Academic curriculum

Homework serves a number of purposes:

• It encourages pupils to develop the habit of working on their own and to learn perseverance and self-discipline.
• It gives pupils the chance to practise the skills that they have learned in the classroom.
• It can offer opportunities for extension and enrichment.
• It contributes to the tutor’s understanding of your child’s progress.

Time allocated for homework varies between year groups. We want to encourage your child’s own reading habits, so there is space in the First to Third Form homework schedule to allow this.

• First and Second Form have a phased build up in order to ensure that they can settle in and make the most of all the co-curricular opportunities culminating in 30 mins per night plus recommended 15 minutes reading time. There are an extra two x 30 minutes on Fridays.
• Third Form 60 minutes per night plus recommended 15 minutes reading time and/or French/Spanish vocab.
• Fourth and Fifth Form 1½ hours (between 3 subjects), plus 20 minutes study skills/revision/vocab/literacy activities.

Sixth Form Pupils should expect a minimum of three hours directed homework per subject per week.

It is expected that most pupils will spend more time than this on activities outside of the classroom to consolidate learning such as reviewing their notes from lessons and generating revision materials (around two hours per subject per week). They are also expected engage with the wide variety of enrichment activities from the Academic Engagement Booklet.

The Sixth Form necessitates a greater degree of flexibility and Sixth Formers must develop an extensive and rigorous programme of study outside lesson time. This is essential preparation for further education.

In addition each pupil is given a homework diary at the beginning of the year to record details of their homework each night. Tutors set homework via our learning platform, Showbie. This makes it easy for pupils to keep track on their iPads of when work is due.

Ingrams parents are encouraged to read their child’s homework diary each week and tutors may request them to be signed weekly to assist organisation. Middles and Seniors tutors will request this if necessary.

There may be occasions when a homework is set to be completed at a later date. Tutors will always make deadlines clear.

You have a positive role to play in homework in terms of encouraging, supporting, and stimulating your child’s academic development. There are a few ways that you can assist:

• Provide suitable working conditions at home, away from distractions such as their mobile phone!
• If your child finds a task difficult resist the temptation to do the work yourself! It is important that you only provide background information and support and do not take ownership of the work away from your child.
• Aim to gradually take a declining role in the supervision of homework so that your child acquires the skills of self- organisation and time management that are vital for public examination success.

If your child finds a piece of homework too difficult, they should work for the allotted time and speak to their tutor. Let their tutor know if there are problems with homework that you cannot resolve.

My child missed a lesson. What happens about the homework set for that night?

If your child is absent from school or misses lessons due to, for example, a music lesson or sports tournament, it is his/her responsibility to catch up any work missed, including homework. Often lesson material is on Showbie, and tutors are happy to be contacted by email if there are any questions. Late homework must be handed in to the subject tutor, not their tutor.

We also provide regular assessments of pupil progress which are released on Engage for pupil and parents. These give gradings of attitude to learning in class and attainment in each subject, and a homework grade.

A full explanation of the criteria used in awarding assessment grades is sent out in September.

Commendations are awarded to pupils in recognition of special effort or attainment and apply to all areas of school life, with the values (right) in mind. Pupils receive email notifications of any commendations awarded.

Badges are awarded after a certain number of commendations have been achieved. Commendations also attract House points towards the overall House competition.

Subject tutors can set lunchtime departmental detentions for poor, late or missing work, or if classroom behaviour has fallen below acceptable standards. Tutors and Housemasters/mistresses are informed of these; you will be contacted by the Head of Department or subject tutor if there is a cause for concern over your child’s academic work.

If your child’s work, class behaviour or assessments fall below acceptable standards for multiple departments, his/her tutor may issue a Progress Card. Subject tutors sign these after each lesson and you will be asked to initial them on a daily basis. We find that Progress Cards are a useful way of communicating a child’s daily academic performance and behaviour and assist both school and parent in working together to refocus a child.

Friday lunchtime detentions are awarded to pupils for infringements of school rules and to pupils who have failed to respond to subject department sanctions. They involve a written task and are supervised by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. If a pupil misses a Friday lunchtime detention they will be placed in a Friday after-school detention.

Friday after-school detentions are used for serious offences and override all other activities. Your child’s Housemaster/ mistress or the relevant Head of Department will call you and then send a letter of confirmation about an after-school detention.

Headmaster’s detentions are held on Saturday mornings. These override all other activities and are preceded by an interview with the Headmaster for the pupil. Your child’s Housemaster/mistress will inform you by phone and the Headmaster will write to confirm that your child has been placed in a Saturday detention.

Exclusions (short term and permanent) are used for the most serious cases.