Our teachers are very similar to Usain Bolt. They may not be able to run 100 m in 9 seconds, but they know what is required to set goals, which includes time, effort, sacrifice and hard work. It is important we surround ourselves with successful learners. Teachers have committed at least 4 years to full time study to be able to teach their classes. Draw from their experience and advice as they know what is required to be successful leaners. 

Home Learning at Carroll College

Carroll College is a place of authentic learning where students find meaning and purpose in their life through the integration of faith and culture. Our Catholic community has a responsibility to ensure all students find meaning and purpose in their life through experiencing continual growth in faith and improvement in learning. Home Learning at Carroll College is defined as all school-related preparation, tasks and study with which students engage, and attempt to complete outside of normal learning lessons. Informed by current educational research, home learning that leads to learning is:

• Purposeful and relevant to student needs
• Appropriate to the capacity and phase of learning of the students
• Encouraging of student independence as learners
• Varied, challenging and clearly related to learning
• Both aware and allowing of students’ commitment to recreational, employment, family, religious and cultural activities

Objectives

Home learning has the potential to:

• Provides the opportunity to link knowledge and understanding through reinforcing learning experiences at both school and home
• Foster good study habits and promote lifelong learning
• Help develop self-discipline and concentration
• Provide training for students in research skills, planning and time management
• Help develop a range of skills in identifying and using information sources
• Provides parents/carers with the opportunity to see the progress of their child

There is also evidence to show that home learning completion can serve to improve the achievement of socially and educationally disadvantaged students as well as provide challenges and stimulus to gifted and talented students.

Types of Home Learning

At Carroll College, there are usually five types of home learning:

• Set work – completion of set home learning for the next learning session at school
• Formative/Summative Assessment Tasks – ongoing completion of, or preparation for, assessment tasks that are due or set which all count towards student reports (remember all work is assessable and everything counts)
• Study – revision and learning by way of such methods as re-reading and highlighting of key words; executive summaries and/or note-making in forms such as mind-maps, study book, cluster diagrams; traditional headings/subheadings and related points; learning of work completed that day and/or in prior lessons; practising of problem solving, essay introductions/conclusions; correction and learning of correct spelling/glossary key concepts, punctuation and grammar; learning of theorems, equations, formulae and definitions
• Reading – additional research and/or individual interest
• A combination of two or more of the above

 Recording of and communicating about Home Learning

• The student laptop is the primary means of recording and communicating about home learning. If there is no “Set Work” for the next lesson, students are still expected to enter the word “Study”. This is to remind them that there are probably other types of home learning for subjects which need to be addressed or completed.
• Students are expected to note the due or set date of any home learning, assessment task, class tests or examinations in the student personal calendars. Communication to students and parents regarding summative assessment tasks and examinations is also by way of one or more of the following:
• Assessment Handbook for each Year group
• School Assessment Task Notification Form
• School Website
• School Newsletter

Time on Home Learning

An examination of International and National practices and many individual NSW school home learning policy statements reveal that there are some notional minimum and maximum hours most schools use as guidelines.

At Carroll College, suggested daily home learning hours reflect the research and are as follows:

Year 11-12	2-3 hours (but dependent on individual patterns of study)
Year 9-10	1 ½ - 2 hours
Year 7-8	1 – 1 ½ hours

Suggested home learning hours may fluctuate depending on such things as the nature of the courses being studied; pending examinations; and times when assignments and assessment tasks are set or due. Various scenarios may require some hours to be assigned to the completion of home learning on weekends or school holidays.

A golden rule is that whether home learning has been formally set by the class teacher, there is always some other work that can be attempted, for at least some of the suggested time, from one of the other types of home learning outlined above (Types of home learning). Furthermore, as stated earlier, some home learning done at regular intervals is better than none at all.

Home Learning and Time Management

The amount of time spent on any one specific type or combination of types of home learning may vary from one day to the next. This will be determined by several factors but does require effective time management.

Effective time management is a major challenge for most students throughout their schooling and post-school life. Students at all levels require regular, sometimes daily assistance from both teachers and parents/carers in the development of this skill.

Parental involvement in the completion of Home Learning

Research indicates that most parents expect schools to set home learning. Positive parental involvement in home learning is beneficial to students and is associated with higher levels of student achievement.

The nature of parental involvement in home learning may take a variety of forms that can have beneficial impacts on student achievement. Parents and carers can demonstrate positive involvement in home learning by:

• creating a home learning environment that provides appropriate conditions for learning and encouraging their children to complete home learning tasks
• adopting supportive approaches that help to improve students’ attitudes towards home learning and reduce home learning-related family conflict
• taking an active interest in the child’s home learning - research shows that interactive approaches to homework completion, particularly in the early years of primary and secondary schooling, have a significant positive impact on student levels of achievement
• supporting your child in setting aside time each day for home learning
• providing a dedicated place for home learning and study if possible
• assisting teachers to monitor home learning by signing completed work if requested
• regularly observing home learning entries and learning teacher comments on Sentral
• being aware of the amount of home learning set and due dates
• communicating with teachers any concerns about the nature of home learning or their child’s approach to home learning
• encouraging their child to read and take an interest in current events
• alerting the school to any domestic circumstances or extra-curricular activities that may need to be taken into consideration when home learning is being set or marked.

Finally, I wish all students every success as they enter the term and I’ll leave you with one final quote from the fastest man alive.

 “Train hard, turn up, run your best and the rest will take care of itself”

Warm regards

Andrew Kenneally
Assistant Principal – Curriculum, Learning and Innovation