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Home Learning

We know that high-quality, purposeful, home learning opportunities are an integral part of learning. Home Learning provides a number of positive outcomes for students, especially when coupled with high quality feedback.  At Rickmansworth School, home learning aims to:

  • Bridge the gap between teacher-led and student-led learning, supporting students to practise and consolidate what they have learnt in lessons

  • Encourage students to develop the skills, confidence and motivation to study effectively on their own – this is vital given the importance of lifelong learning and adaptability

  • Enable students to prepare for an activity in the next lesson

  • Encourage effective time management

  • Promote the Ricky Learner

  • Involve parents/carers and other adults in students’ work, improving home-school and community-school links

  • Promote spaced practice through revisiting previously taught content

  • Support students to review and reflect on the learning that has taken place and/or help students to prepare for their next lesson through encouraging 'flipped learning' so that classrooms no longer become the first time that students are introduced to new content so that classroom time becomes dedicated to higher order cognitive activities, utilising the teacher’s expert knowledge

Our approach to home learning considers research released by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the DfE Wellbeing and workload initiatives.

Home Learning - Teachers' Responsibilities

Teachers will:

  • Communicate Home Learning via Edulink One. They will set explicit instructions that will be discussed with students during lessons.

  • Ensure that any additional documents referred to within home learning instructions are added to Google Classroom.

  • Carefully consider the duration of tasks to ensure task completion within the allocated time is achievable.

  • Lesson time is allocated to explain and review home learning. 

  • Praise and reward students for excellent effort and provide appropriate sanctions in line with the School's Behaviour Policy.

  • Provide feedback on home learning in-line with the School's Teaching and Learning Policy and Feedback Policy, with allocated lesson time for students to reflect and respond. Where appropriate, assessed work will be returned to students with relevant help and guidance linked to how to further improve and acknowledge what they did well.

  • Not set home learning to include holiday periods. There will be time allocated on either side of a holiday period to complete home learning. 

  • Ensure that:

    • Home Learning will be set before 17:00

    • Students will be given at least 48 hours turnaround time

    • Students are clear regarding home learning duration:

      • Years 7-8: no longer than 30 minutes

      • Year 9: no longer than 45 minutes

      • Year 10-11: no longer than 60 minutes

      • Year 12-13: 1-2 hours as appropriate to the task set

  • For Key Stage 3, follow the home learning timetable

    Each subject page has a section outlining the department approach to home learning. Heads of Department (or other, appropriate staff) will monitor the consistency and quality of home learning distributed and of the quality of instruction given.

Home Learning - Parents' Responsibilities

Parents are encouraged to: 

  • Assist their child with planning and organising their home learning.
  • Provide their child, where possible, with a suitable learning environment in which to complete their home learning, without distractions.
  • Discuss home learning tasks and teacher feedback with their child to encourage conversations about learning.

Home Learning - Students' Responsibilities

Students are encouraged to:

  • Regularly check Edulink One to ensure they are aware of what home learning has been set and that they understand the instructions, allowing time to check with their teacher should there be any questions.
  • Plan their time effectively to ensure their home learning is to a standard that reflects their best efforts.
  • Follow the guidance from their teacher regarding time limits. If the task in incomplete by the end of the allocated time, they should make a note of how long the task took and inform their teacher.
  • Complete home learning in a quiet environment.
  • Take initiative for their own learning through exploring and developing their knowledge and understanding beyond the tasks set.

Home Learning -Timetable

Students in Years 7,8 and 9 follow the Key Stage Three Timetable

KS3 home learning timetable