- Mar 13, 2020
- Jan 8, 2019
Dear Parent / Carer
We hope that this letter finds you well. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce Study Practice. Study Practice will replace the traditional setting of ‘homework.’ It is independent revision outside of the classroom involving retrieval practice and self-quizzing for all students across all of their subjects.
At Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School, we believe that all students are able to become successful citizens with excellent academic success and the ability to be influential yet kind and compassionate citizens; our saints of the 21 st century, dedicated to and called to a life of service to self, God and others.
Our ‘Knowledge Rich Curriculum’ approach recognises that the acquisition of skills and knowledge go hand-in-hand and will ultimately prepare all students for their next steps through to Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5 and beyond. Our curriculum intent ensures that our curriculum framework is planned to enable students to think independently and contribute positively to society and the wider world. Our students will become:
‘Knowledge rich’ experts in their subjects of study
Active - engage with the ever changing world around them
Curious about the universe; its places, events, people, customs and cultures
Responsible for their own learning
We believe that all students are able to become experts in the disciplines that they study.
The knowledge rich approach has its foundation in meticulous detail; exact facts, dates, events, characters, concepts and precise definitions that all students are expected to master and commit to their long-term memory.
Expertise in an area relies on a person possessing a high level of knowledge. Consequently, students that ‘know more’ are able to understand more and thereby become more successful in their studies. In order for students to develop a deep understanding of the core knowledge within each subject, teachers use a variety of the following curriculum instruments in their teaching:
Knowledge Booklets
Retrieval Practice quizzes
Active Reading using graphic organisers
Probing questions
Vocabulary glossaries
Knowledge Organisers
Knowledge Organisers are very powerful tools in a students’ learning journey. They organise all the most vital, useful and powerful knowledge on a single page. Teachers try hard to choose the most valuable content that they want all students to remember for that Semester and beyond. This knowledge will consistently revisited and built upon in order for students to develop a deep understanding of their subjects.
We expect all of our students in KS3 and 4 to complete Study Practice each evening. Study Practice is an extremely effective ‘habit’ of a successful learner and is beneficial for many reasons:
To enable students to commit key facts to memory
To enable students to develop connections between facts and thus a deeper understanding of a topic