At Orchard we know that reinforcing knowledge after school hours is hugely beneficial to students making progress. Home learning gives students the opportunity to consolidate their learning in school, practise questions, revise and prepare for the next lessons, assignments or assessments.

Home Learning also builds the very important skill of independence and helps students improve their resilience. When completed well, Home Learning can progress a child’s learning by up to five months (evidence from Education Endowment Foundation).  
Teachers set Home Learning tasks on TEAMS, so they can add links and resources.
Students receive a house point for successful completion of Home Learning and after a first warning, are deducted a house point for failure to hand in consecutive pieces (two or more) and a 30 minute after school detention.

Tasks fit into one of the three  themes  below and are linked to what students are learning in lessons:  

•  Flipped learning – learning key facts before the lesson, so that the learning can progress   at a faster rate. 
•  Retrieval quizzing – practising and recalling information that has been previously learnt.
•  Revision – use of effective revision techniques to recall and consolidate learning

As a guide, your child should receive homework in line with the table below on a weekly basis.  We encourage parents to talk to their child regularly about home learning, and review their Planner with them to ensure they are using it accurately.  We suggest students record in their planners the date each homework is due to be completed and handed into their teacher, to help them organise their time most effectively. 

Your support is invaluable. You can help support your child effectively in the following ways: 

 Create a quiet and comfortable place to study. 

• Find a routine for when to do Home Learning (not last minute).
• Make it positive! Ask them about how they are doing. Praising the effort and process, as well as the successful completion of Home Learning, is crucial to support long-term motivation.
• Let them make mistakes. Forgetting and struggling is an important part of embedding learning into long-term memory, therefore please do not do their Home Learning for them and do not let them get distressed about Home Learning activities.  If you have any concerns about your child’s Home Learning, please contact their tutor. 

Missing homework should never become a regular event. 

Feedback and Marking Expectations 

Marking and Feedback

At Orchard School, we use 'diagnostic' and / or formative assessment frequently - this identifies progress and gaps i learning, including individual support needs. This occurs frequently within the classroom - through circulating and reading learner's work, questioning, and mini white-boards.

We then also ensure that each class gets formative feedback designed to close major gaps in skills or knowledge typically by halfway through a unit, and again at the end of a unit, with clear improvements suggested. Generally, the end of a unit signifies an assessment.  This may be peer marked or teacher marked.  However, the teacher will ensure that they look at student work and give feedback. 

For subjects with smaller or shorter units, this may mean formative feedback given to the class occurs at the end of two units.  Teacher feedback is indicated by green pen or a green sheet printed in to books.  Student self assessment is indicated by red pen. 

In addition to this, the faculty approaches are as follows:

Homework Club

Homework club is available every day after school.  It takes place in the school library, 3.00 - 3.55pm.  It is open to all year groups and there is access to laptops.  There are also members of staff on duty to support students as required. 

Students are also able to use the library during break times and lunchtimes wherever possible.

Digital Learning

Homework Quizzing