Home Learning
Lode Heath school home learning aims and expectations
At Lode Heath School, homework plays a vital role in supporting students’ learning beyond the classroom. Our key aims are to:
- Ensure homework links directly to classroom learning.
- Provide opportunities for retrieval practice and long-term memory development.
- Deliver tasks with clear instructions, success criteria, and deadlines.
- Encourage parental involvement and support at home.
- Promote consistency across subjects and departments.
- Ensure all students are both supported and challenged to engage.
We expect all staff to follow a consistent homework policy, with dedicated time provided for completion and appropriate feedback to help students improve.
To support home learning, all homework tasks are set on Synergy. Parents/carers can view assignments and completion status. Parents/ carers are encouraged to check Synergy regularly to help monitor their child’s homework completion and support them in managing their workload.
setting and frequency of homework at ks3 and ks4
Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)
- Core Subjects (e.g. English, Maths, Science): 2 x 20 minutes per week
- Geography, History, MFL: 1 x 30 minutes per week
- Rotations (e.g. Art, DT): 1 x 30 minutes per week
- Non-Core Subjects: 1 x 30 minutes every two weeks
- Total Expected Time: Approx. 5 hours per week
Key Stage 4 (Years 10–11)
Year 10:
- Core: 2–3 x 20 minutes per week
- Options: 1–2 x 30 minutes per week
- Total: Approx. 5.5 hours per week
Year 11:
- Core: 2–3 x 30 minutes per week
- Options: 1–2 x 30 minutes per week
- Total: Approx. 6.75 hours per week
Types of homework include retrieval tasks, literacy/numeracy practice, knowledge organisers, online tasks, and flipped learning (learning prior to the lesson).
Online Learning Platforms
As a school, we purchase online subscriptions to support students’ revision and learning from home. They will be given logins to access these.
Sparx Maths - Sparx Maths is an online learning platform that personalises maths education for secondary school students. It offers tailored homework, interactive videos, and data-driven insights to support effective learning. The program also helps teachers and parents track student progress while making maths more engaging and accessible.
Kerboodle - Kerboodle is an interactive website that provides students with full access to AQA GCSE French, German, and Spanish textbooks at both Higher and Foundation levels. It includes listening materials and a wide range of supporting resources for each topic. Students can use Kerboodle for both home and school learning.
We also recommend the following free platforms to support with further help and support:
