Independent Study Policy (Year 7-9)
For students to be able to select, organise and deploy a wide range of knowledge effectively Independent Study will be developed so that it is purposely and deliberately constructed. It will focus on supporting and developing long term memory and ensuring students recover academically from the long term absence due to Covid-19.
Independent Study will be streamlined across the year group for the core subjects through the use of the online platforms Bedrock (English), Hegarty Maths (Maths) and Tassomai (Science). Alongside this we encourage students to study from their knowledge organisers for at least two hours each week to support with learning the key knowledge that is required to access their subjects across the curriculum.
Please see below for further details of each platform including the required amount for each year group:
Year 7 - 9
How much is there per subject?
|
Science |
Tassomai (2 daily goals) |
|
English |
Green face (Face turns green or 20 points) |
|
Maths |
3-5 tasks (70 and over on 3 tasks at least) |
|
KO Quiz |
Learn KO and complete Quiz |
Suggested Day of Independent Study Completion:
|
Day |
Subject |
|
Monday |
Tassomai (due Sunday) |
|
Tuesday |
Knowledge Organiser Quiz (due Wednesday) |
|
Wednesday |
Bedrock (due Sunday) |
|
Thursday |
Tassomai (due Sunday) |
|
Friday |
Hegarty Maths (due following Monday) |
Year 10 and 11
How much is there per subject?
|
Science |
Tassomai (3 daily goals) |
|
English |
Green face/ 20 points minimum (approx 2 tasks) |
|
Maths |
3-5 tasks (70 and over on 3 tasks at least) |
|
KO |
Learn your KO as set by your classroom teacher |
Suggested Day of Independent Study Completion:
|
Day |
Subject |
|
Monday |
Tassomai (due Sunday) |
|
Tuesday |
Tassomai (due Sunday) |
|
Wednesday |
Bedrock (due Sunday) |
|
Thursday |
Tassomai (due Sunday) |
|
Friday |
Hegarty Maths (due following Monday) |
If a student is set any additional independent study to what is listed above, this will be posted on google classroom for the students to complete. We also encourage students to read for at least half an hour each night. This could be either their own book, an English set text, a novel, academic journal or broadsheet newspaper.
Q&A for students
|
Problem |
Solution |
|
I have forgotten my password |
Contact your teacher as soon as possible. This is not a reasonable excuse for not completing your independent study |
|
I have been unwell |
Your LCO will be checking the detention list and will know that you were unable to complete your independent study |
|
I do not understand my independent study |
Attend the Early Bird Session to support you to ensure you meet the deadline. |
|
I forgot to go to my detention |
You will now have a 1 hour Friday detention. Remember you still need to complete your Independent Study. |
|
I have not done my homework twice in a half term for a subject, what does this mean? |
You will now need to attend ‘Early Bird support’ between 7:30 and 8:20 at least once the following week. |
|
I was meant to go to ‘Early Bird support’ but I did not go? |
You will have a 1 hour Friday detention. Remember the Early Bird support is there to stop this happening. |
Please click on the expandable sections below to access information about Independent Study & Knowledge Organisers.
Support and 'How to' Guides
Overall Support
Monitoring your child’s Independent Study through their platforms (video)
Tassomai
Setting up a tassomai account (video)
Bedrock
Introduction to Bedrock (video)
How to check engagement (points and therefore detention lists) of individual students (video)
Hegarty Maths
Hegarty Maths Student Guide 2021How can I help my child get the most out of Hegarty Maths
Introducing Seneca - the funniest way to learn at KS2, KS3, GCSE & A Level
Why are we using Knowledge Organisers?
- The GCSE and BTEC courses have changed to focus on the retrieval of knowledge.
- Students need to know specific dates, key words and formula.
- By learning the key facts from as early as Year 7 the knowledge is becoming part of our students’ long term memory which will support them in reaching their potential in exams.
- The knowledge organisers contain core knowledge which is essential for progress in each subject area.
- Students are required to learn prescribed parts of the knowledge organiser each week; these will be formally quizzed in the following lesson.
How do I use a knowledge organiser?
- Each knowledge organiser has the key facts for the topic you are learning
- You will have specific homework set around each area of the knowledge organiser
- You need to memorise the content of the knowledge organiser before you are quizzed in class
- Use the look, and cover, and say, and write, and check method to learn the information.
Autumn 2021 Knowledge Organisers
Please click on the links below for the Knowledge Organisers for each year group for Autumn 2021.