Homework

Purpose of Homework

Homework at our school is designed to reinforce, practise, and deepen learning. This aligns with EEF findings that homework is most effective when linked directly to classroom learning and when pupils understand its purpose.

Our aims are to:

• Strengthen long‑term retention through retrieval practice and spaced repetition.
• Build pupils’ independent learning skills and metacognitive habits (planning, monitoring, reviewing).
• Provide opportunities to consolidate knowledge, practise fluency, and prepare for future learning.
• Promote positive home–school partnerships.

Evidence Base

Research shows:

• Secondary pupils gain on average +5 months’ progress from well‑designed homework.
• Quality matters more than quantity; longer tasks often reduce impact.
• Feedback significantly increases effectiveness.
• Retrieval practice and spaced repetition are the highest‑impact homework types.
• Homework is less effective when pupils lack space/resources; schools should provide alternatives such as homework clubs.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework

What Subject Homework do we Set?

Homework is set on the same day each week. The hand-in and hand-out day is Monday. All homework is to be completed by Monday 8am.

Homework is tailored to each subject and will be a combination of written and online activities.

We prioritise high‑impact formats such as:

• Retrieval practice (quizzes, short-answer questions, flashbacks)
• Spaced practice (revisiting prior learning at increasing intervals)
• Guided revision
• Reading for fluency
• Practice tasks (maths fluency, vocabulary, grammar)
• Preparation tasks (flipped learning only when appropriate and scaffolded)

Key Stage 3 Overview

Remaining subjects may set where appropriate, within the guidelines.

Key Stage 4 Overview

Key Stage 4 pupils may use Century, Sparx, and Seneca but homework will also be adapted throughout the year based on the requirements of their GCSE courses.

Remaining subjects may set where appropriate, within the guidelines.

For online homework using Century, Sparx, and Seneca, pupil’s homework will be classed as complete when they have answered at least 80% of the online homework correctly. For written homework the class teacher will check for satisfactory completion.
 

What Support is Available?

Because not all pupils have equal access to resources, we provide:

• Homework clubs both at lunchtime and afterschool (EEF‑recommended)
• Access to devices in college where needed

To ensure that every pupil has the opportunity so successfully complete their homework, a homework club is available at the end of the academic day in the learning hub from 3:20pm – 4:30pm every day.

During early lunch, pupils can also access homework support in C12 where there will be a selection of English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, & History teachers available to support with homework.

Several of our homework platforms are designed to provide a bespoke learning experience for each pupil. For example, Sparx Maths automatically adapts the difficulty of future homework based on a pupil's performance on previous questions. If a pupil answers questions accurately and efficiently, the programme increases the level of challenge. If they have trouble, it provides additional support and guidance. As a result, every pupil receives homework that is tailored specifically to their current level of understanding and progress.

For this reason, we strongly encourage parents and carers to monitor their child's use of artificial intelligence (AI) when completing homework. If pupils rely on AI-generated answers rather than completing the work themselves, the platform cannot accurately assess their understanding and may assign work that is not appropriate for their needs. Ultimately, this reduces the educational benefit of the homework and limits the system's ability to support their progress effectively.

As pupils are given a full week to complete homework tasks, we expect homework to be completed by the published deadline, regardless of any absence immediately prior to the due date. This reflects the flexibility built into our homework timetable and helps pupils develop strong habits of organisation and independent study.

If there are exceptional circumstances that genuinely prevent your child from completing their homework, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can work together to provide appropriate support. You can contact the College via office@cromwell.cambs.sch.uk
 

Sanction & Reward

Pupils will be rewarded for their efforts for homework with the following rewards

• Consistency awards – rewarding pupils who complete homework every week or hit streak milestones

EEF evidence: Routine and habit formation significantly increase homework completion and reduce cognitive load.

• Effort-Based rewards – rewarding effort, not just achievement.

EEF evidence: Praising effort and strategy use improves motivation and long‑term learning.

• Tangible Rewards – Queue jump pass for break, stationary prizes, stickers linked to Century/Sparx themes, Choose your seat for the day.

EEF research shows small, regular rewards outperform large, infrequent ones.

• Whole-Class/Tutor Group Rewards - Class earns a reward when 90%+ complete homework, Tutor group competition: highest completion rate wins a Friday treat, “Homework Cup” displayed in the corridor, Year‑group leaderboard updated weekly

We provide our pupils with help and support who are having problems with homework. Alongside the support strategies we have already mentioned there is a sliding scale of sanctions appropriate to the level of the homework issue. Pupils who are not handing in homework on time or not at all, in several subjects will be supported in a variety of ways.

Level 1: Compulsory homework support club at lunchtime

Level 2: Pupil placed in whole school afterschool detention where they do not respond to level 1

Level 3: Communication to parents to inform them that there is a widespread problem with homework and put in place compulsory attendance at appropriate homework clubs.
 

Parental Engagement

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation shows that strong parental engagement can add the equivalent of more than four months of additional progress over the course of a year. The biggest gains come from simple, consistent routines at home — not from parents teaching the content themselves.

To support this, we will:

• Provide clear, simple instructions for each homework task via Arbor assignments
• Share strategies that help pupils organise their time and build good habits
• Communicate regularly about homework expectations and upcoming deadlines
• Make it easy for parents to see what their child has completed on Century and Sparx
• Provide homework club and in‑school support for pupils who need a quiet space or additional help

We ask parents to support their child by:

• Helping them establish a regular homework routine
• Encouraging them to complete tasks independently
• Showing interest in what they are learning
• Praising effort, persistence, and improvement
• Monitoring use of AI tools
• Letting us know early if their child is struggling or facing barriers at home

Use of AI

• Pupils may use AI only when explicitly permitted.
• AI use must support learning (e.g., checking understanding), not replace it.
• Teachers will teach pupils how to use AI responsibly.
• We ask parents to support us by monitoring carefully when AI is being used by a pupil to support with their homework.