Learning in school and at Home

At King James we are committed to promoting independent learning beyond the classroom, as we know this further develops our pupils curiosity and their resilience, as they are able to self regulate their own learning.   All pupils have a google account, which is how they can access online documents via Google Apps.  This means pupils can type and present their learning, save their work in their drive and access their school email.  

One App is called Google Classroom, which is where lesson resources, additional home learning support and revision are stored by their class teacher(s).  To access their Google Classroom they should follow the steps here.

Aims of Home Learning:

1. To develop and extend learning in school

2. To encourage independent learning

3. To develop self-discipline and personal organisation

How Home Learning is set:

• Staff will share the learning with pupils in the lesson and it will not be required for the next day (KS2&3).

• A date for completion will be given

• An approximate time will be provided 

• KS2 learning is recorded in Pupil Planners

• KS3 & KS4 learning is recorded on Arbor and in their planner for year 7 (year 8 & 9 students can request a planner, if required).

Our pupils can expect to receive regular homework and at specific points in the year they will be set tasks to revise.  Your child's tutor and subject teachers will outline how to plan for revision and give details of different revision techniques that can be used.  Our experience of revision success over many years has always been that children must find revision techniques that work best for their memory, whether this be flash cards, mind mapping, note taking using the 'Cornell' method or some thing else.  Please do encourage your child to experiment and tray again, if first they do not succeed.

Pupils are expected to be independent learners by the time they reach their GCSE courses.  There is a list of key websites to support each subject in the section below.  When your child hasn't been set any home learning they should be working on reinforcing their learning using these links.

• Cores subjects have more curriculum time, so 2-3 pieces might be set each week e.g. reading / spellings and another task.

• Option subjects (3 lessons per fortnight).  So at least  a 1 hour task each week; however, some subjects will require extended extra curricular contribution e.g. Art, Drama, D&T and PE.

• PE/PSHE when appropriate

• In the event a formal task is not set, pupils are expected to revise.