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-182881-41954800PLYMSTOCK SCHOOLLEARN TOGETHER, ACHIEVE TOGETHER, SUCCEED TOGETHERHOMEWORKInformation Booklet2015-2016‘A Guide for Parents’Year 10Dear Parent/CarerAt Plymstock School we believe homework is an important aspect of your child’s learning experience. Homework set to be completed as preparation for a lesson can aid understanding later in class. Homework also provides opportunities for reinforcement of work learned during school time and for learners to develop their research skills. In Years 10 and 11 homework forms an essential part of the preparation for GCSEs and other qualifications. Your child will need your help to cope with the transition to the increased demands that will be made upon what they view as their free time. In Year 10 students need to practise the skills required to revise for examinations, and homework tasks in some subjects will involve essential preparation for controlled assessments that contribute to the final GCSE grade. This booklet aims to give you information about homework, when it’s set, types of homework tasks and the supportive resources available from each subject area. There will be a Year 10 Parent Information Evening on 1st October, at which time more information will be given about how you can support your child through their preparation for GCSEs. Below, however, is a basic guide to the main things that you can do to ensure that homework is completed effectively and contributes well to your child’s learning.1. Work out where your son / daughter works bestFor some students this will be a quiet study area in their bedroom but for others it could be the kitchen or dining room table. Some children will work better if they are not isolated from the rest of the family, but are somewhere where you can keep an eye on them and ensure that they are progressing through the work and are on hand to answer any questions or give advice. If the use of a computer or laptop is required for homework and other family members also need to use this, ensure that time is allocated fairly to avoid any additional stress. Students can use the computers in the school library after school every day and this is an option if you do not have computer access at home.2. Avoid distractions such as the television and mobile phones Encourage other family members to be quiet, especially youngsters. Ensure that your child’s mobile phone is in a different room to their homework place. Having a 10 minute break after 25 to 30 minutes work is often a good idea and access to the phone can be given in this time if your child really struggles to be separated from their phone. 3. Help your child on the route towards independenceOne of the main reasons for students not completing homework is due to lack of organisation. Look at your child’s planner each day to discuss what homework has been set and when it will be completed. A little time invested in ensuring that your child has fully understood the homework instructions and knows how to tackle the task will help them to settle quickly. This will stop your child becoming stressed about the task and wasting time just deciding how to get started. Check on your child’s progress with the task after 15 minutes. This does not need to be intrusive and one reason why not having a child isolated in their bedroom works for some students is because it is easier to check they are making progress.4. Establish a regular homework routineIt is unlikely that you can always be home when your child is doing homework and it is therefore important to establish an agreed time when homework will be done. Household routines differ and children will have various activities they take part in throughout the week. It is important that your child has quality down time from school work so please encourage them to continue to do the activities they enjoy and meet up with friends. Some children will prefer to settle to homework soon after getting home, others will want a break. Discuss this with your child. Work will also need to be completed at weekends. The homework timetable for Year 10 does not show the day that homework must be set by teachers. Teachers must set homework so as to allow students to complete homework for that subject on the day shown on the timetable. Homework should be set once per week for each subject (once every two weeks for Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and you should expect your child to be doing a minimum of 60 minutes work per week at home for each subject. There is no such thing as ‘no homework’ in Year 10. If no particular task has been set, then the hour becomes a time for revising either the current topic of work or revisiting a previous topic. This will also be the case if the homework task does not take the full hour. When preparing for a controlled assessment, an end of module test or mock exams, the amount of time that needs to be spent on homework is likely to increase.5. Support your child in responding to the feedback they have been given by teachersWhen teachers mark students’ work, they will tell them how it could be improved or ask questions to encourage them to reflect upon the quality of their work. Please find time to look at the comments teachers have written in books and encourage your child to do corrections and make improvements. Students will be expected to do this as part of their homework. You can use the exercise book as a means of dialogue with the teacher and it would be helpful if you could sign any detailed feedback given by teachers to show that you have seen it. 6. Having the right equipmentA list of equipment students need for school is listed in the school planner. These items will be needed for homework tasks too. In addition, your child will need paper, highlighter pens and other types of stationery when they begin to make revision resources.7. Do not underestimate the contribution that you can make to improve your child’s learningYou do not have to be a French speaking physicist with a love of mathematics and a passion for Art, Drama and an avid interest in current affairs in order to be able to support your child with their homework! You are not supposed to be doing the homework for them. Just showing an interest in what they are doing, helping them to plan when they are going to do their work, helping them to meet homework deadlines, making them a cup of tea and giving them a chocolate biscuit, all of this will help. Homework can be a cause of stress in the home and your child may not initially appreciate that you are on their side and all you want to do is support them, but don’t give up. Be patient and try to establish routines and rules that will support good learning at home. Try to find time to read through any written work with your child and support them to find errors they have made in their writing, for example, spelling and punctuation errors. And lastly …It is important to remember that the homework is not yours, but your son/daughter's. If you do the assignments for your child you are not helping him or her to become an independent learner. Neither is it your responsibility to ensure that your child understands the work that is set. It is however your responsibility to contact school if the homework is regularly too hard or too easyyour son/daughter refuses to do assignments your son/daughter is having problems completing assignments on timeyour child is taking too much or too little time on homeworktoo much homework is being set with not enough time to meet deadlinesyour child regularly has no specific homework task set for a particular subjectyour son/daughter is becoming distressed over homework All parents will struggle to find the time to give their children as much support with homework as they would like, but any time you can give will make a difference. I look forward to meeting you on 1st October at the Year 10 Parents’ Information Evening, details of which I will send in a letter next week. Yours sincerely-1295403619500Louise Duff (Mrs)Achievement Leader Year 10Contacting schoolIf you have concerns about your child’s homework or general progress in any subject area, please contact the subject teacher or the Head of Department. If your concerns are of a general nature, please contact your child’s Head of House. You will find the contact email addresses below for all the Heads of House and Heads of Department, as it is often easier to make initial contact by email. You can also contact teachers by telephoning the main school reception on 01752 402679. If at any time you feel that your concerns are not being addressed, please contact Mrs Duff, Achievement Leader for Year 10. If you have any concerns at all please do not hesitate to make contact.Heads of DepartmentNameEmail Address ArtMr Hurd-Thomasohurd-thomas@.ukBusiness StudiesMr Hughesghughes@.ukComputing Science & ICTMr Rogerssrogers@.ukDanceMr Wookeyswookey@.ukD&TMs Pringejpring@.ukDramaMr Chickkchick@.ukEnglishMs Burgessdburgess@.ukGeographyMs Bartlettabartlett@.ukHealth & Social CareMrs Doverldover@.ukHistoryMr Witheyawithey@.ukMathematicsMiss Monelleemonelle@.ukMediaMs Cohenrcohen@.ukModern Foreign LanguagesMs Bakernbaker@.ukMusicMrs Loweslowe@.ukPEMr M A Taylormataylor@.ukReligious StudiesMrs Sladedslade@.ukScienceMr Bakerrbaker@.ukTravel & TourismMr Butlerdbutler@.ukAchievement Leader for Y10Mrs Dufflduff@.ukThe Hub teamNameEmail Address Antony HouseHead of HouseMrs Maxwellamaxwell@.ukAssistant Head of HouseMiss Holtonsholton@.ukBuckland HouseHead of HouseMr Bellamynbellamy@.ukAssistant Head of HouseMrs Brothertonjbrotherton@.ukCotehele HouseHead of HouseMr Wyattdwyatt@.ukAssistant Head of HouseMrs Robbcrobb@.ukLanhydrock HouseHead of HouseMr Wookeyswookey@.ukAssistant Head of HouseMrs Harveysrharvey@.ukSaltram HouseHead of HouseMr Dottadott@.ukAssistant Head of HouseMr Chiverspchivers@.ukYear 10 Homework TimetableThe table indicates the afternoon/evening that the homework should be done, not necessarily the day that the lesson took place.Each homework should take about 60 minutes, possibly extending beyond the hour for more involved pieces of work. Should the work take you less time than one hour please use this time to consolidate your learning and revise content covered.DayHomework subjectHomework subjectMondayEnglishScience*TuesdayModern Foreign Language Optionor ____________Science*WednesdayMathematicsOption D ____________ThursdayOption C ____________Science*FridayHumanity Optionor ____________Consolidation & Revision* For Science each subject (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) will set 1 piece of homework over the fortnight. This means that each student will do 3 pieces of Science homework each fortnight.Departmental InformationArt:Duration: 60 minutes minimum – individuals work at different rates and some students may need or choose to work longer than this.Homework tasks: Homework is explicitly linked to exam board assessment objectives, with students making work in similar areas as in Y7, 8 and 9 i.e. observational and recording work, study of and research into artists, and development of ideas/experimentation with processes. As in earlier years it is expected that students respond to teacher comments, and refine and improve homeworks as required. As the course progresses students are expected to work under their own initiative, extending and improving work even when specific homework hasn’t been set.Supportive Resources: .uk.uk StudiesHomework tasks: Textbook activities, teacher set business scenarios, worksheet activities.Homework tasks will be predominately around knowledge and understanding in year 10, however the homework would benefit from research and application to real life scenarios that are topical. ??Supportive Resources: ‘GCSE Business – The Revision Guide’ CGP ISBN 9781847624147‘GCSE Business studies third edition’ Causeway press ISBN 9781405864503ICTHomework tasks: Exam style question practice, worksheets, online quizzes and research tasks. Students will be provided with an account for online resources and taught how to access and use them. Access to computers will be available at lunch times and after school for those that need it. As we approach controlled assignments the majority of tasks set will be to prepare and research for the assignments. In Year 11, as the exam season approaches the majority of tasks will be exam based preparation or revision papers.Supportive resources:doddlelearn.co.ukBBC Bitesize“Edexcel GCSE ICT Student Book” ISBN 9781846906145“Edexcel GCSE ICT Revision Guide” ISBN 971446903872“Edexcel GCSE ICT Revision Workbook” ISBN 9781446903896Computer ScienceHomework tasks: Exam style question practice, worksheets, online quizzes and research tasks. Students will be provided with an account for online resources and taught how to access and use them. Access to computers will be available at lunch times and after school for those that need it. As we approach controlled assignments the majority of tasks set will be to prepare and research for the assignments. In year 11, as the exam season approaches, the majority of tasks will be exam based preparation or revision papers.Supportive Resources:doddlelearn.co.ukBBC Bitesize“AQA GCSE Computer Science Student’s Book” ISBN 9781444182262“Revision Notes for AQA Computer Science” ISBN 9781444193862Design and Technology:Homework tasks: Students will be given a range of homework tasks which will include: research tasks, practice exam questions, worksheets, skills activities, revision exercises, problem solving and extended mini projects that relate to the lesson topics.Supportive Resources: tasks: Research and preparation for the performance, learning lines from a script, writing or developing a script, character analysis task, post-performance evaluation or reflection, rehearsal in Drama studios, researching key terminology. Rehearsals as part of a group (especially in the run up to a controlled assignment), researching and obtaining costume, lighting/sound design and construction, mock exam questions and self-assessment.Supportive Resources: Worksheets, Internet, Drama topic booklets (issued to each student for each new topic), YouTube, Scripts. Students should contact Mr Chick for reservation of the Drama studio for rehearsal. ‘AQA GCSE Drama handbook’ ISBN 9780435186111 English:Homework tasks: Grammar tasks, examination responses, spelling tasks, researching relevant contexts, wider reading, essay planning, revision tasks, memorising quotations.Supportive Resources: gcse/english/ tasks: We are developing an e-book which will have a range of revision activities. When this is launched we will be asking for parent emails to engage in a dialogue about student use of the e-book and evaluate its effectiveness. In addition, students will be provided with a termly booklet, containing exam questions and content review for each of the topics, provided in an electronic format. Students will also have revision style homework to prepare them for the termly assessments.Supportive Resources: past papers Geography AQA A Revision Guide by CGP (ISBN 978-1847623782)AQA A Geography revision guide workbook - Foundation (ISBN-13: 978-1847623812)GCSE Geography AQA A Exam Practice Workbook – Higher (ISBN-13: 978-1847623799)Health & Social CareHomework tasks: A911 (Controlled Assessment unit) Health, Social Care & Early Years ProvisionControlled Assessment preparation including action planning and research activities.Example Research Topics:The range of care needs of major client groups – Infancy & ChildhoodReferral Procedures.uk/documents-eystrucutre.pdfBarriers preventing access to services.uk/education/earlyyearsandchildcare/information forparents/me2funding.htmLegislation for Early Years Providers of care.uk/...library/...care/Commoncoreprinciples.pdfQualifications, skills & qualities of people who provide health, social care and early years servicesSupportive Resources: Fisher. A et al, GCSE Health & Social Care for OCR 2009 Oxford University Press OxfordWalsh. M GCSE Health & Social Care for OCR 2009 Harper Collins LondonThomson. H et al, OCR Health & Social Care for GCSE 2009 Hodder Education London.uk/.../gcse-health-and-social-care-single-double-award-j406- j412-from-2012History:Homework tasks: Largely focused upon developing the appropriately structured responses to the exam style questions. Consolidation and revision based activities to support the learning of students in class. Online guidance and video instructions, as well as enhancement and exemplar materials support most lessons and homeworks.Supportive Resources: historynetwork.co.uk/historynetwork/GCSE_-_Germany_Revision.htmlhistorynetwork.co.uk/historynetwork/GCSE_Controlled_Assessment.htmlbbcbitesize.co.ukschoolhistory.co.ukRevise Edexcel: Edexcel GCSE History B Schools History Project Revision Guide (REVISE Edexcel History)Mathematics:Homework tasks: Mathematical exercises, exam questions, practice papers, online homework (such as MyMaths or Mathswatch), research tasks (such as famous mathematicians), design posters or other revision materials, revision for assessments.Supportive Resources: Homework can be supported through the use of revision guides and workbooks for GCSE Maths (2015 - new specification). Extra support is also available through online resources; specifically:mymaths.co.uk .MediaHomework tasks: The majority of homework tasks will involve continuing with CA preparation, so access to a computer is important. Students can make use of the library facilities until 4pm after school to help with this, or speak to their teacher about access to EN8 during lunchtimes or after school.Supportive Resources: Hand-outs and wider reading resources can be found in the T&L folder on the school network under Media Studies. ‘AQA GCSE Media Studies: Student's Book’ OUP, ISBN-13:?9781408504116Modern Foreign Languages:Homework tasks: Tasks will be either comprehension based (listen/read information in the foreign language and answer questions about it), learning based or preparation for controlled assessments. Some tasks will be from past papers, accessed via the school website.Where homework is set from a website language learning course, switching on the sound is important to help with pronunciation of new words. For this type of homework, students are asked to bring evidence such as screen shots or parents will be asked to confirm that the required time has been spent on the homework task. It is important that students check written homework very carefully for accuracy. If there are difficulties with the homework, students should see their teacher BEFORE the date it is due. MFL homework support is in LA10 on Tues and Thurs after school and includes access to computers if needed. Supportive Resources: user: Plymstock; password: Europe.uk user: plymstockschoolmfldept1; password: Student6972School website – L&T-MFL- KS4-GCSE Revision PackFrench/German revision guides (eg: CGP)AQA French/German grammar and skills workbook (order through school)Music:Homework tasks: To rehearse performance pieces, to continue with composition work, research styles of musicSupportive Resources: EducationHomework tasks: Exam based questions, research task and worksheet activities. As we approach controlled assignments the majority of the work set is one of preparation and research. As we get closer to the examination season, the majority of the tasks set is examination based questions or exam papers. Additionally formative assessments will be set each term and also revision for end of chapter progress tests will also be set.Supportive Resources: .ukbbc.co.uk/education/subjects/znyb4wx‘GCSE Physical Education – The Revision Guide’ CGP ISBN 9781841467092 ‘The Essentials of GCSE Physical Education’ Lonsdale ISBN 9781906415396‘GCSE Essentials Physical Education Workbook’ Lonsdale ISBN 9781906415419Religious StudiesHomework tasks: Students are encouraged to read around the subject area and have a choice of fiction books from the library that will aid both their literacy skills and enable them to understand difficult ethical issues that will be discussed at length. Students will have key terms and vocabulary to learn as they progress through the different modules building up a bank of useful resources to enable them to revise both during the course and for the final examination. Students will also need to keep up to date with issues in the wider world that have an impact upon both the philosophical and ethical elements of the course. With this in mind if a specific piece of homework is not set then the student will take the responsibility to bring in articles that are of interest to discuss and debate. They will also need to watch programmes that link to the course both documentary and discussion based as and when they are broadcast. As we get closer to the examination season, the majority of the tasks set is examination based questions or exam papers. Revision for end of chapter progress tests will also be set.Supportive Resources: gcsebitesize.co.ukbbc.co.uk/ethicsrevisionworld.co.uk/gcse-revision/rs-religious-studies the resources on the RS Learning and Teaching area of the School Network. See the TJW section for Power Points for each plete and learn the Key Words.Check your knowledge & understanding of syllabus sections.Practice exam papers: .uk/pastpapermaterials. Finally, use the news to keep your module notes up to date.For fiction books see RS Likeable Literacy booklet issued to all students in September.Science:Homework tasks: Alfiesoft Prior Knowledge HW Quizzes/Doddle quizzes and revision exercises/Learners -Clouds Q’s/Research/Past Paper Questions/Milestone assessments peer or self-marked. Before Controlled assessments students will be asked to carry out research tasks and learn key skills to enable them to be fully prepared.Supportive Resources: , , , Students are also given a revision guide.Travel and TourismHomework tasks: As much of the work is completed as portfolio based work (to be completed in class) and the examination is in Year 11, homework is often research based and linked to the particular tasks or units being completed. Students are given formative and summative feedback on their work, however summative feedback is written.Supportive resources:There are a whole range of resources for students to use in the Teaching & Learning shared area, which students can access, as well as the unit guides for each section and assessment briefs. There are also a range of websites recommended in the student briefs and outlines for producing written portfolio based work. There are also a range of texts and IT based resources to help guide students.The Columbus World Travel Atlas is particularly useful for Unit 2. ISBN 1-902221-93-1Core text: BTEC First Travel & Tourism ISBN 978 1 446906 27 9, published by Pearson. ................
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