Home learning takes the place of homework
GEMS Founders School, Dubai
How does it do it differently?
A significant aspect of traditional schooling is missing — homework. What it does have in its place is ‘Home Learning’.
There is a class website that is ‘populated’ by teachers with mini projects and ideas to support concepts learned in class. Some of these activities online are “fun activities” designed to build on what is learned in class.
There is no deadline to finish these activities and no punishment for not doing them.
However, students who do access these supporting materials are rewarded. The school has also purchased content to support the curriculum.
How does it help?
Matthew Burfield, principal and CEO of the UK curriculum school, said: “Since we opened our doors in 2016, the school has operated a Home Learning approach towards work completed outside of the school. This is not just semantics as it truly means that we want our children to engage in their learning independently and not simply completing work because their teacher has set a deadline or a potential sanction for not completing it.
“It took a little persuasion to help parents understand that this [Home Learning] was the right approach, but now we are seeing the impact; almost all of our community is seeing the benefits of this new approach to learning.”