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  • Homework & Remote Learning

Home & Remote Learning

At Harris Beckenham, homework and independent learning are an important opportunity to focus on recall and retrieval practice to secure the knowledge gained during the classroom experience and ensure that knowledge is revisited over time for the purpose of moving into the long-term memory.

You will be asked to self-quiz in preparation for lesson quizzes/tests, keywords and definition tests, respond to multiple-choice questions, or complete problems or questions to consolidate material learned previously.

Every half term, we craft comprehensive homework booklets, aptly termed 'Knowledge Organisers,' for each year. These invaluable resources delineate the homework expectations for the entire half term. A copy of these Knowledge Organisers is given to every student. If lost, they can be downloaded from our website.

In addition, you will receive a self-quizzing booklet - an exercise book with lined pages. This is where you will complete your self-quizzing. Both the self-quizzing booklet and the knowledge organiser booklet need to be brought to school every day.

What types of homework will I receive?

There are four types of homework:

  1. Online homework: Homework is set online for mathematics and science and English via an App.
  2. Self-quizzing homework: You will also receive self-quizzing homework once a week from each subject. This ensures that you are memorising and recalling the powerful knowledge that students need to be successful.
  3. Written, paper homework: Some subjects will set a termly written task to be completed in your subject exercise book.

Knowledge Organisers - Summer 2 Key Stage 3

Click on the links below to download the Summer 2 2026 Key Stage 3 Knowledge Organisers:

What is Self-Quizzing?

Self-Quizzing, an integral practice, entails using the knowledge organiser as a tool to internalise crucial information and engrave it into long-term memory. Equipped with the 'Fetch, Flip, Check, and Repeat' method, students will be guided in the process of self-quizzing the content from their knowledge organisers. Self-quizzing is a form of retrieval practice. It is a self-regulated study strategy that requires students to be able to form their own questions that test the knowledge they have gained from their lessons and studying their knowledge organisers. Self-quizzing is the most effective revision strategy to support long term knowledge retention.

How much Self-Quizzing should I do?

If you are in KS3, you should self-quiz on every subject for 20 minutes a week. If you are in KS4, you should self-quiz on every subject for 30 minutes a week. Your teacher will guide you as to which section of the knowledge organiser they would like you to focus on. You have one week to complete all of your self-quizzing for all of your subjects. You must complete one page of your self-quizzing exercise book for each subject. Self-quizzing books will be checked weekly in each of your subjects.  

How to present your self-quizzing book

  • Write your name and tutor group on your Knowledge Organiser Folder (front cover).
  • Write your name, class and tutor’s name on the front cover of your Knowledge Organiser booklet.
  • Each evening, write and underline the date, the subject and the section you are self-quizzing that evening in your-self quizzing book. For example, "18 November 2021 Science Page 10 Section: Atoms"
  • Use blue or black pen.
  • Use a green or red pen for corrections.
  • Use a new page for each subject. You must complete a full page of self-quizzing notes for each subject.
  • There will be rewards for students going above and beyond with their self-quizzing homework.
  • Keep your books neat and organised.

How to Self-Quiz

Get together all your resources (listed below) and find a quiet space to work. You can always use the homework club in the library after school until 4.30pm.

You will need:

  • Knowledge Organiser
  • Self-quizzing book
  • Writing pen (black/blue)
  • Checking pen (any other colour, ideally green or red)
  • A piece of paper to cover your work

RulerHome learning

Method One – Look-Cover-Write-Check

  1. Select the section in your knowledge organiser you want to self-quiz.
  2. Look at the first line in that section of your knowledge organiser.
  3. Cover up the line in your knowledge organiser.
  4. Write the information from the line from memory into your book.
  5. Uncover the line in your knowledge organiser.
  6. Check if it’s correct. Green pen any corrections.

Repeat.

Method Two: Turn what is in the knowledge organiser into a question

  1. Select the line in your knowledge organiser you want to self quiz.
  2. Rephrase the information as a question and write it in your practice book. You could use the following words at the start: What, State, Define, Who, When.
  3. Cover up the line in your knowledge organiser.
  4. Answer the question you’ve written.
  5. Uncover the line in your organiser, and check if it’s correct. Green pen any corrections.
  6. Repeat.

Method Three – Blank out sections to create your own gap fill

  1. Select the line in your knowledge organiser you want to self-quiz.
  2. Write the line out in your book but leave out some of the key terms, by putting a blank space.
  3. Cover up the line in your knowledge organiser.
  4. Fill in the key terms that you have left blank.
  5. Uncover the line in your organiser, and check if it’s correct. Green pen any corrections.

Repeat.

Revision Skills

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to students and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education.

For details of what to expect where individual students are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.

The academy lead for remote learning is Ms Hussein, Assistant Principal (l.hussein@harrisbeckenham.org.uk).

The remote curriculum: what is taught to students at home

A student’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.

What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of students being sent home?

Harris Academy Beckenham will provide remote education which is high quality and aligns as closely as possible with in-school provision. Teachers will teach our curriculum which is ambitious, knowledge rich and well sequenced to ensure continuity of learning and progression for all.

  • We will use Microsoft Teams as our digital platform.
  • We will teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school with further opportunities to master content via homework assignments, challenges from ‘Above and Beyond’ in every subject. Our ambitious academic programme is supported with strong pastoral support and a wide range of enrichment opportunities to help HABE stay connected.
  • It will also include videos and audio explanations from the teacher or other online learning platforms to support the students to complete the assignment.
  • Student will be required to use other learning sites as is the case for their homework APPS.
  • Students will receive regular feedback from teaching staff.

While we are ensuring students have access to equipment and resources before going home, learning will continue as set out below for individuals isolating or working from home. Staff will be available to respond to needs as they arise between 9am and 3.30pm.

Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

Our Curriculum for all students is purposefully designed to be broad, balanced, and rigorous. The ambitious and challenging skills, knowledge and understanding we choose to deliver to our students is carefully selected sequenced. It is also deeply contextual to the local things that influence our students the most. Therefore, to alter this finely prepared Curriculum for remote learning we feel would be disadvantaging our students even further.

Learning at HABE begins with a Knowledge Retrieval task, followed by the Big Picture to help students develop new schemata and make connections between them. Knowledge Acquisition is where learners engage with the explanation and modelling of the core knowledge before launching into deliberate practice. During this element the teacher will offer support to those who need it. The lesson will end with a Knowledge Summary to support cognitive load, distilling the key elements of the lesson and how this sequences into the next lesson.

We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. In all our core subjects: English, Maths, Science, Humanities and MFL students will learn same content at home as they would at school. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, our creative subjects such as Music, Drama, Art, DT, PE, and ICT all need specific resources that are not always readily available at home. Therefore, they have developed new and innovative ways to continue to engage the students and help them to develop the subject specific skills needed to make progress.

Remote teaching and study time each day

How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

Students in Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9) will follow their normal daily timetable of subjects. Our lessons are taught as 80 minutes sessions on-site. Based on research and our own experience and feedback from the first national lockdown, this strategy will lead to higher levels of engagement and student understanding.

Key Stage 3 average daily hours: 5 Hours

Key Stage 3 average weekly hours: 15

Students in Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11) will follow their normal daily timetable of subjects. These are exam groups and therefore we do not feel they can afford to miss any opportunity to have contact time with their teachers.

Key Stage 4 average daily hours: 5.5 Hours

Key Stage 4 average weekly hours: 20 Hours

Students in Key Stage 5 (Year 12-13) will follow their normal daily timetable of subjects. This varies for each individual student based on the combination of subjects they have chosen. For Key Stage 5 this will include both remote lessons as well as designated study time within the school day.

Key Stage 5 average daily hours: 9 hours per subject per week

Key Stage 5 average weekly hours: 6 Hours per subject per week in addition to their online APP homework.

Accessing remote education

How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?

All our remote learning is set through Microsoft Teams. All students should know how to access this online platform.

Some subjects will also use additional online learning platforms:

  • Maths – Sparx
  • English – Bedrock Learning
  • Science – Educake
  • Geography – Educake 
  • Spanish – Duolingo
  • DT – Seneca

All work is submitted to the teacher either vis MS Teams or through these other platforms. When the work is set it will be clearly explained how it should be submitted.

If you have any questions about accessing these online platforms, please contact the class teacher directly using MS Teams. If you are unable to access MS Teams please contact: info@harrisbeckenham.org.uk.

Additional support for students with particular needs

How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?

We recognise that some students, for example some students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those students in the following ways:

  • All students with SEND will have a Personalised Learning Plan in place led by our SENCO and SEND support team.
  • All parents of students with SEND will be involved in the process of remote learning through discussion with the SENCO and Year leader.

Remote education for self-isolating students

If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

We recognise that some students may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those students to access remote education.

We will set all students work through MS Teams with:

  • All students have been trained and taught how to use Microsoft TEAMS.
  • Upon notification of working from home, parents and students are asked if they have the technology at home to access learning remotely. If students do not have a device, the IT assistant and VP will provide a laptop and a dongle for internet access if required. The IT department will provide remote support to ensure ease of access and to troubleshoot any problems for the parent and student. Parents can contact info@harrisbeckenham.org.uk should they need further support and assistance. If problems with remote access still exist, the Academy will offer a place on site to access lessons or provide paper copies of work; this will be a last resort as we know that accessing the lessons is the best option.
  • Devices will need to be signed for and they will be checked for damage upon return to the Academy.
  • Students will be provided with pens, paper and other stationery items should they need it.
  • All the work will be completed on MS teams via MS Assignments, Word documents emailed or via One Note. Students can upload their work directly and can use photos to show that the work has been completed.
  • See our How to Use MS Teams guide for further support to parents on how to access MS Teams.

Students will always follow the planned Curriculum regardless of absence in Core subjects. As with whole groups, for some creative subjects this is not possible due to specialised equipment and resources. Each case will be looked at individually and appropriate work set by teachers to ensure students do not miss out on significant knowledge, skills and understanding being gained by their peers on-site.