Independent Learning

At Rayner Stephens we refer to what would have been traditionally known as homework as 'independent learning' and we see it as an opportunity to enrich the learning of our students and believe it is a valuable learning tool which also prepares our students for the demands that they may face later on in life.  

Independent learning is intended to be beneficial for students by broadening, consolidating and mastering the learning achieved within school time, laying the foundation for future self-supported independent practice, and promoting the home/school partnership. 

All students should: 
  • Log on to Class Charts daily to check homework tasks that have been set and to meet deadlines.classcharts.com/student/login Students will not be issued with planners; 
  • Locate and use the termly knowledge organiserson the school website; 
  • Log on to their school email account daily to check for shared resources and messages from staff;
  • Use the independent practice skills to improve knowledge and understanding across the curriculum;
  • Read regularly and widely including a range of fiction and non-fiction texts, such as newspapers, magazines, online articles etc.
      
All Parents and Carers should: 
  • Ensure they have used their login code to set up their Class Charts accountclasscharts.com/parent/login ; 
  • Log on daily to Class Charts and check the homework that has been set;
  • Encourage the completion of homework tasks every day and support the development of effective study habits;
  • Ensure that reading is promoted and valued at home;
  • Support students in acquiring factual knowledge and sound understanding of subject content by discussing academic progress at home;
  • Use the subject knowledge organisers to check for understanding in preparation for tests and assessments at school. 

Each independent learning task will include guidance regarding how much time students should take to complete the activity set. 

Given the importance of independent learning to students’ education, it is necessary for it to be monitored, supported, rewarded and enforced when necessary. Students will be rewarded when they demonstrate the ability to consistently retrieve the identified key knowledge within subject areas.

Students’ knowledge and understanding is promoted through the publication of 'knowledge organisers' for each student in every subject termly. These will inform students and families exactly what knowledge the students need to acquire and understand as the building blocks of learning for that term. They are shared with students in lessons and are also available here.

Independent Learning supports student development in a variety of ways: 

  1. It directly links to knowledge organisersto support the retention of key subject knowledge into the long-term memory. 

  2. It promotes independent learning. This way of working is vital at all stages of secondary education and will prepare them for the demands of independent revision for assessments and ultimately GCSE exams.

  3. It can involve parents, carers and others in the student’s work for their mutual benefit.

  4. It can give students valuable experience of working to deadlines.

  5. It can support students’ self-esteem and allow confidence to build. 

How We Set Independent Learning 

Our setting of Independent Learning tasks should aim to satisfy the aims below: 

  1. Develop effective independent learning habits;

  2. Improve students' knowledge and understanding (fluency) as the building blocks of learning in all subjects;

  3. Enhance students' literacy and numeracy.

Teachers will inform students of independent learning set in lessons and provide the necessary support and resources. This is then supported by the setting of independent learning through the Class Charts platform. Parents and carers can access the details of the tasks set, how long should be spent on the task and when the task should be completed by. Resources, such as knowledge organisers, can also be uploaded by staff and accessed by both students and their families. 

Students’ independent learning habits will be promoted through the independent learning tasks set on Class Charts and the direct link to the knowledge organisers. This long-term approach to independent study becomes habitual and the same strategies are embedded for all students by the time they complete external examinations in Year 11.  

Independent learning culminates in a range of low-level retrieval activities based on previous learning. Preparation by students, in advance, with the knowledge organisers from previous topics is expected. Teachers will monitor individual student abilities to retrieve key subject knowledge and where it is perceived to be a continuous concern appropriate intervention will be put in place to further support students.  

Each independent learning task will include guidance regarding how much time students should take to complete the activity set. 

Given the importance of independent learning to students’ education, it is necessary for it to be monitored, supported, rewarded and enforced when necessary. Students will be rewarded when they demonstrate the ability to consistently retrieve the identified key knowledge within subject areas. 

Independent Learning Support 

Rayner Stephens High School provides opportunities for students to work in the Library every morning from 8:05 – 8:25, every break time, every first lunch, and every day after school (except on a Friday) for 1 hour after the student finish time.  

The Hive is also accessible on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:45 -4:30pm if students need a quiet space or want some help with their learning. 

Students should be working proactively to address their learning gaps, go back through their class notes, create resources for revision and build their long-term memory through regular testing and quizzing. The provision of knowledge organisers and strategies students can deploy at home means there are lots of opportunities for students to develop effective independent learning habits. 

SPARX MATHS (Maths) 

Sparx Maths in an online learning platform which teaching staff use to set weekly maths mastery tasks for students to complete. All questions are supported by videos which students can access to help them with the tasks.  

Students can also use Sparx Maths to complete individual independent study. Students are provided with login details. 

All groups are set the equivalent of 1 hour a week of Sparx independent learning which is expected to be completed online and will be monitored and tracked by their maths teacher. 

Proactive Independent Learning 

The additional resources below can also be used to support students’ independent learning; 

BBC BITESIZE (KS3 and KS4 Subjects) 

BBC Bitesize is a free web based interactive learning platform that combines theory, video clips and both KS3 and GCSE course content with low stakes testing to help students remember more. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/secondary 

OAK NATIONAL ACADEMY (KS3 and KS4 Subjects) 

Oak National Academy provides students with access to a web-based learning platform in a range of subjects at both KS3 and KS4 delivered by subject specialists to support student knowledge and understanding. 

https://www.thenational.academy/#pupils 

SENECA ONLINE LEARNING: (KS4 Business, Computer Science, Science, MFL, History) 

Seneca Online Learning provides students with free access to a web based interactive learning platform which combines lots of gifs / memes / video clips GCSE course content with lots of low stakes questioning to help students remember more. 

https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/ 

TEACH ICT (KS3 and KS4 Computing/Computer Science) 

Teach ICT provides students with access to a web-based learning platform including key course content to support student knowledge and understanding. Students will be provided with a username and password to access resources. 

https://www.teach-ict.com/ 

MEMRISE (KS3 and KS4 MFL) 

Memrise is a free online learning platform to support student knowledge and understanding of foreign languages. 

https://www.memrise.com/ 

QUIZLET (KS3 and KS4 Subjects) 

Quizlet provides students with free access to a range of science backed study tools in a range of subject areas to support knowledge and understanding of key concepts. 

https://quizlet.com/gb 

Curiosity Projects 

Our curiosity projects are an opportunity for KS3 students to delve deeper into one of their subjects each half term by completing a unique and interesting project that will support their learning and further develop their interest and curiosity in that subject. 

Although voluntary, all students will be encouraged and supported to undertake the curiosity project that is set for a particular half term and after the completion date we will hold our Gallery of Curiosity for that half term and celebrate the entries with certificates of commendation and prizes for outstanding efforts. 

Completion of all the set curiosity projects for the year results in the awarding of the Certificate of Curiosity Excellence and the Rayner Stephens Shield Badge to be worn with pride on their blazer lapel. 

Please see the Curiosity Project Booklet below to find out more about the projects for the 2024/25 academic year and the completion dates.