Homework at Castle Donington College

Homework is strategically planned by school departments to maximise the impact of independent learning at home. Homework will always have a purpose and be linked to learning outcomes. All homework will be set on Satchel One, our online homework management system.

If you have any issues with Satchel One, please contact postroom@cdcollege.uk support. Please type “Satchel One issue” in the subject box.

The homework will have a deadline and clear instructions of how the work should be carried out. The homework will also be explained in class. Students who do not have access to the Internet at home will have opportunities to complete their work in school during lunchtime sessions. These should be arranged via discussion with the subject teacher/Head of Department.

Satchel One can be accessed by students either via a browser or via a dedicated app. Search for ‘Satchel One’ in the Google Play Store or the Apple iOS store.

 

Homework should have a clear purpose:

It should encourage students to become independent learners. Independent learners are self-motivated, self-confident and resilient individuals who can manage their own time. Homework set will encourage this growth as the students progress through the school.

It should develop and strengthen learning activities undertaken at school.

It should enhance and extend the range and variety of learning activities.

It should further opportunities to work on coursework and projects, especially for examination subjects.

Since homework is normally undertaken at home, it provides a genuine opportunity for the parent/carer to be directly involved in the child’s work. Parents are asked to show positive support and interest. Enable your child, wherever possible, to work on his/her/their own. We encourage parents to monitor the time taken on homework and note any difficulties your child has. When concerned about problems with homework, please inform either the subject teacher or the Tutor/Head of Year by email to postroom@cdcollege.uk.

The work set is intended to be appropriate for your child’s age and ability. Homework may come in a variety of forms including, but not limited to, written tasks, reading, investigations, watching video, listening, translation, discussion and extended projects.

Many students in year 7, at the start of their secondary school life, may not be used to regular homework. Teachers will, therefore, introduce homework gradually over the first term and ensure that all students are clear about what is expected of them.

Homework must be completed and handed in according to the instructions from the subject teacher. Some homework can be handed in online directly vi

a Satchel One. Departments will encourage students to meet deadlines, and some may use lower grades to reflect when work is handed in late. Many departments run weekly homework clubs for students who are struggling with homework, and students should plan to access these if they need help. School sanctions, such as detentions, will be used to motivate students to meet deadlines and produce work at an appropriate level.

If your child, for any reason, is unable to do or complete the work set, you are asked to write to contact the subject teacher at the earliest opportunity via postroom@cdcollege.uk. However, every effort must be made to do the work set. When, therefore, homework is not completed on time it will normally have to be done as soon as possible thereafter.

Marks for homework, classwork and assessments can also be viewed, by both parents and students, in Go4Schools. Please ensure this is done via a web browser rather than via the app as the latter can result in limited functionality.

Student access to Satchel One

When students first join the school their Form Tutor will issue them with their login details for Satchel One. The username for students will be their school Email address. Their password will be the one used to access the school systems.

When logging on to Satchel One students, should use the option to “Sign in using Office 365”. Students may find they need to scroll down past the initial log in section if viewing Satchel One on a mobile device.

Parental access to Satchel One

As a parent or guardian, you can log in to Satchel One and have oversight of your child’s homework. It's a great way to stay up to date and allows you to keep track of the work set.

To create a Satchel One account, you will need a Parent Code. You can obtain this from your child's Satchel One account.

The link below explains how to obtain the Parent Code

https://help.satchelone.com/en/articles/2912165-logging-in-as-a-parent