HOMEWORK POLICY

Beliefs about homework Homework can improve students ’ study skills, their attitudes toward school, and demonstrate that learning can take place outside of formal schooling. Students who complete homework generally outperform those who do not on some measures of academic achievement. There are more positives than negatives for student learning when homework: is appropriate to the student's age or stage of schooling and intellectual development; focuses on consolidation of learning; is set at consistent intervals; constructive teacher feedback is provided; and appropriate parental support is available. Some homework is better than none but a ‘more homework the better ’ view is misleading and not a legitimate basis for homework policy. Homework can be a contentious issue: its value needs to be balanced against competing family and societal demands; there is a point of diminishing returns at which the amount and nature of homework can prove to be detrimental to student learning; and schools and parents need to work together so as to avoid any negative impact of homework