Exams, Revision & Homework

 Homework- An integral part of learning 

At Leeds East Academy, we understand the importance of setting high quality and challenging homework. We recognise it as an integral part of the learning process and we encourage you as parents/carers to monitor its completion at home.

All homework tasks will be set at the beginning of each half term and must be stuck into their Home Learning Log. Students will be set 6 key words and 6 key questions for each week of the half term.

• Learn and acquire the ‘Big 6’ key subject specific words across every subject and write the words plus the definitions into your Learning Log
• Consolidate the learning which has taken place in your lessons over the course of the week by answering the ‘Big 6’ questions set by their teacher in your Learning Log to develop low to high order thinking
• Read for 30 minutes every day and complete your Reading Log after each time you have read
• Complete a Creative Writing task once every half term which is at least one to two sides of A4

Expectations of Students

• All home learning will be completed in a blue book.
• The blue book will form part of students’ everyday equipment in the same way their planner does.
• They must put their blue book out onto the desk the same way they would their planner and other equipment.
• They need to date the work they complete in their book.
• It will be expected that the work completed shows the same level of pride in presentation as class work.
• They must look after their book and not lose it as this will need to be replaced.
• They must stick the home learning tasks set by their teacher each half term into their book.
• They must complete their reading log and ask their parents to sign it at the end of the week.
   

Homework Timetable 

 Homework is set for every subject on a weekly or fortnightly basis depending on the year group subject.  

• Key Stage 3 (Years 7 & 8) – Core subjects (Math, English, Science) set weekly and non-core subjects on a fortnightly basis according to the KS3 Homework Timetable which can find at the bottom of the page. All homework should take 30 minutes. 
• Key Stage 4 (Years 9-11) – All subjects set weekly homework. This should take 40 minutes to complete.

Click here to see an example piece of homework.

Teaching staff will monitor the completion of homework and sanctions are given when homework is not submitted, a ‘No Homework’ stamp will be put into their exercise book. In the event of 3 missed homework’s, a detention will be issued to the student. If it continues to 6 incomplete homework’s within a half term the student will spend a day in seclusion. 

Please join us in encouraging our students to develop their understanding and deepen their knowledge independently through punctual completion of tasks set for homework. 

Revision your guide to Success in GCSE Exams

The Leeds East Academy Revision Guide is now available both online and as a handy printed reference guide. The guide been created to help students achieve the best possible exam results this summer. Putting plans in place now and spreading revision over the coming weeks will be much more effective than trying to cram your revision immediately before your exams.   To view or download a printer-friendly PDF of the guide, click here.

Bound copies of the LEA Revision Guide are available throughout the Academy. Speak to your coach or contact Student Reception for more details.

Tips from ActionJacksonUK

ActionJacksonUK is a motivational speaker and youth coach. His number one passion is to make everyone into a champion. Click on the two videos for hints and tips on how to succeed:

A Pathway to Full Potential

Homework is a crucial element of study and is an integral part of a child's education. There has been a great amount of research conducted in recent years showing the positive impact completing high-quality homework can have on a child's academic achievement.

During the past decade, according to Gill and Schlossman (1996); "leading educational spokespersons have celebrated homework as essential to raise educational standards, foster high academic achievement, upgrade the quality of the labour force, and link family and school in a common teaching mission".

On average, the impact of homework on learning is consistently positive (leading on average to five months' additional progress). However, beneath this average there is a wide variation in potential impact, suggesting that how homework is set is likely to be very important.

To ensure our homework policy is highly purposeful for students we have considered the guidance provided by the Education Endowment Foundation to make sure:

1. Planned and focused activities are set which link with what is being learned in class.

2. Homework will not be used as a punishment

3. A variety of tasks with different levels of challenge will be set to show personalisation.

4. Specific and timely feedback will be given on homework.

5. The purpose of homework must be made clear to children (e.g. to increase a specific area of knowledge, or fluency in a particular area).

Sasha Lakuzova, a Year 11 student leader, commented: “Completion of homework is extremely important as it shows the level of commitment you have to your studies. The best homework we have set is in History, as we have a choice in relation to what we need to complete and the teacher provides us with model examples of how to present our work. This is extremely helpful as it shows us what we need to aspire towards and sets our standards high." 

Mrs Carrie the assistant principal Teaching, Learning and Assessment adds: “Homework is vital to achieving academic excellence as to master a skill can take 10,000 hours of practice. Essentially we want all our pupils to become masters of the subjects they study and learning beyond the classroom and at home is a key part of our drive for improvement."

This week students will be attending assemblies where our expectations in relation to homework will be re-established and a letter will also be sent home to inform parents of this. Parental support is crucial to making sure homework is completed on time and to a high standard.

Here are our top tips for parents/carers in supporting your child with successful completion of homework:

• Check your child’s planner on a weekly basis to see if they have homework set
• Create a quiet space in the home where they can sit and complete their homework
• Encourage your child to complete all homework set
• Discuss homework set and what the requirements are for successful completion