Homework and Assessment

Homework plays an important role in supporting student learning beyond the classroom.

It helps students consolidate key knowledge, practise essential exam skills, and develop independent learning habits such as organisation, time management, and self-motivation. Meaningful homework also strengthens the link between school and home, encouraging students to reflect creatively and thoughtfully on what they’ve learned.

High-quality homework is purposeful, appropriately challenging, and clearly linked to curriculum objectives. It encourages independent thinking, is tailored to meet students’ different needs, and takes varied forms, from written tasks and online activities to creative projects and presentations. Homework is set in line with each subject’s curriculum plan:

• In Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9), students receive weekly homework in English, Maths, Science, and Modern Foreign Languages, and fortnightly tasks in other subjects.

• In Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11), all subjects set homework on a weekly basis.

Homework is set and tracked through Edulink, ensuring clarity for students and parents/carers. Teachers explain tasks in lessons and upload them to the platform, where students mark homework as complete and teachers confirm receipt. Feedback is provided within a week and may be written, verbal, or digital. Excellent work is celebrated in class, with achievement points awarded and parents informed where appropriate. To ensure all students can succeed, the school also offers lunchtime and after-school homework support sessions.

All students are expected to read their library book for 15 minutes at home, 5 days a week.

Expected Time Per Week

Assessment

Assessment is used to guide teaching and support progress, giving students and families a clear picture of learning at every stage.

Assessment Methods

At our school, assessment is used to support student progress and inform teaching. Formative assessment takes place regularly in every lesson, using strategies such as questioning, discussion, live marking, and peer or teacher feedback. These approaches help identify what students know and where misconceptions lie, allowing teachers to adjust their planning accordingly. 

A variety of techniques such as low-stakes quizzes, multiple-choice and short-answer questions are used to strengthen students' recall and understanding. Marking during lessons is often completed with a green pen by the teacher, while students may self-assess using a red pen.

In addition, we use summative assessments at key points throughout the year to evaluate students' understanding of larger sections of the curriculum. Each year group will sit a minimum of three summative assessments, which are standardised and moderated to ensure reliability and consistency. These cumulative assessments help track long-term retention and guide meaningful interventions. While they may not exactly replicate final KS4 exams, they are informed by their structure and purpose. 

Teachers provide timely feedback either individually or to the whole class and use assessment data to support subject planning and targeted support. All summative results are recorded centrally, giving school leaders and teachers actionable insights to improve outcomes.