Learning can only occur through repeated retrieval of prior knowledge and independent practice. So, we have planned our home learning expectations around this. 

• Each student will follow a home learning timetable based on their school timetable. 

• Every night, students are expected to complete some home learning.

• Home learning will consist of ‘self-quizzing’ and ‘independent practice’.

• Home learning will be shared with students in class and written down in student planners.

• Teachers will post home learning expectations and due dates on Satchel.

During Week A, students will complete ‘self-quizzing’ using their printed Knowledge Organiser booklets. The Knowledge Organisers include core knowledge key words and definitions in each of their subjects. They will be tested on these key words in class. This will be tracked by teachers and a support session will be offered on a Tuesday after school (Week B) if they need guided practice in the self-quizzing revision method. 

During Week B, students will complete independent practice in each of their subjects. This will be a range of extended writing tasks, practice questions and research tasks. 

At KS3, students will also be expected to complete Sparx Reader, Sparx Maths and Sparx Science (online learning platforms) to support their literacy, numeracy and scientific development. Sparx Maths and Sparx Science will continue into KS4. 

At The John Roan School, we believe that home learning plays an important role in helping students become confident, independent learners. It encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and develops valuable habits such as organisation, resilience and self-discipline.

Research consistently shows that well-designed home learning can have a positive impact on student progress. Home learning is most effective when it is purposeful, manageable in length and closely linked to classroom learning. For this reason, home learning tasks are designed to reinforce and consolidate what students have learned in lessons, provide opportunities for independent practice, or prepare students for upcoming topics.

Learning does not stop when a lesson ends. To remember knowledge and develop skills over the long term, students need opportunities to revisit and practise what they have learned. Home learningprovides this valuable opportunity by encouraging students to recall prior learning and apply it independently. These activities help strengthen understanding, improve retention and build confidence.

Knowledge Organisers & Quizzes:In all written subjects, students are provided with Knowledge Organiser booklets that clearly set out the key information they are expected to learn and remember. These include important facts, dates, events, characters, concepts and subject-specific vocabulary.

The booklet also includes guidance on self-quizzing, a simple but highly effective study technique that helps students strengthen their memory and deepen their understanding of what they have learned. Students are taught how to use these strategies both in lessons and through assemblies so that they can develop effective independent study habits.

As part of their home learning, students are asked to learn a specific section of their Knowledge Organiser, in every subject, every two weeks, according to the homework timetable. In the following lesson, students complete a short quiz on that section during the ‘Do Now’ activity at the start of the lesson. These regular quizzes help students to check their understanding, identify any gaps in their knowledge and build confidence in recalling key information.

Students who do not achieve the expected standard in these quizzes regularly will be invited to a Tuesday after school ‘Prep’ session with Ms Herrick. In the session they will practice the study strategies they need to succeed. 

Alongside learning key knowledge, homework also provides students with valuable opportunities to practise and apply what they have learned independently. Regular independent practice helps students build confidence, improve their skills and develop greater fluency in their subjects. Over time, this allows them to tackle more complex tasks successfully and become increasingly independent learners.

While lessons include opportunities for practice, there is often not enough time in the school day for students to complete the amount of practice needed to fully embed new skills. Home learning, therefore, plays an important role in extending this learning beyond the classroom.

Depending on the subject and year group, independent practice home learning may include exam-style questions, extended writing tasks, problem-solving activities, or the practice of specific techniques in practical subjects. For students in Key Stages 4 and 5, home learning may involve past paper questions to help prepare them for public examinations. In many subjects, paper-based tasks are used to encourage independent thinking, reduce reliance on online sources and strengthen students' written communication skills.

Failure to hand in independent practice will result in a ‘missed home learning’ detention. 

Sparx Reader

At Key Stage 3, students complete weekly tasks on Sparx Reader (an online platform) alongside their subject homework. Reading is a vital skill that supports success across all subjects, and Sparx Reader provides personalised activities that help students develop their reading fluency, comprehension and confidence.

Sparx Maths

At Key Stages 3 and 4, Sparx Maths is the main mathematics homework platform. Regular practice is essential for developing mathematical understanding, and Sparx provides tailored questions that reinforce learning from lessons and immediate feedback, which is essential for progress. Teachers may also set additional exam-style questions when appropriate, particularly for examination classes.

For both platforms, students have been provided with login details. If they have any questions they should speak directly to their Maths and English teachers. 

Sparx Science

At KS3 and KS4, students complete fortnightly tasks onSparx Science alongside theirindependent practice in Week B. Sparx Science provides personalised home learning that targets individual knowledge gaps, supports retrieval and revision, and helps teachers monitor engagement and identify misconceptions efficiently. 

Students are invited to attend Home Learning club which runs every day after school in room W208A from 3.10-4pm, ensuring that all students are supported to complete all of their home learning. 

Teachers will design knowledge organiser quizzes to set students up for success. The quizzes will vary in scaffold (support) depending on the group. 

Teachers will also post all home learning on Satchel (the online home learning platform, formally Show My Homework). Parents can check Satchel to monitor the work. Satchel can be accessed by parents/carers through a web browser or on the App. Read this information from Satchel to get started.

The Knowledge Organiser Quiz process: