Homework

Home Learning at Dixons Croxteth

At Dixons Croxteth Academy, we build a partnership between carers, students, and teachers that puts learning first. We help our students value learning by teaching them to take ownership of their own success. Home learning activities play a significant role in a pupil’s educational journey and wider development.

Why is home learning so Important?

When our long-term memory is altered, we have learnt something. When we learn a piece of information, we instantly begin to forget it. Over time, the amount of information retained will significantly reduce unless it is frequently revisited.

Our home learning strategy is designed to allow students to frequently revisit powerful knowledge to interrupt the forgetting process.

There are three strands to our home learning strategy:

1. Read. Cover. Write. Check. – This is a paper-based task.
2. Sparx Maths – Online.
3. Seneca Learning – Online.

Pupils should receive at least one Home Learning task per week from every subject. All pupils, especially those in KS4, are expected to take ownership of their success and use all the Home Learning resources to review lesson content and prepare for upcoming lessons.

Expectations - all years 

Expectations – Y7 and Y8

Up to 60 minutes per day of:

• Seneca
• Sparx Maths
• RCWC

Expectations – Y9 and Y10

Up to 90 minutes per day of:

• Seneca
• Sparx Maths
• RCWC
• Completion of past GCSE examination questions
   

Expectations – Y11

A minimum of 90 minutes per day of:

• Seneca
• Sparx Maths
• RCWC
• Completion of past GCSE examination questions
• Accessing revision sites
   

Excellent additional resources can be found at:

Learn Dojo

BBC Bitesize

Save My Exams

Oak National Academy
 

Read. Cover. Write. Check.

At Dixons Croxteth Academy, we use the Read. Cover. Write. Check (RCWC) process to support learning. It is essential that students complete RCWC activities in a silent environment, free from distractions, to focus on what they are learning.

This helps the working memory acquire information, which, with enough repetition, will be retained in long-term memory. Learning occurs when information is embedded in long-term memory, altering it. 

(see example below)

The process

1. Look at the first bullet point or sentence and read through it three to five times.
2. Cover it with your planner and write down the information exactly as it appears in your Knowledge Organiser.
3. Remove your planner and pick up your green pen.
4. Check what you wrote and tick if correct.
5. Make any corrections in green pen so it matches your Knowledge Organiser exactly, and repeat if necessary.
6. When you get it 100% right, move on to the next chunk of information.

Sparx Maths

All students will receive one Sparx Maths homework assignment to complete each week, which must be completed by the given deadline.

Sparx assignments are generated using an intelligent algorithm that matches content to each student's mathematical abilities, providing some challenge to promote progress. Sparx Maths is an online platform designed to enhance students’ Maths learning experience.
 

Student login:

• Students log in to the Sparx Maths platform using their credentials.
• They have access to various maths activities, games, and quizzes tailored to their needs and goals.

Teacher login:

• Teachers can also log in to Sparx Maths.
• They receive real-time insights into student progress and class performance.
• The platform provides fully resourced lessons, which can be paused or progressed during class.
• Teachers can monitor student tasks and adapt their teaching accordingly.

Adaptive learning:

• Sparx Maths adapts to individual student needs.
• It offers personalised learning experiences based on each student’s progress and understanding.

Homework and independent learning:

• Students complete their weekly homework on Sparx Maths.
• They can also engage in targeted tasks and independent learning to gain more practice and improve their Maths skills.

Seneca learning

Students will be assigned online homework through Seneca Learning. Assignments are set by various subjects to prepare students for future learning or reinforce recent lessons. Seneca is an effective and engaging interactive learning and revision tool.

Pupils can use the platform to study independently or complete assignments set by their teachers. Summaries, notes, videos, and various types of practice questions are all available on Seneca. The system is adaptive, tailoring the learning experience to each student's needs.

Parents are encouraged to create their own Seneca account to monitor the completion of work and provide encouragement to their child. Seneca will automatically sync parent email accounts with their children's Seneca account upon registration.

Click here to go to the Seneca Learning website.

Parent account guidance: how to sign up to Seneca as a parent.