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Homework

Whilst at The King’s Academy your child will be set homework, which will be noted in his or her Planner. For Year 7, this will be 60-90mins each evening covering two or three subjects. This will increase in later years of study as students’ capacities for study develop.

It is essential that Homework, including revision for examinations, is done in a place that is as free from distractions as possible and – crucially – that your child has no access to a mobile phone whilst studying. Whilst internet access via a tablet or PC can be helpful for some studies, we strongly advise that in the bedroom there should be no access to internet, TV, video games or telephone at all, to prevent harm to both sleep and studies. Mobile phones are an extremely damaging source of interruptions to studies, and severely impair the learned concentration over extended periods necessary for the deep thinking underpinning effective homework and learning.

Often this is a considerable change from students’ experiences in primary schools, but homework is both valuable and essential. Done regularly throughout a student’s time at The King’s Academy, this could be equivalent to at least an additional year of study, as well as developing essential habits and skills that would otherwise be missing:

  • independent learning
  • self-discipline
  • consolidation
  • research
  • parental involvement
  • practice – learning by doing work not suited to classroom situation
  • a check on learning and progress
  • completion of coursework assignments

We would, then, ask that you:

  • Agree a routine for your child to do his/her homework.
  • Ensure your child has a quiet and orderly place to work.
  • Ensure that he or she has somewhere safe to store books and equipment.
  • Check your child’s Planner at least once per week, and preferably each night in Year 7. The Planner will tell you which homework has been set that day. There is also space for you to write comments to his/her Tutor as necessary, and you are asked to sign at the end of each week.

Students’ homework will be marked and they will be expected to respond to feedback given by the teacher.

If you find that either (a) homework is taking an enormous amount of time each evening or (b) very little is being set, then please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Tutor.  If your child is unable to complete homework for an exceptional reason, then a note from parents is extremely helpful. The Academy will use the BLUE system of sanctions, and will communicate with parents, if homework is routinely not being completed or is being handed in late.

Reports home will be made throughout the academic year, and there will also be an opportunity during the first part of Autumn Term to meet with Tutors and discuss how your child is settling into his/her studies and into the Academy in general.

Having an organised approach to your homework can help to complete work more effectively, meet deadlines and leave you with more free time. Please read the advice below to help you develop an efficient and positive approach to homework.

Minimise distractions – unless you find they help your concentration you should remove distractions such as the TV and music. Make sure you work in a well lit area to help you stay fresh.

Don’t leave your homework until bedtime – try to complete it early while your mind is fresh and you’re less likely to rush the work.

Use a planner to organise your homework each week. Try to allocate a time and place each day to complete your work, which allows you to plan your free time more effectively and not worry too much about fitting everything in.

Don’t wait until the night before your deadline to complete homework. This leaves time to ask for help or advice if you find the work difficult or do not understand a question.

If you’re working for a longer period take a break every hour to keep yourself feeling fresh.

Start with the homework you consider to be the hardest. Leaving this until the end can distract you from the easier work and leave you feeling more tired for the challenging work.

Re-read your work, checking answers are correct, spelling mistakes are removed and identify any grammatical errors.