Psychology Department
The Psychology Department policy on homework for A Level courses
(MEETING OFSTED OUTSTANDING CRITERIA)
The policy can be summed up in the motto “frequent, meaningful and useful”
We currently set homework on a weekly basis and this will continue, and we will focus on setting at regular intervals 12 homework tasks that will stretch the students. The A4 homework book will be a record of the student’s progress.
We currently set worthwhile and meaningful tasks and we will continue to employ a variety of tasks that encourage students to apply their learning to real life and novel problems. Homework assignments should never facilitate the ‘cut and paste’ or ‘copy out’ methods of corner cutting favoured by some students. We will continue in the practice of setting homework tasks that have to be completed in order for students to make an active contribution to a future lesson. On the other hand homework assignments can include preparing for mock examinations and tests. Homework assignments will encourage students to learn how to investigate and research on their own and should foster and sustain the enthusiasm for psychology. Teachers will have flexibility in which task is set and this will reflect the planning of work for the set. Tasks will build on the areas teachers have identified as priorities for that particular set. These tasks will reflect the needs and aspirations of the set and of individual students. We will use the initial weeks in the teaching of the AS and A2 courses to set expectations and then build confidence and further increase motivation and enthusiasm in manageable stages.
The marks entered into our personal logs and onto SIMS will be the basis of further communication with students about the standard of their work and their level of effort. When a student has failed on a homework task, the initial follow up will involve consulting with the tutor and discussion with the student. Further cases of homework failure will activate the next level of sanctions and this will involve the parents and/or carers having to sign off the homework book for the remainder of the student’s time on the course. We will provide consistent comments to students on how to improve their work. It should be 100% clear from our comments about what we are looking for in future work.