Curriculum

 

Homework:

 

We believe that homework contributes significantly to a student’s progress in school. It helps to raise standards of achievement and plays an essential part in preparing students for tests, examinations and, most importantly, for lifelong independent learning. It extends challenges open to students and can maximize the effective use of teaching time in school.

Major aims of setting homework:

  • To help raise achievement: this is assisted through the additional study time which homework requires and provides. Well-set homework offers appropriate challenges based on reinforcement, consolidation and extensions of work done in lessons.
  • To increase motivation: Students should be encouraged to undertake independent learning at home as an essential part of their education. They should be made aware of the link between good study habits, high standards of organization and achievement, and examination success.  Rewards for good homework help to improve effort.
  • To develop independent study skills:   Students must progressively learn to take responsibility for their learning and develop the skills, attitudes and confidence necessary to study effectively throughout their lives. As they move up the school there will be increasing demands placed on them. They need to develop good organizational skills such as time-management, prioritizing and meeting deadlines.
  • To encourage a strong partnership between parents and School: through helping students with opportunities to use resources and materials not available in all lessons (e.g. visits, newspapers, television and radio, further use of computers, internet, libraries) and, most importantly, by ensuring that students have time and space for quiet uninterrupted study, parents can work most effectively towards maximizing their daughter’s progress.

Purposes of Homework for students

  • Offers additional study time to help them achieve higher standards.
  • Enables them to review classwork and check that they have understood it.
  • Enables them to prepare for future lessons through individual research.
  • Gives them the opportunity to reinforce their skills by practicing them.
  • Requires them to read – for information and for pleasure.
  • Requires them to write in different styles (e.g. essays, summaries, notes, extended written work).
  • Requires them to solve problems.
  • Extends their learning and widens their experience.
  • Enables them to pursue individual interests in subject areas.
  • Helps them to develop study skills – including time management and planning.
  • Requires them to use a variety of resources (books/internet/CDs) to help with their work.

Homework tasks may take many different forms, including:

  • Textbook questions
  • Exam style questions
  • Past exam questions
  • Research tasks
  • Learning key words
  • Projects
  • Presentations
  • Revision
  • Tasks uploaded on Teacher- students’ blogs

Each homework task may not be assessed by the teacher, as a standard ongoing homework for all classes is the review of that lessons work. This is assessed as part of the formal testing procedure. However, homework will be formally marked by the teacher or checked through whole class discussion. Feedback will be given in on pieces of work/assessments with individual targets for the student on how to improve.

 Each year group will be set a one homework minimum per week in each subject area. The average time spent on homework will vary for each year group, increasing as they move up the key stages. Some weeks, students will be given longer tasks which will take more time and other weeks will be less than the average time. Please see the table below for specific average times

for each year.

Year

Home Work Hours Per Week

 

 

English

Science

Math

Arabic

Humanities

Arabic

Humanities

English

Shariah

ICT

Option subjects

7

2.5 hours

1.5 hours

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

1 hour

1 hour

1.5 hours

1 hour

NA

8

2.5 hours

1.5 hours

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

1 hour

1 hour

2 hours

1 hour

NA

9

3 hours

2 hours

3 hours

3 hours

1 hour

1 hour

2 hours

1 hour

NA

10

3 hours

3 hours

3 hours

3 hours

1 hour

NA

1 hour

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

11

4 hours

3 hours

4 hours

4 hours

1 hour

NA

1 hour

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

12

4 hours

4 hours

4 hours

4 hours

1 hour

NA

1 hour

4 hours

4 hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment

 

A wide variety of assessment procedures are used. This includes (class work/ remote work during live lessons, homework, projects, tests and examinations). Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress via comments in exercise books, through the diary, reports, Chat via Microsoft Teams (for blended/online learning system) and parent teacher conferences.

There are 2 types of Assessments

  1. Formative Assessment
  2. Informal Assessment

(Both assessments are given to the students after enough practice and explanation)

  •  In Year 9, students sit the International Checkpoint Exams in Math, English and Science in order to assess their level and help guiding them whilst choosing IGCSE courses.
  • At end of Yr. 11, students sit IGCSE exams.
  • At end of Yr. 12, students sit AS exams.

 

Grade boundaries for Key stage 3(years 7-9)

 Grades are awarded as shown below.

95-100

A*

90-94.9

A

85-89.9

B*

80-84.9

B

75-79.9

C*

70-74.9

C

65-69.9

D*

60-64.9

D

55-59.9

E*

50-54.9

E

0-49.9

F

All Subjects

Weight in Term Grade

Homework

10%

Attendance

10 %

Class work

10%

Unit Assessments

30%

Summative Assessments

(End of term assessment)

40%

Total

100%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 10-12

Grades are awarded based on the CIE and Edexcel exam board grade boundaries for different subjects. Students and parents can check with subject teachers what these are or they can check on the CIE or Edexcel website for current grade boundaries for IGCSE and AS subjects. The boundary for other subjects is similar to those of KS3, or as the department decides.