Our approach to home learning at Colmers is evidence-informed and linked to our growing understanding of learning and curriculum design. We want students to know more, do more and be more. We emphasise high profile milestone assessment preparation booklets for every year group to help build a culture in which powerful knowledge is consolidated and learning sticks. Outside of the milestone assessment cycle, students are set extended learning in all subjects to support and consolidate learning.
Our approach to home learning:
• Aligns with our teaching and learning principles, modern technology, and student/parent-carer/teacher relationships.
• Is designed to improve student outcomesthrough developing the retention and review elements of learning, developing independent learning skills, resilience and improving work ethic.
• Is designed to be flexible enough to be used by all year groups, all subjects and across all courses.
• Is intended to make best use of teacher time through efficient mechanisms to support assessment and reduction of administrative burdens
Home Learning
At Colmers, we intend for home learning to be purposeful and effective. Colmers home learning is not an optional extra, but an essential part of a great education and creating effective learners. The expectation is that all students complete home learning whether it is either retrieval and consolidation extended learning or milestone assessment preparation booklets.
Effective home learning should enable students to:
• Consolidate and extend work covered in class or prepare for new learning activities
• Access resources not available in the classroom
• Develop research skills
• Work independently
• Show progress and understanding
• Feedback to teachers what they have understood
• Enhance their study skills e.g. planning, time management and self-discipline
• Take responsibility for their learning
• Engage parent/carer co-operation and support
• Create channels for home school dialogue
In order to ensure students derive maximum benefit from home learning we have designed a programme that separates two different types of home learning within our assessment cycle.
1. Extended Learning: Tasks set frequently to support learning, designed to support retrieval and consolidation of key curriculum content. This is likely to be via SAM Learning or MathsWatch.
2. Milestone Assessment Preparation Booklets: Homework booklets specifically designed to ensure students prepare well for milestone assessments in line with the school’s milestone Assessment Calendar
Extended Learning
Extended Learning will be set for regularly in every subject. In addition, all subjects will signpost students to additional work and/or independent learning resources they may access voluntarily if they wish to get ahead or improve in certain areas of their learning.
Students are expected to complete all extended learning in the knowledge that this will enable them to make better progress in their learning.
Students will be recognised for completing extended learning and staff will report to parents annually on how much extended learning their child is completing. This approach is designed to develop students’ independence and resilience, crucial character traits to ensure they are successful in public examinations and beyond school.
Milestone Assessment Preparation Booklets: Every year group will sit milestone assessments to be reported to parents and carers. The milestone assessments must be set in accordance with the assessment policy.
In preparation for these, each subject will provide a Milestone Assessment Preparation booklet for completion by every student at home in the lead up to milestone assessments. These are designed to help the student revise for the assessment and reflect the style and type of questions that may be asked. They must allow for interleaving as this allows students to practise retention and retrieval.
Milestone Assessment Preparation booklets will be high profile. At the start of each milestone assessment cycle, the booklets will be launched to parents, carers and students with high expectations that this is carefully monitored. Milestone assessment preparation will take place over a three-week period. There will be page/ task deadlines that will have to be met by the students each week. These deadlines will be set through Class Charts. The work will be checked by teachers but might be self-marked.
Parents and carers will be asked to monitor and support the completion of these booklets.
Subject teachers will be expected to help students chunk and organise their Milestone Assessment Preparation home learning as students will have booklets to complete for all of their subjects.
Extended Learning will not be set during milestone assessment windows.
All students study a core curriculum of English, Maths, Science, Religious Studies, PE and PSHE. We then offer a strong mix of academic and vocational options to enable all students to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum that will open doors at the end of Year 11. This includes Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Dance, Design Technology, Digital i-Media, Drama, Engineering, Food Technology, Film Studies, French, Geography, Graphics, Health and Social Care, History, Music, Physical Education/ Sports Studies.
