Home Study
Home study in Year 9 is designed to complement and extend classroom learning, providing students with opportunities to complete, consolidate and revise class-based tasks. It supports the learning and activities undertaken during the school day, while encouraging students to take increasing responsibility for their learning and to make effective use of available resources.
Study strategies and organisational tools are explicitly taught through the It’s A W.R.A.P. program. Year 9 students are advised to dedicate the following amount of time to study outside of regular class activities:
Home Study Calendar
This calendar outlines the recommended weekly home study time for students at Year 9 and includes specific guidelines for reading programs, subject-specific tasks, and additional activities, to ensure a balanced and consistent approach to home study.
Duration | Type of Study |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes per night | Reading beyond the classroom |
| 90 minutes per week | Mathematics |
| 60 minutes per week | English |
| 60 minutes per week | Science |
| 60 minutes per week | Languages |
| 60 minutes per week | Humanities |
| 60 minutes per week | Other subjects |
Recording and Managing Home Study
Students are required to use the College Home Study Diary to record their home study tasks and to use the Compass newsfeed. Year level and faculty leaders are encouraged to collaborate on shared homework tasks and resources, such as homework booklets.
If students consistently fail to complete homework, the subject teacher should communicate with the parents or guardians via an Academic Progress Notification (APN). Students struggling with home study will also be assigned to a lunchtime catch up session for additional support. Providing feedback is essential; teachers should offer exemplars, worked examples, correct answers, feedback comments, and checklists to guide students.
Types of Home Study
Consolidating
Consolidation refers to the process of revising and reinforcing information pertaining to a recently covered topic in class. This involves engaging in tasks assigned by the teacher, specifically designed to provide students with opportunities for review, revision, and the solidification of newly acquired skills. The primary goal is to strengthen the understanding of the subject matter. Home study tasks may include:
- Quizzes
- Short answer questions
- Case studies
- Mind mapping
- Reflections
Spaced Retrieval
Spaced retrieval is the active practice of recalling previous learning at a point in time after the initial lesson. To help students consolidate their learning in long-term memory, teachers should use home study activities to focus on retrieving previously learnt concepts, not just on what is currently being learnt. Home study tasks may include:
- Quizzes based on learnings from multiple units of work
- Using case studies that allow students to apply their learnings to real-life scenarios
- Question banks
- Reviewing knowledge organisers
- Brain dumps
Revision and Practice Pieces
Completing practice test and exam questions is beneficial as it familiarises students with the exam format, identifies weak areas for additional study, and develops essential test-taking skills. Home study tasks may include:
- Creating flashcards
- Creating mind maps on topics
- Answering practice questions
Reading
roficient reading skills are indispensable for a student's academic achievement and future endeavours. Emphasising the significance of home reading, the College advocates for daily reading habits across all age groups to foster continual growth in literacy. This may include:
- Pre-reading subject material
- Research articles
- Reading for enjoyment
Research
This type of home study typically requires students to utilise various resources, such as books, articles, online databases, and other educational materials, to collect relevant data and deepen understanding. This may include:
- Literature review
- Surveys
- Experiments
- Data collection
- Investigations
The Purpose of Home Study
At Overnewton, our Home Study Policy reflects a clear and intentional approach to learning that supports students as they grow in independence, capability and confidence as learners.
Our developmental approach encourages students to take increasing responsibility for their learning as they mature and develop a strong understanding of themselves as individual learners. Across their schooling, students build the skills and dispositions needed to explore a range of pathways beyond the compulsory years of education. Becoming independent and self-motivated learners requires students to develop critical skills such as effective goal setting, time management, decision-making and the ability to reflect on the impact of their choices.
Home study plays an important role in this learning journey. It provides opportunities for students to practise, consolidate and reinforce learning undertaken in the classroom, while also developing essential skills including organisation, time management and personal responsibility. Positive study habits established during the school years support lifelong learning and help prepare students for increasing independence. Home study also strengthens the partnership between home and school by offering carers valuable insight into classroom learning and student progress, encouraging meaningful conversations about learning, challenges, resilience and growth.
