Well organised independent study plays a vital role in raising standards of achievement and developing successful lifelong learning. It is important for students: to consolidate and reinforce skills, knowledge and understanding acquired in lessons; to extend and enhance their learning skills; and to become more independent learners with a positive attitude towards learning.
All independent study tasks set by teachers are in Assignments, on Microsoft Teams. Even if the independent study task is to fill in a sheet given to them in class, the title of the independent study and when it is due will be noted in Assignments. If parents wish to know what independent study tasks their child has been set, and when they are due, please ask them to show their Assignments. The Assignments that relate to them will be clearly labelled with their class information, or that the Assignment is for the whole year group. Generally, students will receive tasks weekly for their subjects and need to spend approximately one hour a day completing them. The time spent on independent study will need to increase leading up to assessments to allow for extra revision.
Students have been given cardboard wallets to store their independent study, so they have it in one place and therefore have it in class when it is due. Feedback on this work is provided to students in several ways, including teacher marking and feedback, self-assessment, and peer-assessment. This allows the students to make the maximum progress.
If any students do not hand in their independent study when it is due, their teachers’ record this in Arbor in the behaviour section as ‘Out of lesson work not submitted on time’. Parents will therefore be able to see the subjects where independent study has not been completed on time in Arbor.
Students who have not handed in their 'out of lesson work' when it is due will be required to go to the independent study support session on Friday from 2:50 pm – 3:40 pm the following week. Parents will be informed of the need for attendance more than 24 hours beforehand. During this session, students will be supported in going into their Assignments and making a list of all the independent study tasks they have been set for the following week, and when they are due. They will then tick off the ones they have already completed and be asked to make a plan for when they intend to do the rest. Once this is done, they will spend the remaining time completing the tasks.