Homework is highly valued at Baulkham Hills High School and is a means of bridging the gap between learning at school and learning at home. It also serves as a means of encouraging students to:
- Develop important habits of reviewing work studied in class, concentration and self-discipline;
- Undertaking preparation for lessons;
- Plan and organise time and develop a range of skills in identifying and using information resources;
- Undertaking extension work which challenges and extends.
Homework will be educationally beneficial and will meet realistic expectations of students, teachers, parents and caregivers in the context of a Selective High School. Homework is given regularly in all subjects and should be recorded by the student in their homework diary. Every student is given a homework diary and this should be used at all times. Homework will be monitored by teachers, and parents or caregivers will be informed if satisfactory completion of homework becomes a problem.
Every effort will be made to recognise students' commitments out of school hours when work is allocated. In this regard, students will normally be able to negotiate realistic homework demands with teachers.
As students move into the senior school the homework and study demands will increase. However, students will be able to, at times, negotiate the amount, type and timeframe of their homework.
What can parents/caregivers do to help?
- Take an active interest in your child’s homework.
- Support your child in setting aside time each day for homework.
- Provide a dedicated place for homework and study if possible.
- Assist teachers to monitor homework by signing completed work if requested, and be aware of the amount of homework set.
- Communicate with teachers any concerns about the nature of homework or your child’s approach to homework.
- Encourage your children to read and take an interest in current events.
- Alert the school to any domestic circumstances or extra-curricular activities which may need to be taken into consideration when homework is being set or marked.