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Review work/Homework
Credible research shows that for secondary school pupils, the impact of homework is consistently positive, leading to an average of five months of additional progress across an academic career. With this in mind, we have aimed for a simple process when homework (which we call “review work” at Cromer Academy, to emphasise that reviewing work is an ongoing integral part of learning and can’t be separate from what is happening in school) is set.
1.) The work pupils will be reviewing will be either:
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‘The Knowledge’ booklets (Years 7, 8 and 9 only)
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GCSE/BTEC Revision guides (Years 10 and 11 only) and/or,
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Online platforms such as Sparx (Maths - click here for advice on how to log in), Textivate (French and Spanish) or Educake (Science and History). All pupils will have access to these online platforms.
2.) When pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 use the ‘The Knowledge’ booklet they should simply write out the question and answer they have been asked to review in the front of their book. They should then memorise this knowledge using a process of look, cover, write (in rough) and check. More information about how to review can be found at the front of the ‘The Knowledge’ booklet.
3.) For online work, it is expected that pupils complete the work as the teacher has outlined.
If work is not completed by the deadline set, with no reasonable excuse, pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 will catch up on any missed work in their enrichment period. Years 10 and 11 in a lunchtime detention.
4.) We will be offering access to computer rooms, at lunchtime, as a quiet workspace for those who wish to complete review work in school.
How will review work be set?
Any review work set by a member of staff will be specific and include how long they would expect the task to take so in History for example in Year 7: Review questions 4, 7,8,9 and 10 on the Anglo-Saxons. This should take around 20 minutes. As ‘the Knowledge’ is being used the pupil will write out the question and answer in their book. In Year 10: Review ‘Hippocrates and Medieval Medicine’ on the Educake platform. This should take around 30 minutes. If your child struggles with any work, please contact the member of staff who set it, for additional guidance and support.
How will teachers check that review work has been completed?
Your child will be quizzed on the review work at the start of a subsequent lesson, the class teacher will also check the work in their exercise book or online platform. This way both the member of staff, and your child, can see what knowledge they have retained, and which knowledge needs further review until it is embedded. This process clarifies that learning does not stop in the classroom and helps pupils to get the information they learn into their long-term memory. Over time it will help avoid the stress that can occur in some pupils who end up ‘cramming’ for tests or public exams and feel so overwhelmed they end up doing very little because there is “too much” to do. So, in the same way, a marathon runner, no matter what their relative skill level wouldn’t simply just run a marathon without prior training, over time, pupils can’t expect to recall and deploy information just by looking at a topic in school once, they need to revisit it periodically, over time, to know it.
How can parents/carers support their child?
From your point of view, review work will help your child to make progress but also develop the independent skills and resilience we all need to succeed in life as we move from being a child to a teenager and beyond. You can support your child in the following ways:
a.) Work with the school to reinforce the message to your child that review work is important and there is an expectation that it will be completed on time. It is in their best interests so that they will make better progress with their learning.
b.) Check your child’s planner. This is where they will make a note of the review work set for that day/week.
c.) Showing interest in your child’s review work, whatever age they are, is important. This will give you insight into what they are learning and how they are progressing. It builds connection, which ultimately will serve to give your child the self-esteem and confidence that will help them succeed.
d.) Set up a designated space for review work. It can be as elaborate or simple as you prefer, as long as there is somewhere that is calm and uncluttered that your child knows is their spot for review work.
e.) Set a routine. If everyone knows review work is completed when they get back from school, or after dinner, then it will soon become a habit that is stuck. Video games/TV/social media or downtime can then be the reward after the review is done.
