Rationale

Homework is the link between school and home. The work in school hours is sustained and reinforced with the support of parent(s) or guardians(s). It enables a pupil to focus on her learning independently, to reflect on issues introduced by a teacher or discussed in groups.

Homework is not meant to be a routine chore, a time filler, or task to prevent pupils from engaging in other activities, not necessarily educational, at home with family and friends. The school understands the importance of relaxation and hobbies.

Purpose

The best homework set has the potential to:

• Extend, complete or reinforce pupil's knowledge.
• Help develop skills of time management, organisation and independent thinking.
• Give an opportunity for a pupil to extend work on a topic, or particular area, for personal satisfaction and sense of personal achievement.
• Prepare for a future lesson or aspect of study.

Broad Guidelines

Homework should be set during the course of the lessons and reinforced at the end. It should fit in with the lesson planning and scheme of work and not be a last minute thought.

As a general rule, pupils should feel that the work they have dome for homework has a purpose and has been noted and assessed by the teacher.

Each teacher should aim to mark positively. Comments should be worded in such a way that they offer constructive help and advice to aid future progress and improvement. It is not the school's policy for any teacher to demoralise pupils by the content or tome of written comments. Negative comments are discouraged.

It is expected that the normal process of marking homework, and this included any tests done, will not take more than a week. With the extended work required as girls move up the school, the length of time given for an assignment may be an extended period of time. The resulting marking may also nee an extended time. Teachers should aim to explain the length of time pupils will need to allow for planning and working. They should also give an estimate of the time they are likely to need for marking extended work.

When a pupil is absent it is the pupil's responsibility to ask subject teachers what has been missed. It will be the teacher's decision as to whether the missed homework should be done, or if it is more valuable for a pupil to concentrate on the current work.

Sixth Form

Students work on individual programmes and personal target setting and reviewing, in consultation with their teachers. Girls are expected to take a mature responsibility for time management and the meeting of all deadlines. AS a general guideline, a minimum of 5 hours per week private study is needed for each AS level and 6 hours per week for each A2, most students, however will find that they will need to take longer.

Rewards should be given for effort as well as achievement to ensure that it is not only the academically able who are consistently rewarded.

This policy was drawn up in consultation with a steering group of pupils and staff and is reviewed annually.