Rationale
Homework is an essential part of the learning process. It consolidates the content taught in class and teaches students the ability to work independently and manage their time effectively. It is essential to ensure that students are not overloaded, however, the habit of regular learning at home and working on tasks assigned should be developed.
Types of Homework
Homework may include:
Written assignments Assignments in IXL the electronic learning platforms of the Secondary school Preparation for tests and exams Researching for a project Reading in preparation for a lesson Reading a book or an assigned text Completing work that the student has failed to complete during the lesson Practising skills needed for playing sports, musical instruments, or art Practising for a performance Individual tasks in the instances when a student needs catch-up or extension work Completing work or assignments through online platforms, such as SENECA, Teams etc.
Amount of Homework
Grades 5, 6 & 7
Students in Grades 5, 6 & 7 will receive homework as follows:
English, Bulgarian and Science: Homework will not exceed 90 minutes per week, for each subject due at the discretion of each teacher, dependent on workload, but not more than once per week due the next lesson.
Mathematics: Homework will be set to the student after every lesson, which is due for the next lesson
Homework for other subjects can be given to a single student or the whole class to support learning which is given at the discretion of each teacher. Such homework must not be assigned more than three times per month.
Grades 8, 9 & 10
Students in Grades 8, 9 & 10 will receive homework as follows:
English, Mathematics, Bulgarian, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, MFL and History, Geography: Weekly homework will be assigned, due at the discretion of each teacher, dependent on workload, but not later than one week after setting.
Grade 10
English, Mathematics, Bulgarian, Physics, Chemistry and Biology: Weekly homework for each subject, will be assigned due at the discretion of each teacher, dependent on workload, but not later than one week after setting. Students at this stage are expected to take the initiative and engage in self-directed revision and should actively be encouraged to do so from the start of the year
Grade 11-12
All students will receive homework for each studied subject, at the discretion of each teacher, dependent on workload and need. Students are expected to complete self-study in the ratio 1:1 for every hour taught.
NB: Students studying for the Bulgarian examinations are also expected to attend consultations when required.
Student Expectations
1. Students need to try to do their best while working on the assigned homework.
2. Students need to record their homework and make a good organisation to do it well and on time.
3. Students need to understand that tasks assigned for homework are a natural continuation of what they have studied in class, and that the independent preparation at home helps them perform better in school.
4. Homework should be neat, well-organised and checked by the student prior to being handed in. The student should make sure his/her homework is completed according to the requirements of the given task, meets the set criteria and has no technical or spelling mistakes.
5. Students are expected to present their homework, meeting the set deadlines. Missing a deadline should be an exception. If a student feels that he/she will not be able to meet the deadline, the respective teacher must be notified at least 24 hours prior to the set deadline. At the teacher’s discretion the deadline could be extended if the student provides sufficient justification for his/her inability to meet the deadline. The deadline should not be renegotiated if the student does not inform the teacher early enough about his/her inability to meet it.
Failure to meet the deadline results in a deduction from the grade with a percent, specific for each department and determined in each department’s In-House Assessment Policy.
6. In case of incomplete homework, it should be taken into consideration that this might be due to lack of knowledge/skills and the teacher should act accordingly and provide the necessary support for the student.
7. If students are absent, they need to both establish the work they have missed and to be provided with this for completion. All students and teaching staff must work together. Failure to complete homework is considered a disciplinary offence in line with the school’s behaviour policy.
Discretionary Home Homework
All students may be given additional homework and course materials throughout the academic year. This is at the discretion of the teachers and the Head of Secondary.
Homework must be purposeful with clear expectations set. It should not be set where the students have not covered content previously and that they do not understand.
Parents are kept informed about assigned homework through the school's official platform. Students receive a sanction (a red badge in SHKOLO) when they fail to submit their homework.
Homework is assigned through electronic resources using SENECA weekly and through SHKOLO for work set by the teacher. Work must be set on SENECA for all subjects covered by the platform, weekly, with nuggets and/or tasks for completion where students’ assessment is held and monitored by the respective subject teachers, followed up with the stage leaders and then reported to the Head of Secondary
All homework which is set on the school’s official platform must also be uploaded on Teams. Homework on SENECA can be checked by the teachers and the academic leads.
After receiving the homework, the teacher has until the next homework cycle to give feedback to the students. Homework is checked by the relevant subject teacher, and if homework is not submitted, then the students will attend P9 consultation where the work will be submitted in this lesson and supervised by a member of the academic team. Work is handed to the P9 Coordinator, and this is passed to the subject teachers and classmaster. Teachers may set additional homework, at their discretion, and may give alternative deadlines for work completion, depending on the amount and the specifics of homework; this is particularly prevalent during key examination cycles where additional work may be given to support examination series. If students are absent from class or miss classroom learning then additional work will be provided for lessons, and this is required to be completed within 1 week.
Parents/guardians are informed when homework is missing or incomplete by notification from the subject teacher via Shkolo. The classmaster is informed by the subject teacher as well as the P9 Coordinator supporting with consultations so that there is transparency over what needs to be done, with deadlines. The deadline for homework is at the discretion of each teacher, dependent on workload, but its deadline cannot exceed more than a week after the work was assigned, unless indicated as such by the teacher who has assigned it. It can apply especially to project work, extended over a period of time. Missed classwork is regarded in the same way, and communication is provided to the classmaster, key stage leaders and academic supervisor for consistency. Persistent incomplete work is escalated to the Head of Secondary, as required (i.e. 2 or 3 weeks overdue and not complete in P9 consultations).
If a student attends P9 consultations, then they may not be allowed to go to their extracurricular activity as academic life sets the foundation for learning and development as well as ensuring pupil progress.
Clear deadlines and expectations from class teachers and leaders must be given with the students fully understanding of the expectations being set.
Material may be provided at any stage for catch-up and to help to support learners in subjects, topics or areas of weakness; this is at the discretion of the academic staff, and this may also be at a higher level for practice and self-study during more focused periods, particularly for older students, at examination phases of the academic year.
Monitoring
Homework for all students should be recorded clearly by the students - with clear instructions and due date. The students should either make a note of what the assignment is in their classwork notebook or in the respective resource (workbook).
The class master and/or the subject teacher assigns the homework through SHKOLO. The day of assignment is at the teacher’s discretion and depends on the curriculum requirements. Parents are strongly encouraged to monitor the assigned homework and support the school in ensuring homework is completed on time.
Students receive a sanction (a red badge in SHKOLO) when they fail to submit their homework.
Parents must be notified if their child regularly does not complete their homework by email or written form of communication, as well as making this clear to the students in MS Teams.
In order to support the students and to provide them with an extra time to complete any unfinished class work assignments and/or incomplete homework, the school has organised period 9 for the students. Teachers inform the Period 9 coordinator for those students who have failed to complete their assigned classwork or homework assignments on time. Parents are informed via email that the respective student needs to stay for period 9 to complete his/her work. The Head of Secondary will monitor the frequency of the incomplete work by each student attending period 9 and parents will be contacted if necessary.
Timeline for a compulsory homework check by the teacher
Homework is handed in to the teacher who has set the work. After receiving the homework, the teacher has until the next homework cycle to give feedback to the students.
Feedback is given to the students with the teacher’s remarks, including any grades (if applicable). This may be a verbal conversation or feedback in writing, depending on the task set.
Absences – Secondary School Students
While sick, the student should obtain information about their classwork/homework from their classmates – if possible, but the school’s academic staff must be proactive with provision for such.
After returning to school, the students should collect the classwork/homework directly from their teachers if not done meanwhile. The missed work is due in as many days as the student was absent. Any work which is unable to be collected must be located and placed on MS Teams which students have access to at any time.
During periods of pre-planned absence, students must obtain information regarding their classwork and homework from their subject teachers and advise their classmasters. Missed work is due in as many days as the student was absent.
Electronic resources
St. George International School and Preschool understands that students may wish to carry out additional study outside of school. All students can access the school’s online portals and resources to complete their tasks.
