Educational research suggests that homework has a positive impact on pupil progress (average +5 months), particularly for pupils in secondary schools.

At Hitchin Girls’ School, homework is used:

• to enable students to undertake independent learning
• to reinforce learning in the classroom
• to practise and consolidate skills
• to prepare students for future learning
• for revision
• to encourage curiosity and wider reading/learning
• to conduct in-depth inquiry and develop research skills
• to encourage students to develop organisational skills and manage their time effectively

Frequency and organisation

Key Stage 3: Up to one hour per week for English, Maths and Science; up to 30 minutes per week for other subjects. Advice will be given to students on how long they should spend on a task.

Key Stage 4: Students should aim to complete a minimum of one hour of study per subject per week. This can include homework that has been set by the teacher, but should also include independent study/revision. There is no limit to homework set, but teaching staff will be aware of pressure points on the calendar. Advice will be given to students on how long they should spend on a task.

Key Stage 5: Students should complete five hours of study per subject per week. This includes timetabled study periods.

There is no blanket policy on the setting of homework that applies to all year groups and subjects in the school. Different departments have their own established systems in their specialist areas that enable students to make the best possible progress.

Students should expect to receive some form of feedback on homework tasks, but the type of feedback can vary depending on task type. More detailed information about subject-specific homework policies can be found in Appendix A of our school's Homework Policy. The appendix also provides suggestions for where students can access additional home learning resources.

The policy also provides detailed information about what you can expect from teachers in terms of setting homework, how parents can support their child, and the expectations we have of students.

The school utilises Google Classroom to set all homework tasks. Students access Google Classroom throughout their time in school and are familiar with the platform. All homework should be set with a due date, which allows students to make use of the ‘to do list’ to organise their workload.

Homework Club

We understand that some students may not have a quiet space for homework and that some students may need additional support to complete homework tasks. We offer a daily Homework Club in the Main Hall at lunchtime and in the Library after school to help overcome these barriers.