Study and Homework – St Pauls Secondary School

Study and Homework Policy

St Paul’s Secondary School Mission Statement

St. Paul’s Secondary School provides an inclusive climate of learning based on the key value of respect within a nurturing and stimulating educational setting.
We are a secondary school of the community for the community. Each student is expected to strive to fulfil his or her potential. Each person is encouraged to develop personally, academically, spiritually, socially and culturally.

“When we aspire, believe and achieve, together we can succeed.”

St Paul’s Secondary School Ethos

St. Paul’s Secondary School is a Catholic voluntary co-educational secondary school under the Trusteeship of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. St Paul’s is a welcoming and inclusive school. It is the secondary school of the community, for the community. It is the natural extension of the family with brothers and sisters, neighbours and relations learning, sharing and growing together.

The school strives to maintain and promote an atmosphere of Christian care, concern and respect where our students grow into well-adjusted men and women. The school has a strong Christian tradition, in which the Sisters of Mercy have had, and continue to have, an important role.

Inbuilt structures and procedures in the daily life of the school offer the students opportunities to develop personal initiative and responsibility, together with a questioning mind, which will help them assess, with a critical eye, the wide and varied values of the world they live in today. In school they also learn the importance of personal commitment, punctuality, regular attendance, planning for the future and working as a team.

At St Paul’s the holistic development of each student is supported, promoted, encouraged and celebrated. On completion of their education students will be prepared for life, further education, work and the varied and exciting challenges of adult life.
In preparation for life, students at St Paul’s will be taught essential habits, skills and values. Christian values and the key principles of “respect” and “doing one’s best” will remain central to what we are and all we do.

Through its curriculum, teachers and timetable, the school will provide a comprehensive education for its students. Subjects will be offered at all levels and programmes and specific courses of study will be tailored to the students’ needs. A wide range of additional academic opportunities will be afforded to students. Support, advice and guidance on further education and careers will be extensive.

Through its unique atmosphere, the school will help students develop into well-adjusted men and women. Through its pastoral care and guidance, students and their families will be supported through difficult times. The provision of physical education, sports and the promotion of healthy living will remain paramount. Through extra-curricular, subject and programme related activities students will have many opportunities to showcase their talents, perform or experience the arts. The School Charter sets out the conditions and the expectations for all the school partners to achieve St Paul’s Mission Statement through the school ethos.

Section 2:

Scope of the Homework policy:

The Study and Homework policy outlines
the importance of homework and the key role Students, Parents and teaching
staff play in supporting this policy document.

Policy Statement:

Regular home work is a key aspect of the learning
process and contributes to the development of sound study skills. It
consolidates, reinforces and supplements the work done in class and
promotes independent learning and creativity. This policy is in line with our
Schools Mission statement.

Aim of the Policy:

To develop a Students positive attitude to Study and homework that
builds upon a positive attitude to school, education and long life
learning
To value the role Parents and teaching staff play in promoting effective
study skills and homework routines for the Student
To outline the action to be taken when Students fail to comply with the
Policy guidelines

Study and Homework:

Refers to tasks assigned to students by their
teachers to be completed mostly outside of school hours – at home or at
supervised study in school. Homework involves ongoing and regular revision
of course work.

Main types of Homework

Teachers assign different types of homework to accomplish specific purposes.
It is an essential part of the learning and teaching process and may be set in
a number of different ways.

Practice homework

helps a student gain specific knowledge and skills that
have been presented in class. This type of homework includes completing
worksheets, answering questions from a chapter and studying for tests.

Extension homework:

Sometimes students need to communicate their
mastery of knowledge and skills by using different media such as writing
compositions, preparing a demonstration, drawing maps, making models, or
other visual displays.

Projects:

At times teachers want students to complete projects that combine
many skills and require a depth of knowledge such as preparing oral reports,
preparing for debates, role plays, written reports, science projects, or artistic
productions. These projects often extend over a few weeks.

Preparation homework:

Is designed to motivate or prepare students for
knowledge and skills which they have not yet mastered. Teachers may assign
students to read text, take notes on reading, work on solving a problem that
will illustrate the need to learn upcoming material, or gather information from
resources outside of class.

Aim of Study and homework:

To develop the necessary and important skills required for written
examinations and maximise student performance.
To reduce exam stress
To develop study skills, self discipline, motivation needed to study
effectively on their own
To be thoroughly familiar with the course content of various subjects.
To give students the opportunity to practice and revise work done in
class
To foster good study and research practices among students
To encourage teachers to be consistent in assigning and checking
homework
To provide teachers with feedback on the student’s progress
To help teachers to monitor progress and to identify problem areas in
their subject
To engage parents involvement in students study and homework
To establish and maintain a necessary communication link between the
home and school

Role and Responsibilities of the Student:

At the beginning of First year establish a good study/homework
routine
Students must have their homework journal in class
All homework assignments should be recorded at the end of each class
and entered into the diary.
If necessary, to check the assignment with the teacher before the end
of the class
Complete and present homework to the required standard and given
deadline
Co-operate with the class teacher
Ensure that written homework is their own
To complete homework on the day it is received.
To have music, the television and the phone switched off during
homework and study periods
To check and complete what homework was assigned after a return to
school from illness or during a time of absence.

Study time Guidelines:

Students are advised to draw up a study/revision timetable for
themselves
Guidelines on homework/study skills shall be made available to
students
The quality of homework is far more important than the amount of
time devoted to it
Special needs students will be given due consideration in consultation
with the learning support teacher and Parents
Extra Curricular activities i.e. sport, recreation or part-time work should
not interfere with completing study or homework
Absence from class for extra-curricular activities is never acceptable for
failure to do homework
Evening or weekend jobs are not recommended, particularly during
exam years

Year	Recommended times for Homework & Study per night
Year 1	1.5 – 2 hours
Year 2	2 – 3 hours
Year 3	2 – 3 hours and increasing approaching exams
Year 4	3 hours and depending on project work and activities
Year 5	2.5 -3 hours
Year 6	2.5 -3 hours and extra time at weekends

Role of the Parents / Guardians:

To encourage and provide a supervisory role in ensuring students do homework and establish a good study and homework routine at home
Arrange for after-school study, if applicable
To provide suitable conditions so that students can do homework, free from distraction, suitable desk, chair light and heat. Ensure television, music and mobile phone is switched off
To ensure that adequate time is spent at homework
To check and sign the homework journal at least weekly
To sign notes from the teachers, if necessary
To contact the subject teacher if concerns arise about Students progress
To provide a written explanatory note in the students journal if for a valid reason a student is unable to do homework
To attend Parent/Teacher meetings.
To support the study and homework policy of the school

The Role of the Teacher:

To give clear instructions on homework assignments.
To ensure students have sufficient time to write their homework into their school journal.
To keep an account of the homework given to students
To check that the homework is completed by the given deadline
To correct homework during the lesson, if possible
To keep an account of the homework completed by students
To consider the varying abilities of students when setting homework, consideration will be given to Students with special needs
To give homework from examination papers, when suitable.
To correct, mark and return homework
To provide regular and effective feedback to Students on their homework performance.
To report and record lack of homework in the students journal
To report record and reward Students for good performance.
Be available to meet Parents if concerns arise regarding a Students study and homework
Provide end of term progress reports on Students educational progress

The Role of the Form Teacher:

To explain the importance of study and homework to students
To check the student’s diaries for the recording of homework.
To keep an account of students patterns of instances of no homework.

Agreed action in the event of a Students non compliance with Policy guidelines.

For each instance a student fails to produce homework the subject teacher will apply one or more of the following sanctions to the student

A subject relevant Penalty Sheet to be completed for the next class.
Homework to be done for the next class with parents signature.
Lunchtime detention under the teacher’s supervision with one days notice.

After three instances of failing to produce homework in any one subject a Friday Detention will be issued by the subject teacher.

Repeat offenders will have their parents brought in to accompany them for interview with Year Head and Form Teacher.

Failure to comply with any of the above sanctions will be dealt with through the schools disciplinary system.

Parents Reference:

www.colaisteca.ie/parents/Publications/…/Homework-AdvicetoParents1.pdf

www.education.ie

www.helpme2parent.ie/teenagers

www.skool.ie/parentssection

www.scoilnet.com

www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/homework/homeworktips