Homework at Grace Academy Solihull

At Grace Academy Solihull we know that a student makes best progress when they continue their learning both in and outside of school, which is why we consider homework to be a key part of our approach to learning here. Research collated by the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that students who regularly engage with and complete homework throughout their secondary school education make an average of five months additional progress compared to their peers. We are also aware that homework needs to be clear and readily accessible for students to be able to engage fully, and that the benefits that this additional study offers is maximised when students receive timely feedback.

Our homework allows students to:

Revise what they have been taught so that they remember it for the long term, and ensure they make outstanding progress. This is supported by our daily retrieval quizzes, alongside bespoke maths and reading support using the Sparx platforms.
Manage their homework and maintain a regular pattern of study.
Benefit from instant feedback and opportunities to improve.
Have the opportunity to further research and explore topics related to the curriculum to develop their cultural capital.

How will my child’s homework be monitored?

As a parent you will be informed of the homework that is being set for your child. We would encourage you to build homework into your evening routines and create time and space for your child to complete their homework. If they are unable to do this at home please let us know and we will make sure they have opportunities to do this at school.

Your child’s teacher will keep track of how much homework is completed and will use this to support your child in lessons. Each half term a student from each year will be awarded the homework award for each subject. There will also be prizes for students who are completing homework on a regular basis including certificates, awards and other prizes.

What if they can’t log on, or would like some more support?

If your child experiences any difficulties in logging in then they should discuss it with their computing teacher and tutor or contact our ICT team at gas-student-ict-support@graceacademy.org.uk

What homework does my child need to complete to help them revise?

We advise that students use the following schedule to ensure they are able to complete homework for all subjects:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

MATHS

HUMANITIES

OTHER SUBJECTS

Sparx Reader and retrieval quizzes on SMHW: <sparxreader.com>

Sparx Reader will be used with all students in Y7 toY9 and provides students with access to age-appropriate texts, targeted towards their reading ability, in order to support them with their reading fluency and comprehension. This platform will have a huge impact on students and will support them in developing their reading and literacy skills. By developing these skills it will provide them with more opportunities to be successful both academically and socially. In addition to this, all year groups Y7-11 will also complete weekly retrieval quizzes on the Satchel One platform which can be accessed via the website www.satchelone.com or by using the Satchel One app on a mobile phone or tablet. Y10 and Y11 will also be set written homework by their class teacher that will support their GCSE.

Sparx Science and SMHW: <https://sparxscience.com/>

We are very excited to announce that Sparx Science is launching this year. We are going to be using this with our Y8 and Y10 students before Christmas and looking to roll this out to all year groups ASAP. This provides students opportunities to access regular retrieval practice and chances to apply their knowledge to assessment style questions. This platform also automatically changes the level of questioning to suit the learners ability so this is accessible for all learners of all abilities. Sparx also identifies any gaps in students learning and addresses and misconceptions providing students with a bespoke learning experience at home. Students in all other year groups (Y7, Y9 and Y11) will be set retrieval quizzes every week using the Satchel One platform. These will support students with retrieving key information and provide additional opportunities for this to be encoded into students long term memory. Students in Y10 and Y11 will also be set additional homework such as past exam questions by their class teacher to support their GCSE success.

Sparx Maths: <sparxmaths.com>

To support your child with their progress in mathematics, all students (Y7-11) will complete home learning using Sparx Maths. Sparx Maths is a platform of over 45000 mathematics questions which are personalised and set for students to ensure that all students are both supported and challenged. Students also receive instant feedback on their work and can view explanatory videos to support with any areas they need to practise. Students will be taught how to access Sparx Maths and complete tasks during one of their mathematics lessons.

Retrieval Quizzes: <satchelone.com>

Home learning at Grace Academy Solihull utilises the online Satchel One platform which can be accessed via the website www.satchelone.com or by using the Satchel One app on a mobile phone or tablet. Students are set retrieval quizzes in history and geography on a Thursday, and then in an additional subject on a Friday for example in KS3 this will be French. This will support them to revise what they have been taught in lessons so that they remember it for the long term and continue to make outstanding progress. These quizzes will automatically be visible to students when they login and students get instant feedback on which questions they have answered correctly. The results from this quiz are then reviewed by teachers who adapt their lessons to address any areas of weakness and build upon students’ strengths.

Additional Homework:

Teachers may also supplement the online homework offer, as detailed above, with additional paper-based homework to stretch your child’s learning.