Each half-term, your child will receive a booklet containing knowledge organisers.  Very simply, these are one-sided A4 documents that contain all of the knowledge that students need for the different topics that they are covering in their lessons.  Subject teachers will ask students to learn the information – it might be key words, important dates, or processes, for example – and come back to the Academy ready to complete a short test to demonstrate that it has been learnt.

Considerable research has been done into the ways that Home Learning can improve student performance; one study shows that frequently completing home learning can add the equivalent of an additional year of progress.  Therefore, Home Learning is important.  We have adopted this method of home learning because we know how vital it is for students to secure important knowledge.  By using the knowledge organisers and short tests as the basis for our Home Learning, we are able to make sure that students learn – and retain – vital knowledge.  This is even more important now that, as a consequence of recent curriculum changes, GCSE specifications require students to have developed an extensive body of knowledge throughout Key Stage 3.

We will issue a homework timetable in September that shows how frequently students need to be completing Home Learning.  However, as a general rule, core subjects – English, maths and science – will set the most.  Other subjects will vary depending on how often students have those lessons.  Ultimately, the timetable will ensure that there is a balance across all subjects and that the learning we are asking students to do at home will have a positive impact on their learning in school.

Parents and carers play a vitally important role with Home Learning.  You can support your child by doing some of the following things: checking the Home Learning timetable to see when they should be completing tasks; supporting them to memorise and learn the information on their knowledge organisers; giving them tests to check that they have learnt the information.  This model of Home  Learning is designed to help parents and carers take an active role in supporting their child’s learning.

You can find the knowledge organisers by clicking the link at the top of this page: it will contain all of the Knowledge Organisers, some sample tests to show the style of the tests they will be completing, as well as the Home Learning timetable.