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Independent Study at CAST

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. At Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology we use a number of online platforms to support students with their independent study.

  • Sparx Maths

    https://sparxmaths.com

    Sparx Maths is a platform that allows students to practice solving Maths questions and get immediate feedback. If students are not sure how to answer a question, they can watch short videos that model the method needed to tackle the problem. Some questions require students to write answers down to use so they should have pen and paper available while completing their study.

    Students can log into Sparx Maths using their school Microsoft login details.

    The questions set on Sparx Maths are based on the topics that students have studied in their lessons. Sparx adjusts the questions based on student’s answers and will revisit topics that they have struggled with in the past. Sparx uses students' answers to customise their learning experience based on their strengths and weaknesses.

    If you child is struggling to complete a question, please do not offer them any help until they have been told to “seek help” and watched the supporting video. This tells Sparx that they found the question difficult, and it will adjust future questions based on this.

    Students who wish to do so can do additional independent study by using the “Independent Learning” option in the side menu.

    Each week, Sparx will send an email with information about your child’s progress on their assignments for that week.
  • Sparx Reader (Year 9 only)

    https://sparxreader.com

    Sparx Reader provides an online platform for students to develop their reading and literacy skills. The application adapts to students' reading levels and provides them with a choice of texts to read. As they read, students are asked comprehension questions to check their understanding. At CAST, we only use Sparx Reader with Year 9 students.

    Students can log into Sparx Reader using their school Microsoft login details.

    Each week, Sparx will send an email with information about your child’s progress on their assignments for that week.
  • Sparx Science

    https://sparxscience.com

    Sparx Science is an online platform that supports students to build fluency in their scientific understanding and ability to solve problems. The questions set on Sparx Science are based on topics that students have studied in class. Each week just over half of their questions will be based on topics set by their teachers and the remaining questions will consolidate previous weeks’ study. Sparx uses students' answers to customise their learning experience based on their strengths and weaknesses.

    If students are unable to answer a question, they will be given the chance to try again before being offered support. After Sparx has reminded students of the information that they need to answer the question, there will be a short pause to encourage students to think carefully about what they have just seen before they are given a chance to use this information to answer a similar question to the one they were asked previously.

    Students can log into Sparx Science using their school Microsoft login details.

    If your child is struggling to answer questions, please encourage them to try again and then read the supporting information carefully. This will tell Sparx that they found a topic difficult, and the platform will take this into account when setting future questions and consolidation.

    Students who wish to do so can do additional independent study by using the “Independent Learning” option in the side menu.

    Each week, Sparx will send an email with information about your child’s progress on their assignments for that week.
  • GCSE Pod

    https://www.gcsepod.com

    GCSE Pod is an online study platform that breaks learning down into bite-sized "pods". Each pod is 3-5 minutes long and there are over 7,500 pods covering everything from Computer Science to Health and Social Care.

    CAST students have access to the full GCSE Pod suite and can login using their school Microsoft details.

    Students can make playlists of pods on topics that they want to study, use quizzes to check their understanding, and choose from a wide range of other learning activities. Pods can be downloaded so that they are available offline and the site is designed to be used on any kind of device.

    We strongly encourge students to use GCSE Pod as part of their independent study and some subjects such as English, Geography, and Computer Science will also use it to set assignments for students.
  • Pearson Revise

    https://reviseonline.pearson.com

    Pearson Revise provides online access to Pearson’s revision books as well as other resources including  a revision planner. CAST students have full access to the site, including all of the premium features.

    Students can log into Pearson Revise using their school Microsoft login details. The first time they log in, students will need to select the “Activate school subscription” option.

    Students will need to add the courses that they study in order to see the resources. For each subject, students can access electronic versions of a revision guide, practice questions, and flashcards.

    If students are not sure how to plan their revision in the run-up to assessments, this can be a very helpful resource.
  • Isaac Physics

    https://isaacphysics.org

    Isaac Physics is an online platform that aims to improve students’ problem-solving skills. It is developed and run by the University of Cambridge. Students can use Isaac for their own independent study but may be asked to create an account and join a class group by their teacher. Student accounts should be created using their school email address.

    On Isaac, students can answer practice questions or use concept pages and watch video lessons for self-guided learning.

    Because Isaac is designed for independent study, there is no parental access feature.
  • Seneca

    https://senecalearning.com

    Seneca is an online platform that covers a wide range of subjects at both key stage 3 and GCSE level. All CAST students have access to the premium features of Seneca and can use it for their independent study and revision. Courses on Seneca are linked to national curriculum and exam board criteria.

    Students can log into Seneca using their school Microsoft login details.

    Seneca focusses on providing an interactive review of the key concepts and vocabulary in a subject.

    Teachers may occasionally set tasks on Seneca for students to complete.
  • Kerboodle (Geography only)

    www.kerboodle.com

    Kerboodle is Oxford University Press' online service and students can use it to access a digital copy of the GCSE geography textbook.

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. Details of the independent study expectations for each subject can be found below:

Maths

  • Each week students are set independent study using Sparx Maths. This should take about one hour to complete and we suggest that students use their Private Study lessons to stay on top of it. Students who do not complete their Sparx Maths will be invited to a catch up session during the school day.

English

  • Year 9 students are set independent study using Sparx Reader.
  • Year 10 and Year 11 are set written tasks that consolidate and build on their lesson content. Students have independent study booklets that they use for this and a homework book for their answers.

Science

  • Each week, students are set independent study using Sparx Science. This will cover Biology, Chemistry, and Physics and should take approximately one hour to comlete.
  • Year 10 and Year 11 students may also be set additional subject-specific tasks such as practice exam questions or using Seneca, Isaac Physics or GCSE Pod.

Computing and Technology

  • Year 9 are set a piece of independent work every two weeks. Year 10 and 11 get independent work every week.
  • Independent tasks are set using online platforms such as Seneca and GCSE Pod.

Social Sciences

  • In Geography, students are set a task each week that will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. This is usually either a continuation of the independent practice from their lesson or a revision activity.
  • Pyschology students are set a range of tasks depending on what they are studying at the time. This is often in the form of exam questions but could be other activities such as drafting essay plans.

Health and Social Care

  • Students are set a weekly task to complete. These are usually structured around preparing extended written answers for their coursework and may involve an element of research.

Additional Independent Study Resources

As well as the sites listed above, students may find the following helpful for their independent study:

If any students do not hand in their independent study when it is due, their teachers will record this in Arbor in the behaviour section as ‘Out of lesson work not submitted on time’. Parents are 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.