Atherton High School Approach to Homework

At Atherton High School, we believe it is important to set about making excellent progress in your child’s learning by reinforcing crucial knowledge beyond the classroom.

As such homework at Atherton High School focuses on the essential knowledge your child needs to know and remember during their 5-year journey with us in each curriculum area. Homework is an essential tool in supporting your child to reinforce the essential knowledge delivered during lessons and embed this knowledge in their long-term memory so that they are able to retrieve and link to other pieces of knowledge.

‘The effects are highest, whatever the subject, when homework involves rote learning, practice, or rehearsal of the subject matter.’ John Hattie

To help support this important aspect of their learning students have access to Knowledge Organisers for all subject areas. These Knowledge Organisers will support your child with their homework and help them to prepare for future lessons and any milestone assessment they complete.

Knowledge Organisers

Knowledge Organisers are the ‘go to’ document that contains key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. This knowledge will be laid out in chunks which will contain the knowledge that is taught at each point on the subjects learning journey.

Using Knowledge Organisers at home

• Support with homework

As homework at Atherton High School is based on the retrieval of important knowledge, pupils can use their Knowledge Organisers to support their homework and use them if they have forgotten a key piece of knowledge. Retrieval practice is a powerful technique that boosts learning by recalling information from a pupil’s long term memory. This ensures that the key knowledge that is taught, sticks, and can be retrieved and used at different times.

• Pre teaching

If pupils are able to recall the facts prior to the lesson, then within the lesson they can take this further through application.

• Revision for tests and quizzes

Pupils can use Knowledge Organisers to help them prepare for assessments and quizzes by self-testing at home, to see how much they can remember.

• Vocabulary checks and preparation for spelling tests

Knowledge Organisers can be accessed via the link below. We have paper copies in the library and in homework club. Should you require a hard copy please email enquiries@athertonhigh.com .

How can I support my child with homework?

• Help your child by going through homework and checking they understand what has to be done.
• Reinforce and discuss the importance of completing homework.
• Provide a suitable environment in which work can be done.
• Monitor the completion of homework and contact school if they are having difficulties completing the work set and we will support.

How should you do homework?

• Set up a homework-friendly area, preferably with a table or desk.
• Schedule a regular homework time.
• Remove distractions, such as phone, TV, loud music.
• Let someone at home know what you need to do so that they can encourage you, check completed homework and quiz you on it.
• Take pride in doing your homework.

What is the impact of completing homework?

• Reinforces classroom learning, students will know more and remember more.
• Students who complete homework are 5 months further advanced compared to those that do not. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk
• Improve time management skills.
• Creates a culture and routine of independent learning so students find it easier to adapt to a schedule of regular revision in preparation for assessments.

How often will my child receive homework?

KS3

In core subjects; English, Maths and Science; students will receive homework on a weekly basis. Other subjects will set homework when it is appropriate based on the learning journey of their curriculum, this is because we believe homework has to be meaningful and it must link to the essential knowledge. In addition to prescribed homework’s from subjects it is expected students use their knowledge organisers on a rota to keep on revisiting the essential knowledge they have previously studied in school, techniques for independent revision using the knowledge organisers such as, read, cover, write will support students in being more independent learners and improve their progress in school.

KS4

All students to receive at least 1 piece of homework from each subject once a week. As with KS3, KS4 students are expected to independently use their knowledge organisers on a rota to keep on revisiting the essential knowledge they have previously studied in school and independently prepare for national assessments, GCSE exams.

What does homework look like at Atherton High School?

The range of homework we ask our students to complete is varied and often different in each subject area, however all homework set is linked to the essential knowledge your child has been taught in school. The homework set is aimed at retrieving the information and establishing what your child can remember. Class teachers will then use this information to establish what has been remembered, are there any gaps and subsequently plan more effective lessons.

Typically, the most common types of homework your child will receive are.

• Retrieval practice to support students to remember key knowledge for progression.
• Paper based worksheets.
• Online activities (Educake, Mymaths).
• Independent revision for upcoming assessment.
• Reading Plus – reading development

In addition to the homework set by each subject all students have access to Reading Plus. The programme is available to our students in Key Stage 3 and Year 10 and students are expected to access this for 30 minutes each week. For further information visit the Reading Plus section of the website.

Reading Plus