Sir Graham Balfour School

A member of Insight Multi-Academy Trust

Parent Introduction

Research evidence shows that homework, on average, can add five to eight months’ additional progress each year for your child.  The research is clear, homework has an integral role to play to improve the academic achievement of your child.  It is because of this that we have introduced a structured homework timetable for all years.  The timetable will stipulate what homework your child will be set and on what day. Your child can use the timetable to keep organised and to help with workload.  The schedule is designed so that your child completes the work  on the same day it is set.  We will give reasonable deadlines to hand the work in, but doing it on the day it is set will be a powerful way to ensure that your child is completing a manageable amount of homework each week day.

Your child will be rewarded for very good pieces of homework completed on time (merit/s will be issued).  If they fail to hand the work in on the deadline no demerits are given, but we will insist they turn up to a Subject Support Session, after school, staffed by teachers of the faculty, to receive support and complete the work.

However, before it gets to that stage please see below the proactive support that we have put in place to support the Homework schedule.  Prior to handing the work in your child will be able to:

  • Ask the teacher in lesson for advice/clarification etc. about the task.
  • Speak to the teacher at the end of the lesson/break/lunch for advice or clarification if they are too shy to ask in class.
  • Choose to voluntarily attend a Subject Support Session on a Monday or Wednesday (up to 1hr after school) where a member of staff will be on hand to provide advice and help with the homework.
  • Choose to use the school’s Learning Resource Centre after school or at lunch for a quiet place to complete the homework (open every day until 4.30pm).
  • Make use of the structured timetable that will ensure no more than two pieces of work being set on the same day. 

If your child fails to hand homework by the deadline:

  • No demerits will be given but, they will be issued with a Subject Support Session which they have to attend.  These will be on a Monday or Wednesday after school for an hour.  You will be informed of this by the school.  This is staffed by our teachers who are on hand to support your child in completing the homework.

If a lot of deadlines are missed, or it appears that your child is struggling with their homework, to ensure they do not fall behind in their learning:

  • Your child will be placed into additional Subject Support Sessions that will take place Monday and Thursday after school for one hour, where your child will be provided with structured support to ensure they catch up on work missed while also establishing effective learning habits by completing their homework.

Address

Sir Graham Balfour School
North Avenue
Stafford
ST16 1NR

For Sat Nav directions:

ST16 1NJ

Phone

01785 223490

Email

office@sirgrahambalfour.staffs.sch.uk