Read Text A and Text B in the insert and then answer Section A, Question 1. Section A: Directed Writing Question 1 Write a magazine article for young people about homework. In your article you should: • evaluate the ideas about homework given in both texts • explain, based on what you read, to what extent you think homework has value for modern students. Base your article on what you have read in both texts, but be careful to use your own words. Address both of the bullet points. Write about 250 to 350 words. Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 25 marks for the quality of your writing. Read both texts, and then answer Question 1 on the question paper. Text A: Homework is different for every student. The following passage is taken from an article that explores the pros and cons of homework. Getting home after a long day at school, all most students want to do is crash out, relax and decompress from their day. But most of them can’t because of the crushing weight of the homework they have to complete after the school day is over. Do the benefits of homework really outweigh the costs? Research from the University of Manchester has shown that ‘spaced learning’ – reviewing the same information in small chunks multiple times – is one of the most effective ways of learning. Therefore, homework gives students the opportunity to review what they have learned during the day in small chunks - helping to move this knowledge into their long-term memory. It also allows students to study in their own controlled environment away from the hustle and bustle of their classrooms, which is particularly beneficial to introverted students. Professor Curry, whose research focuses on the needs of introverted students and workers, has found that homework can be even more impactful for them than what they have covered in the classroom: “simply put, introverts need to feel calm in their own space to be able to learn effectively”. Homework helps students to prioritise a short chunk of their evenings to benefit their learning significantly. However, for many students and parents the issue isn’t necessarily the fact that they have homework but the quality of what is being set. Sandra Burr, the parent of Samuel who is in year 8, challenged his school on the poor quality of homework that was being set by teachers: “homework was just being set for the sake of it and it didn’t benefit student learning at all. What is the point of sending a word search or a poster task home? If my son is giving up his free time, he needs to be deepening his learning and not just ticking a box for the school”. Given that there is a rise in the number of students experiencing mental health issues -in particular anxiety, students need time to switch off and homework needs to be beneficial to their learning for it to take priority over pursuing their own hobbies. Text B: Students need structure. The following passage is taken from a letter from a headteacher to students’ parents explaining the new homework timetable. We are confident that the introduction of the new homework timetable will have numerous benefits. Firstly, students will know when they can expect homework from each subject and when it will be due. This will allow them to manage their time effectively so that they do not end up with too much homework all due at the same time. It also means that they can leave time to approach staff with any questions or if they require support on the homework before the deadline. Developing these time management and multitasking strategies from an early age has been shown to have benefits for students at university and in future employment. Homework provides students with the opportunity to develop their independent study skills, so we want to ensure that they are given a steady but manageable stream of it to support them to build effective habits. On Thursdays we are opening a homework club in the library at lunchtimes when students can drop-in to seek support with any aspect of homework they are struggling with. We know that parents and guardians have many competing demands and cannot always be available to support their children with homework queries, but we hope that this homework club will ensure that all students can seek support when they need to. Another benefit of the homework timetable is that parents and guardians can be aware of when deadlines are approaching and can gently support students to ensure they meet them. Our latest school survey showed that several parents and guardians felt frustrated by the communication surrounding homework, so we hope this new timetable will go some way towards addressing that.
