The Abbey School

Year 7 and 8 Students complete their homework projects over the course of the academic year.  There is time allocated on the homework timetable for students to ensure that they work on their projects, although this will not be the day of their usual lesson(s). This aims to keep students on track to complete the work by the end of the term.

Years 7 & 8 are allocated homework during their theory lesson, this maybe preparation for practical sessions that follow.

Years 7 and 8 Students will be expected to complete a homework task per fortnight. This could be a creative task, a literacy worksheet or a research task which will enrich their curriculum learning. In addition, students are expected to read 15-20 minutes every day towards their 'Reading Challenge' target of two books read and quizzed every half term. Homework may also include spelling lists and knowledge organiser quiz revision.

Years 9, 10 and 11 Students will be expected to complete one written piece of homework per fortnight. This could include exam responses, creative writing tasks, literacy worksheets, text related worksheets, analysis responses or plans for exam responses. For the other week, students will be set revision activities, likely using GCSEPod. This will involve a playlist of videos (or pods) with a test at the end of the homework. Students may also be asked to revise for upcoming assessments as part of their homework, making use of their notes, Knowledge Organiser or online revision sites, such as GCSEPod.

KS3 - 3 pieces of homework a term, set once a fortnight with T band on Week A and J band on Week B. Students will: revise for the assessment completing a pre-prepared revision sheet; revise for a vocabulary test; complete one home learning task from the knowledge organiser - chosen by the class teacher. 

KS4 - 3 pieces of homework a term (timetabled) with an additional extended revision task set by the class teacher that focuses on the term's assessment - totalling 4 per fortnight. 

In KS3 and KS4 Short Course, students will be given one piece of homework a term with an additional piece that utilises their knowledge organiser. For KS4 Full Course there will be two pieces of homework set a term. There is time allocated on the homework timetable for students to ensure that they work on RE, although this will not be the day of their usual RE lesson, this aims to keep students on track to complete the work by the end of the term.

One piece of science homework will be set each week. These pieces of homework will rotate around the three sciences (biology, chemistry and physics), and may be set by different teachers.

If students are studying a coursework unit i.e. such as R181 or R182 they will have a set coursework task that is ongoing. Students will be expected to complete 30 minutes of ongoing coursework at home each week, ideally on the day their teacher sets it - this is accessible through Microsoft Teams. Students in Year 11 studying R180 will be set homework based on exam revision, which could involve using our online learning platform 'The EverLearner' - students will be provided with a username/password. Again, this will be 30 minutes+ per week.

The expectation for Sixth Form is that they will receive a set homework each week per subject and there will also be set independent study work to be completed in their Directed Study time (as shown on their timetable).  Students should check this on Arbor and we encourage the Sixth Form to work closely with their subject leaders should any concerns arise around set work or the Sixth Form team.  In the Sixth Form working independently is a key skill that we wish to develop, so a range of tasks maybe set including past examination questions, further reading, extended writing, research etc.  All work set is overseen by the Director of Subject or Head of Subject within the department area.