning. It is the responsibility of subject teachers to plan accessible and inclusive home learning tasks which move learning forward for all students.
Subject teachers are expected to know their students and how to meet their individual needs; they should work closely with colleagues in the SEND Department and with parents where appropriate to develop tasks and routines which support students and to ensure that students with SEND are successful.
Teachers should make reasonable adjustments for students who are unable to complete home learning tasks and should endeavour to support students to complete tasks in a way which aligns with their normal way of working (for example, use of a laptop or 25% time added to the hand-in deadline).
Home Learning Club will be available to support students with SEND in their completion of home learning tasks. Students are welcome to attend any session, or may be directed to attend sessions during the week to support their learning and develop their organisational skills and their independence.
Home Learning Support
Students will be supported in completing their Home Learning tasks through our Home Learning Club and Home Learning Support Pathway:
Home Learning Activities and Tasks
Home learning activities will include (but are not limited to):
- Short or long answer questions or pieces of writing
- E-Learning, e.g. via Kerboodle, Sparx or other web-based platforms
- Learning key vocabulary
- Developing coursework (if applicable)
- READING: an invaluable support to learning
- Report writing
- Spellings
- Exam practice
- Revision
- Simple experiments
- Teaching parent(s)/carer(s) what has been studied at school
- Virtual visit to an art gallery or museum
Home Learning Frequency
Years 7-9
Home learning will be set according to each faculty HL policy, allowing, in all subjects at least two days for completion before the scheduled hand-in deadline. Home learning tasks should total around 30 minutes per task.
Years 10-11
Students will be set a minimum of one home learning task per week per subject, and normal submission deadlines follow at least two days later. Home learning tasks should total around one hour per subject, per week (for GCSE Sciences this will be split evenly between Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
Additional tasks may be set to enable students to complete revision or coursework where appropriate.
PSHE, RE, Belief & Ethics and Core PE are not to set homework for KS4 classes.
Years 12-13
Post-16 students will be required to manage their own time and will be issued deadlines within which to complete their work. They will be responsible for their own workload and will be expected to apportion their own time to complete tasks to or ahead of deadlines. Home Learning tasks should total around three hours per subject, per week.
The Role of Teachers, Students and Parents/Carers
The Role of Teachers
- Plan Home Learning so that it is an integral part of their curriculum planning.
- Set appropriate tasks, based on the latest available evidence (e.g. practice-based activities and preparation for future learning).
- Give clearly defined instructions and information needed for the home learning to be completed.
- Develop knowledge, skills and self-regulation in lessons to enable students to complete their home learning.
- Value students’ completed work by providing feedback and recognition.
- Support pupils and ultimately hold students to account if home learning is not submitted on time using the whole school Home Learning Pathway.
- Ensure that students have the appropriate resources required to complete their home learning.
- Reward students where appropriate for effort, attainment and consistent meeting of deadlines (in accordance with College Rewards and Behaviour Policies).
- Maintain home learning submission status on SMHW.
The Role of Students
- Actively monitor the home learning tasks that have been set on SMHW and record when they have submitted to their teacher.
- Ask for help if it is not clear to them what to do.
- Approach their home learning with an Ethic of Excellence, showing effort, diligence and pride.
- Submit their home learning on time and in good presentational order.
The Role of Parents and Carers
We recognise that getting the best out of every student is a joint effort between the College and home. Many parents/carers ask what they can do to help support their child’s home learning. Below are a few suggestions of what parents/carers can do to help their child:
- Check they are organised for school and home learning.
- Provide a reasonable peaceful, suitable place where their child can do their home learning (alone, or with the support of an adult).
- Make it clear that home learning is valuable and support the College in explaining how it can support learning.
- Encourage and praise their child as they complete their Home Learning and check that Home Learning has been completed.
- Encourage their child to attend Home Learning Club if they struggle at home.
- Allow their child to take part in decision-making (and to learn that sometimes this means sacrificing fun now, for benefits later).
- Check Show My Homework daily and check the submission-status of home learning tasks.
- Plan a balanced life (study, fun, other commitments).
Students and Parents/Carers will find all Home Learning set by class teachers on Class Charts.
Sparx
Sparx Maths Homework helps schools to set and manage personalised maths homework for every student. Download the documents below to get started with Sparx.