Home Learning

At Brian Clarke we recognise that Home Learning is an important part of students’ education. It supports and extends learning beyond the classroom and enables students to develop habits of study and strategies for personal organisation and time management. We want students to relish the opportunities that Home Learning brings and for tasks to support student’s love for learning. As such, our Home Learning policy is designed to ensure that Home Learning is:

Impactful on student achievement, motivation and progress
Meaningful (not just ‘busy work’)
Simple & manageable for students, staff and parents
Predictable & consistent
Achievable – students have the best opportunity to succeed and fully complete work to the expected standard and on time.

Home Learning at Key Stage 3

Our students complete 1-hour of Home Learning every weekday, which includes Reading for Pleasure, Masters of Knowledge Recall (using Knowledge Organisers) and online learning (Sparx Maths/Languagenut).

Home Learning tasks at Key Stage 3 are focussed on retention and retrieval of core substantive knowledge in a range of subject disciplines. We want students to become “Masters of Knowledge” and their Home Learning will support them to embed knowledge into their long-term memories.

Home Learning Timetable

Students complete 2 hours per week of reading, 1 hour per week of Sparx Maths, 30 minutes per week of English & Science recall, 30 minutes per fortnight of Languagenut (German) and 30 minutes per fortnight of History, Geography & RS recall.

Timetables for individual students will look different, depending on their school timetable (what day each subject is taught) and their personal preference on how to organise their time. Students will be told at the start of the school year which day each of their subject teachers will set their Home Learning and which day it will be due in. Students will also be supported in school to create personalised Home Learning timetables.

The suggested timetable below shows how Home Learning tasks could be organised over a 2-week period.

Home Learning Video

Here you can watch a recording of the lesson which Y7 students take part in during their induction day in September. Students in all year groups take part in a similar lesson. This video will support parents/carers in understanding the expectations around Home Learning at BCA.

Home Learning at Key Stage 4

Home Learning tasks for all year groups are focussed on retention and retrieval of core substantive knowledge across all subject disciplines. In addition, at Key Stage 4, some students will complete tasks linked to their option subjects coursework/project work. Students at KS4 will be set 1 hour of Home Learning per subject per week (8 hours per week).

We want students to become “Masters of Knowledge” and their Home Learning will support them to embed knowledge into their long-term memories. This method of Home Learning also allows for students to practice and refine their independent study and revision skills.

At Key Stage 4 it is vital that students are consistently and repeatedly memorising and recalling core knowledge ready for external examinations; our Home Learning strategy supports this from the start of Year 7 and forms a 5-year strategy of study skills and knowledge recall.

Home Learning Timetable

Timetables for individual students will look different, depending on their school timetable (what day each subject is taught/which options subjects students’ study) and their personal preference on how to organise their time. Students will be told at the start of the school year which day each of their subject teachers will set their Home Learning and which day it will be due in. Students will also be supported in school to create personalised Home Learning timetables.

The suggested timetable below shows how Home Learning tasks could be organised over a 2-week period.

Home Learning Video

Here you can watch a recording of the lesson which Y10 students took part in during their induction day in September. This video will support parents/carers in understanding the expectations around Home Learning at BCA.

Support for Home Learning

Students can get support with all aspects of their Home Learning each day after school (see below). We offer quiet study spaces and help from a member of staff at Home Learning Clubs (KS3) and Supervised Study (KS4).

Computer rooms are also available for support with Sparx Maths and Languagenut where a specialist teacher will also be on hand. These online learning clubs take place Mon-Thu at 2:45pm in Room 125.

Recording Home Learning

We want to ensure that all students have the best possible chance to successfully complete their Home Learning in a reliable manner, and so it is vital that students have access to an accurate record of their Home Learning tasks with due dates. We also want to build an effective partnership between home and school by supporting parents/carers to be involved in their child’s Home Learning.

Teachers will ensure that students record all tasks in their red Masters of Knowledge book. When setting a Home Learning task students will:

Write and underline a title at the top of the next blank page.
Write any instructions for the task. This would normally be information about which section of the Knowledge Organisers students will be focussed on for their task e.g. “Science – Forces – Qs 3 to 7”.
Write the date set and the due date clearly.

Teachers may ask students to write down more information in preparation for their Home Learning or to include a template/information sheet.

This method of recording Home Learning allows for teachers to clearly see if a task has been completed and allows for students to have all their Home Learning tasks recorded and completed in one place. It also allows for parents/carers to have a clear understanding of what work has been set, when it is due and when it has been completed or not.