Homework Policy
Homework Policy Loreto College St Stephen’s Green
Effective homework has positive and beneficial effects in reinforcing and facilitating learning, stimulating thinking, encouraging active independent learning, as well as developing and fostering a closer relationship between learning in school and at home. Parents can support the school in regard to homework assignments by assisting in the following:
- Providing continued interest and concern for the student’s successful performance in school through encouraging the student in her performance of homework assigned.
- Ensuring the students at home are provided with a quiet area to study, equipped with desk and chair and good quality of lighting.
- Assisting the school in stressing the importance of reading and its benefits.
- Ensuring that any part-time jobs held by students do not interfere with the completion of homework and revision.
The aim of homework is primarily to improve the student’s grasp of material and work covered in class, while also and especially in a student’s senior years to encourage the gathering and assimilation of additional materials that may be beneficial to student learning.
Homework can take a variety of forms including:
- Written assignments
- Learning assignments
- Revision work
- Collecting information for projects
- Listening to tapes or CD’s
- Watching education documentaries or television programmes
- Preparing for debates, role-plays etc
In order to assist students in organizing homework tasks and differentiating between study and written homework requirements, a module on “Study Skills” as part of the S.P.H.E programme is delivered to 1st/2nd year students.
In 3rd year, an afternoon is set aside for the delivery of a special programme to assist students in good organizational methods and appropriate study skills techniques.
In 5th year, a whole day is given over to the delivery of a study skills programme appropriate to the needs of senior level students.
All homework, written assignments and learning assignments are to be recorded in the student’s Journal which is given by the school to the students specifically for this purpose. The Journal is signed on a weekly basis by the parent/guardian of students from 1st year through to 3rd Year. With good habits established it is hoped that students in Senior Cycle can take full responsibility themselves for their Journal. Journals are regularly monitored and signed by the Tutor and are available to all teachers should they wish to communicate with parents.
It will be the parents/guardians responsibility to inform the school/class teacher of any reasons why a student was unable to complete an assignment(s). The parent/guardian can communicate this through the use of the student’s Journal. The class teacher will in turn communicate to the parent/guardian if a student repeatedly fails to present written assignments or has failed repeatedly to complete learning/revision assignments.
As students vary in ability levels and in speed of completion of work, it would be impossible to indicate precisely the amount of time that should be spent by each individual student in the completion of homework and revision on a daily basis. We do offer however the following timetable as a general guideline for what might be appropriate at different levels as students move up through the school:
| YEAR | HOURS PER DAY ON HOMEWORK AND REVISION |
| 1st year | 1 to 2 |
| 2nd year | 1.5 to 2 |
| 3rd year | 2 to 3 |
| 4th year | Will vary depending on amount of project work |
| 5th year | 3 |
| 6th year | 3+ |
- The school expects that all homework is completed on time and to the best of a student’s ability.
- If a student has been out sick, and does not have work completed, a period of time will be given to the student to complete missed assignments.
- If a class test has been arranged, written homework or new material will not be assigned in the class before the test.
- Class tests will not be scheduled for immediately after mid-term breaks or Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays.
If a student or her parent/guardian feels that she is struggling with the amount of homework and or revision, the student should approach the class teacher or the Career Guidance Counsellor with regard to this matter.