Deputy Principal's update

Homework

For as long as I can remember, homework has always been a contentious issue both in schools and at home. How valuable is it? How much time should a student be spending on homework each week? 

One of our goals is to develop self-regulated learners who have the capacity to establish a path to learning success. Homework can play an important role in this process. There is little question that homework can have a positive impact on both student performance and engagement as evidenced through numerous causal model studies and experimental studies.

Homework develops a range of independent study skills including comprehension, research, skills of inquiry, concentration and organisation. It encourages the development of personal skills such as time management, self-discipline and personal responsibility.

In the Junior School from Prep to Year 4, there is very little evidence to suggest that a full homework regime improves student outcomes. This is not to say that special projects or regular reading is not appropriate for example. In Years 3–6, we have introduced some work being done at home in order to establish habits and aid in literacy and numeracy development. An example here would be regular reading, musical instrument practice and other drill exercises.

As students progress into the Senior School, a positive association appears in Years 7–9 with even the smallest amount of homework being completed, while in Years 10–12 there is a greater need for regular work at home. Students studying an accelerated program in Year 10 or Year 11 will inevitably require slightly more time each week given the extra demands.

Time spent on homework will depend on the student and academic demands of the task, class and year level. As the timely completion of homework is the responsibility of each student, students are encouraged to use their school diary and Shelly, our Schoolbox Learning Management System, to manage their time and workload.

Shelford has developed the following regarding time allocation for homework:

Years P–2

• No regular homework is recommended. This does allow for special projects and reading.

Years 3–6

• With a focus on Literacy and Numeracy development, students will have revision work each week in order to consolidate their learning in class. Daily reading is also recommended.

Years 7 and 8

• Monday to Thursday: 60–90 minutes per night
• Friday to Sunday: approximately 60–90 minutes total

Years 9 and 10

• Monday to Thursday: 90–120 minutes per night
• Friday to Sunday: approximately 90–120 minutes total

Years 11 and 12 (VCE)

• Monday to Thursday: 120–150 minutes per night
• Friday to Sunday: approximately 120–150 minutes total

Dan Belluz

Deputy Principal, Curriculum and Innovation