What types of homework do students have access to?

Students have access to up to five types of homework

1. Compulsory Homework
2. XP Boost Homework
3. Target Homework
4. Independent Learning

How different homework types affect the student's level

When determining what level to set a student we use all the work they have done in Compulsory homework, XP Boost, and Target. We don't add any particular weighting to these three types of homework, so a question answered in XP Boost or Target tells us just as much as a question answered in Compulsory.

Independent Learning doesn't affect student levels in the same way, as we want to make sure our estimates aren't incorrectly skewed by students choosing to do lots of hard/easy material. We do however use work done in Independent Learning to help determine how a student has done on a particular topic. For example, if a topic is set in homework that they have already done really well on in Independent Learning, then we might give them more challenging material on that topic straight away.

Students should complete their personalised homework first

Compulsory, XP Boost, and Target homework are all personalised to the individual student but Independent Learning is not. We therefore recommend that students are encouraged to do their XP Boost and Target homework before moving on to Independent Learning.

If you want to prioritise one type of optional personalised homework over another then we'd generally recommend students work on the XP Boost. This will give them further practice on the key topics that they have been learning about recently.

How teachers can see what the different homework types look like

When you complete your Sparx training you will be shown what the different types of homework look like. If you have completed your training you can return to the Student Experience module at any time to refresh your memory or use the following article for other ways to access the student site: How do I log in as a student with my teacher account?