Homework

At Longdendale, we view homework as a valuable opportunity to enhance our students' learning and prepare them for future challenges. Homework helps to consolidate what has been learned in school, lays the foundation for future independent study, and strengthens the partnership between home and school.

For Students:

  • Check Class Charts daily: log in to Class Charts each day to review and complete your independent learning tasks.

  • Use mastery sheets: access the subject mastery sheets to guide your study.

  • Check school email: log in daily to check for resources and messages from teachers.

  • Develop independent study skills: use these skills to enhance your understanding across all subjects.

  • Read regularly: enjoy a range of reading materials, including your library book and various fiction and non-fiction texts.

For Parents and Carers:

  • Set up your Class Charts account: use your login code to create your account on Class Charts.

  • Monitor homework: log in daily to view your child’s independent learning tasks.

  • Support homework completion: encourage your child to complete their tasks each day and help them develop effective study habits.

  • Promote reading at home: ensure that reading is a valued activity in your home.

  • Discuss academic progress: engage in discussions about your child’s academic progress and use the mastery sheets to help them prepare for tests.

  • Check mastery sheets: use these to support your child's knowledge and recall.

MASTERY SHEETS

We publish mastery sheets for all subjects, detailing the essential knowledge students will learn each week. These are available on the school website and help students to learn the knowledge and enable parents to check this learning.

Homework Commitment

Students commitment to homework is reflected in their understanding and response to feedback. This is assessed and reported each term, with grades ranging from:

  1. Excelling
  2. Engaged
  3. Coasting
  4. Disengaged
Benefits of Homework

  • Accelerates learning: helps students make quicker progress.

  • Encourages independence: prepares students for GCSE exams and independent revision.

  • Provides practice: reinforces classroom skills.

  • Utilises additional resources: allows use of materials not always available in class.

  • Involves family: engages parents and carers in the learning process.

  • Teaches time management: gives students valuable experience in meeting deadlines.

  • Boosts confidence: supports self-esteem and confidence.

  • Links to mastery sheets: helps with long-term memory retention.

How We Set Homework

Whole school policy dictates that homework tasks set should broaden and master the learning taking place in the classroom. Homework tasks should provide students with the opportunity to practise the various skills in any given subject and to further develop their knowledge and understanding.

Students may also be required to complete independent revision at home in preparation for these assessments and exams. The setting of homework tasks should therefore promote and develop these independent study skills.

Staff will inform students of their homework during lessons, and tasks will be assigned through Class Charts. Parents and carers can view task details, deadlines, and resources on this platform. Resources can also be uploaded by staff and accessed by both students and their families. Submission is also tracked and teachers can send reminder notifications to classes, parents and carers.

Students’ independent learning habits will be promoted through the homework tasks set on Class Charts and through study using the mastery sheets. This long-term approach to independent study becomes habitual and the same strategies are embedded in all students by the time they do external examinations in Year 11. All parents can access their child’s homework record via Class Charts. Teaching staff will record for each student whether the work was;

  • Submitted
  • Submitted Late
  • Not Submitted

When homework culminates in a low-level quiz, teachers may select ‘not submitted’ to illustrate where there was a lack of commitment in preparation which is reflected in the score/result achieved.

Students will be given a second chance to submit work before a detention is set for no work submitted or incomplete work.

Homework Frequency

We support the view that a healthy balance between homework activities and other life enriching activities should be maintained. We do not expect homework to be set with a deadline for the following day as routine.

Below is the frequency of homework being set for your child:

Core and EBACC Subjects (Years 7 - 9):

  • English, Maths and Science: Set once a week.

  • History and Geography: Set once a fortnight to ensure one piece of humanities homework per week.

  • Languages: Set once a fortnight.

  • No PSHE or Core PE Homework.

Years 10 and 11:

  • Regular homework: expect an average of one hour per week per subject, including revision for key exams.

  • Structured activities: regularly assigned for exam preparation, including creating revision materials.

Reading and Spelling:

  • Daily reading: aim for 20 minutes of pleasure reading each day.

Each homework task should take approximately 30-60 minutes, but may take longer depending on the nature of the task.