Homework

At OSSMA, we believe that homework plays a vital role in supporting students’ learning and building the foundations for future academic success. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that effective homework can lead to an average of five months’ additional progress for students each year. It helps to reinforce knowledge learnt in the classroom, develop independent study habits, and foster a deeper understanding of subject content.

To ensure our approach to homework is purposeful and consistent, we will be making some changes to Key Stage 3 (KS3) homework after the Easter break. Key Stage 3 is Years 7, 8 and 9. These changes aim to promote engagement, build effective routines, and reduce unnecessary workload for students and staff alike.

KS3 Homework Structure
From the start of the summer term, KS3 homework will only be set for English, maths, and science. Each subject will have a specific day on which homework is both set and due:

• English – set and collected every Friday via Sparx Reader
• Maths – set and collected every Wednesday, paper-based and issued by the class teacher
• Science – set and collected every Wednesday via SENECA Learning

All students have been issued with usernames and passwords for both SPARX and SENECA. If your child experiences any difficulties logging in, they should speak directly to their class teacher.

Rewards and Expectations
At OSSMA, we celebrate effort and achievement. Students will be recognised and rewarded for consistent completion and effort with their homework. However, non-completion of homework will result in a detention, as we are committed to maintaining high expectations and helping students establish strong study routines.

KS4 Homework
For our KS4 students, homework will continue to be set by individual class teachers across all subjects. Our preferred platform for homework is Carousel Learning, where each student logs in with their name and receives a unique homework link from their class teacher.

We ask all parents and carers to support our homework policy. Your encouragement at home plays a crucial role in helping students stay motivated and organised. Together, we can create a culture of success where every child can thrive.