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Home Learning

Well designed and clearly set work beyond the classroom plays a valuable part in a student’s education. It provides opportunities to develop study skills and it allows students to practice, consolidate and extend their skills and understanding. It ensures that students are constantly encouraged to review their work and revise.

Satchel One is used for setting home learning.  Students should be regularly logging in to check the home learning that they need to complete.  Satchel can also be used to view student timetables.

Students need to use their office 365 accounts to log-in to the Satchel One home page.  The link is https://williamellis.satchelone.com/school/home

They then should click the ‘sign in with Office 365’ button. (Screenshot below)

 

If students have forgotten their office 365 login, they should see their form tutor for a reminder.  The school has also emailed home a parent code to allow parent/carers to be linked to the same account. This will allow parents to view when home learning is being set.  Please contact the school office if you do not have the parent code.

If you have any queries about home learning do contact Mr Germanos ( germanos@williamellis.camden.sch.uk ) for more information.

 

Subject Homework Statements

In the table below, a brief outline for the range and frequency of homework tasks is shown:

Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8, 9)

Subject

Frequency

Nature of Homework

English

1 per week

In all years, your son may be asked to:

  • Write in a variety of forms, such as a playscript, a poem, a letter, a set of stage directions/director's notes for an actor, a description, a recipe, a character analysis, a newspaper article or a story

  • Read a section of a story, or an article and make links to the unit of work being studied

  • Improve or re-write work done in class, and this may include checking the spelling, punctuation and presentation

  • Respond to a key learning question from a lesson or unit of work

  • Practise and learn spellings of key words

  • Talk and listen (for example, interviewing a parent or grandparent, listening to an older person talk about something from their past)

  • Bring in an item for discussion or writing - for example a photograph, a book, a souvenir.

  • In Year 7, students study a range of autobiographies, so they will be asked to keep a diary to support their own autobiographical writing.

  • In Years 8 and 9, there may be more academic writing expected at home, such as a comparison of two poems or an analysis of a key scene.

More challenging homework may be given extended deadlines.

 

Mathematics

1 per week

Week A – Work from problem sheet

Week B – Exercises from “My Maths”

Modern Languages

1 per week per language

  • vocabulary learning
  • grammar exercises
  • reading tasks
  • writing tasks with clear S.C (and word limit)
  • re-drafting of work
  • online tasks – e.g. my.alfiecloud.com (reading and listening) or conjuguemos (where results can be accessed by the teacher)
  • research of cultural aspects (in T.L or in English depending on levels)
  • preparing presentations to do in class 
  • native speakers given different tasks e.g. preparation of presentation on something about their country/culture for others
  • background on literature / film

 

Science

Y7/8 1 per week

Y9 2 per week

Science homework will be set in a variety of ways. A significant amount of homework at will be set via online homework packages (doddle and active learn), but there will also be research tasks set in preparation for lessons or controlled assessment in addition to tasks that require students to demonstrate their understanding from lessons.

Design Technology

1 per fortnight

Ongoing project work.

Computing

1 per fortnight

Students will receive homework tasks which will generally need to be completed by the following lesson. If the task involves a computer they will be allowed access to computers during the first half of each lunch time. There is also computer access available on some evenings after school. The timing of the homework will depend on the teacher and the unit being  taught.

History

1 per fortnight

Homework will include both writing and creative tasks to extend the learning from lessons.

 

 

Geography

1 per fortnight

Homework in Geography will take a variety of forms:  many will require students to directly demonstrate their learning in the previous lesson(s), other will be research tasks to extend students knowledge and understanding; while at KS4 past exam paper question practice will be set on a regular basis. Tasks will relate to specific geographical skills; knowledge about place; and understanding of geographical processes and patterns.

 

Religious Studies

1 per fortnight

Homework will include both writing and creative tasks to extend the learning from lessons.


 

Art

1 per half term

Homework in Art is set once per half term, pupils are expected to spend approximately two hours on each homework as the homework is project-based. Exaples of homework at KS3 include research projects and tasks directly linked to the scheme of work in class.

Music

1 per half term

One istening exercise to be completed at home.

Food Technology

1 per month  

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11)

Subject

Frequency

Nature of Homework

 

English

1 per week

In Years 10 and 11, students’ homework will be linked to meeting the demands of both the English language and English literature GCSEs. For much of Year 10, the focus is on literature but linked language assignments will also be set.

Students should expect to be asked to do a sustained reading homework in Year 10 on a section of the novel ‘Great Expectations’, which will involve completing an accompanying booklet. Another project homework set will involve preparation for a speaking and listening exam (some students, however, will be asked to do this at the end of Year 9).

Commonly for English literature in Years 10 and 11, students will be asked to revise texts read at school and this may include collating information, making charts, selection of quotations, character mind-maps, annotating poems, memorising details from texts, learning short poems (or key parts of longer ones). Students should expect to write sections of essays and whole essays. Where whole essays are asked for, students will be expected to write for between 45 minutes – 1 hour (not including planning). Longer, sustained writing tasks will be set at intervals and across the year group. Prior to specific mock exams, students will be asked to complete revision homework and will be required to read the specially written handbooks that can be found under the ‘Revision Support’ section of the website.

For language exam practice, students will be asked to read and analyse short texts, both non-fiction and fiction, and will be required to write up paragraphed responses.  They will be asked to write in different genres. Sometimes, homework will be a response to teacher feedback.

A KS4 English homework support session is available in Tuesday week B. Here students will be able to clarify homework demands and begin tasks, with support, before completing work independently.

In the spring term of Year 11, a full independent learning guidance list of recommended activities will be published.

 

Mathematics

1 per week

Week A – Work from problem sheet

Week B – Exercises from “My Maths”

 

Modern Languages

1 per week

  • vocabulary learning
  • grammar exercises
  • reading tasks
  • writing tasks with clear S.C (and word limit)
  • re-drafting of work
  • online tasks – e.g. my.alfiecloud.com (reading and listening) or conjuguemos (where results can be accessed by the teacher)
  • research of cultural aspects (in T.L or in English depending on levels)
  • preparing presentations to do in class 
  • native speakers given different tasks e.g. preparation of presentation on something about their country/culture for others
  • background on literature / film
 

Science

1 per week

Homework in Science lessons will be set in a variety of ways. A significant amount of homework at will be set via online homework packages (doddle and active learn), but there will also be research tasks set in preparation for lessons or controlled assessment in addition to tasks that require students to demonstrate their understanding from lessons.

 

Design Technology

1 per fortnight

Ongoing project work.

 

Computing

 

Year 10

Students will be set homework on the Friday of the week which will be due the following lesson. Some homework will be set from the homework booklet (which the students have). Some homework tasks will involve the revision book (which the students have).

 

Year 11

Students will be set homework on the Friday of the week which will be due the following lesson. Some homework will be set from the homework booklet (which the students have). Some homework tasks will involve the revision book (which the students have).

 

History

Once per week

Homework will include mock exam questions and  writing tasks to extend the learning from lessons.

 

Geography

-  1 per week designed to last 30-40 minutes on average.

Homework in Geography will take a variety of forms:  many will require students to directly demonstrate their learning in the previous lesson(s), other will be research tasks to extend students knowledge and understanding; while at KS4 past exam paper question practice will be set on a regular basis. Tasks will relate to specific geographical skills; knowledge about place; and understanding of geographical processes and patterns.

 

 

Drama

1 Per Week

Years 10 and 11

Homework is set every fortnight and it might include:

  • reading a script
  • learning lines
  • writing a short script
  • annotating a script
  • writing a review or an account of work done in class
  • making notes in preparation for controlled assessment
  • bringing something in to school
  • research
  • thinking
  • attending a rehearsal or controlled assessment activity after school
 

Art

 

GCSE Art Homework is set every two weeks and supports the portfolio unit worth 60% of the overall grade. Homework tasks can consist of  artist  research tasks, developing drawing skills, independent photoshoot activities and sketchbook development.

 

Music

1 Per fortnight

1 Listening exercise to be completed at home.

 
Business Studies 1 per week

GCSE Business at William Ellis has compulsory homework as part of an enriched curriculum.  In Years 10 and 11 homework is set at least once a week.  In the main, homework will be challenge based on will focus of end of chapter exercises, and exam questions based on taught content.  All homework is set on Satchel-One.

 
Food Technology 1 per fortnight