Homework Policy
Updated on May 2021
1. Intent/Rationale
The school believes homework can reinforce students’ learning, deepen understanding of lessons taught and allow them to regularly practise and apply skills and concepts taught. It also enables students to cultivate good study habits and positive work ethics through practising self-discipline and time management. At the same time, homework allows teachers to check for students’ understanding and progress, so as to provide timely feedback, intervention and support.
Homework assignments may include:
• Practice exercises to follow classroom instruction
• Preview assignments to prepare for subsequent lessons
• Extension assignments to transfer new skills or concepts to new situations
• Creative activities to integrate many skills toward the production of a response or product
2. Guidelines
To promote holistic development and ensure that the well-being of our students are not compromised due to excessive homework, the school has drawn up the following guidelines:
2.1 Quality
Assignments should:
• be worth doing and related to class teaching.
• be within the students’ capabilities
• be explicit and defined so that student clearly understand what is required of them.
• be interesting and purposeful. The motivation should be to arouse the desire to discover and learn, to consolidate work already introduced in class, or to practise skills already learned in the classroom.
• provide opportunities for students to apply in various ways the knowledge and skills learnt in the classroom.
2.2 Quantity
While homework is important for students, there is a need to balance between time spent on homework as well as other activities such as social interaction and sleep. Assignments should therefore be given regularly without overloading students unnecessarily. The following should be used as a guide when prescribing homework.
2.3 No Homework Day for P4 to P5 students
No homework will be given on Mondays since most P4 to P5 students have CCAs on Mondays. If homework is given on a Monday, more time would be given to complete the piece of work (i.e. students would submit homework from Wednesday onwards).
2.4 School Holiday Homework Time Norms
Though school holidays are meant for students to take a break from learning in school, the school has to mitigate academic loss that would set in especially after long holidays. The following guidelines will be considered during the prescription of homework during school holidays.
2.5 Public Holidays and Festive Seasons
Public holidays such as Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya and National Day are meant to be celebrated as a nation. No homework will be given on these days as students should spend time enjoying these holidays with their family. No homework should be given on Children’s day so that students can truly enjoy themselves on this day.
3. Responsibilities of Teachers
Planning
Teachers should:
• assign assignments that are relevant, challenging and meaningful that reinforce classroom learning objectives. All assigned homework should be evaluated to better address learning gaps.
• assign assignments that can be completed within a day. If teachers were to give a substantial amount of homework, students should be given more than a day to complete the assignments.
• ensure that students are not overloaded with homework for the various subjects on any particular day. Subject teachers should coordinate by indicating assignments given for the day on the white board to inform other teachers of the work already assigned to students.
Marking / Monitoring
Teachers should:
• mark all homework (including corrections) assigned promptly and accurately and discuss mistakes made with students.
• assist students in maintaining proper filing for all homework assigned
• take follow-up actions on students’ learning
Communication
Teachers should:
• remind students to record homework given in the student’s Daily Organiser. This is to communicate to parents the work assigned.
• inform parents if students fail to complete their homework within the prescribed deadline three times or more.
• provide timely and developmental feedback to both students and parents
4. Responsibilities of Students
Students should take ownership of their own learning and actions.
They should:
• write down their assignments and deadlines in their Daily Organiser
• ask questions to clarify if they are unclear with assignment instructions
• take pride in their assignments and produce quality work
• ensure assignments, including corrections are completed on time
• ensure homework is completed and handed in to meet the deadline
5. Responsibilities of Parents
Homework provides parents with timely information on the learning progress of their child and the opportunity to be involved in their child’s learning. Parents should work hand-in-hand with the teachers in supporting their children in their learning by:
• checking the student’s Daily organiser for the assignments
• setting regular study time each day for revision and completing of homework
• helping their child establish a study area, with good light, space and free from distractions
• supporting and assisting their child when he/she faces difficulties in completing their assignments