Homework 

At Ridgewood, we know that homework and independent study are vital in ensuring children make great progress in their learning. Indeed, national research shows that the completion of regular homework can add up to an extra five months' worth of progress per year.

As part of our continuous drive and improvement, we have reviewed and updated our homework offer for students and have pleasure in detailing this below.

  • From September 2023, all homework at Ridgewood will be set on EduLink One, our new communications tool that you will have recently received login details for. EduLink will inform you:

    • When a piece of homework has been set, and when it is due.

    • The details of the homework, which will show what students need to complete.

    • Whether the homework has been submitted by students and received by the teacher.

    EduLink will replace Microsoft Teams as our vehicle for setting homework, although Teams will exist in the background for students to access lesson materials that their teacher deems appropriate. Students will be able to access their homework via the EduLink app or through a web browser by smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop.

  • In Key Stage 3 in English, Maths and Science, students will receive one piece of homework per week. For all other subjects, students will receive one piece of homework, per subject, every two weeks.

    In Key Stage 4, students will receive one piece of homework per week, per subject.

    We would advise that students spend 20-30 minutes on each piece of homework, although we recognise that this may differ from piece to piece. In Years 10 and 11, some pieces may take an hour.

  • All of the learning students do in school is based around the working-memory model, avoiding cognitive overload and focusing on retrieval and recall at regular intervals. All homework that students receive will be either:

    • Retrieval Practice (often in the form of low-stakes quizzes).

    • Revision Activities (which build good learning habits as students move further up the school).

    • Flipped Learning (where students will be asked to complete a task that informs learning in the next lesson).

    In Key Stage 4, homework will follow this pattern, but students will also be given opportunities for deliberate practice, most commonly through the completion of exam questions. Some homework may be delivered through online learning platforms, such as Educake or SPARX.

    It is important to note that not all homework will receive written feedback from teachers. Some homework will be self-marking so students will receive instant feedback, whereas teachers may provide other types of feedback for other pieces, such as whole-class feedback. For flipped learning tasks, students will use their homework to make further progress in their next lesson activity.

  • Your support is vital in ensuring your child experiences success at school. We would advise:

    • Checking EduLink regularly with your child and talking to them about their homework.

    • Helping them with organising themselves when it comes to deadlines. We never set homework for the following day but allowing homework to build up is not a good idea.

    • Providing a space for homework completion that is quiet and free from distractions such as mobile phones!

    • Talking to us if there is a problem or a lack of understanding. We are here to help!

    In the event you have questions about your child’s homework, or our homework guidance, you should contact your child’s Head of Year or Support and Guidance Assistant in the first instance.