Homework: Years 7 - 8

At Cheam High School, we know that homework plays a key role in supporting our students to achieve academic success. Homework for Years 7 & 8 is designed to help:

• Build and consolidate long-term memory
• Prepare for upcoming assessments using research-informed revision techniques
• Provide a consistent approach across subjects, where appropriate

Homework is not necessarily formally marked by teachers. Instead, teachers check understanding and learning using methods such as low-stakes tracking, "Do Now" activities, and in-class questioning.

Please note that some subject areas may not set homework via online platforms or require standard assessment preparation if it is not appropriate for their curriculum (for example, subjects where students are assessed primarily on practical performance).

What homework do we set and when?

Online Platforms

Subject areas use a variety of online platforms—including Carousel Learning, Reading Plus, Sparx, and Arbor—to set regular, weekly homework. Students complete their homework either via an app or on a computer, and completion rates across the school are very high.

Students should check their online platforms daily to ensure they manage their time effectively; reminders will also be given during tutor time and assemblies.

In school weeks outside of assessment preparation windows, students’ complete homework on an online platform aimed at developing skills and embedding knowledge into their long-term memory. This homework is set weekly for each subject.

For those students who fail to meet homework deadlines, detentions will take place. However, we also use this time constructively to support students in removing any potential barriers to completing their homework.

Assessment Preparation Homework

We set assessment preparation homework to tie in with our school assessment windows, which occur three times a year for Years 7 & 8. In the run-up (approximately three weeks) to these assessments, students are provided with revision materials to help prepare them for success.

Three weeks before the respective assessment week for Years 7 & 8, most online homework will pause, and subject areas will set Assessment Preparation homework instead. This supports students to focus entirely on preparing for their upcoming exams. This homework makes use of a number of effective, research-informed revision techniques, such as:

• Learning Reviews
• Knowledge Organisers
• Mind-Maps
• Frayer flashcards

Each subject's Assessment Preparation resources may differ in style, but they are consistent in that they are tailored precisely toward upcoming assessment topics and content. These resources will be centrally stored, and a link to the folder can be found on the Assessment page of this website.

The purpose of this approach is to ensure students are prepared in the best possible way to succeed in their assessments, while also embedding a culture that proves hard work and revision pay off.

How can you support your child with their Carousel homework?

Carousel is an online quizzing platform that we use for homework. Students have access to question and answer flashcards which they use independently to learn important knowledge and then complete a quiz to test their knowledge.

The Carousel Process: Flashcard revise > Take quiz > Student mark > Teacher mark

As time goes on, students will learn more and more in school. In order to make sure they don't forget all this information, Carousel uses evidence-based strategies to help strengthen their memories over the long term.

1. Spread out the learning

The best way to manage Carousel, and indeed all homework, is by spreading out assignments, not attempting to complete all in one evening. Instead of doing all the work the night before it is due, encourage your child to check their due dates and complete some Carousel work each night. As much as possible, they should spread it out.

2. Active recall

When they are doing the flashcards, make sure your child is speaking out or writing down their answers, rather than just thinking about it in their heads.

3. Test them

Ask them some questions from the flashcards and make sure that their answers are the same (or very similar to) the flashcard answers.

4. Review the quiz together

Mark their quiz with them and make sure they are being honest about what they got right and wrong.

5. Aim for 80%

Encourage them that if they get less than 80% on the quiz, they should go back to the flashcards first, and then retake the quiz.

While our other homework platforms, such as Sparx and Reading Plus, differ in structure, parents can ensure student success by applying many of these same fundamental principles.