Seminar Study is an integral part to our curriculum and non-completion means we are not completing 10% or more of our learning. Seminar Study prepares our students to learn new skills and knowledge or embed key skills and knowledge.
Seminar Study and Mastery Curriculum has been designed as a consequence of extensive research in to equipping students with the habits and skills to be able to learn, retain and recall knowledge.
At Brixham College we’re passionate about seminar study (homework) as we know the benefits it can have for our students. Our seminar study is research informed and focuses on ensuring the most important knowledge is retained by students in their long term memory.
After extensive research the Education Endowment Foundation states that students who complete regular and purposeful homework can make more than 5 months additional progress during their time at school and consequently achieve significantly higher grades at GCSE.
At Brixham College students complete 40 minutes of seminar study each night in KS3 and one hour of study each night in KS4 following a homework timetable. This is either through completing thinking maps from the content of the knowledge organiser or on Sparx. Our seminar study is inextricably linked to our curriculum. The content that students learn at home is quizzed at the start of lessons in school.
Homework is set through Sparx or their ‘knowledge organiser’. A knowledge organiser is a book of knowledge that students will be given digitally at the start of each term. The content on the knowledge organiser contains the most important key facts, definitions and knowledge that students need to embed in to their long term memory.
For each subject, students will complete one page of the week’s thinking map on a page of their homework book.
Knowledge Organisers are all online and can be found here
Seminar Study does not have to be completed at home. We provide a variety of sessions for students to be able to complete their Seminar Study at school, either daily during Break 1 in our Seminar Study Café, or daily after school both of which are manned by our staff for extra guidance and support.
Students will be rewarded through the point system for their Seminar Study on Class Charts. On the occasion where students fail to complete their Seminar Study, then students will need to attend an after school catch up session. Parents/carers will receive an email home if this is the case.
If you have any queries regarding Seminar Study, please get in touch with Mr Matthews (Assistant Principal) at Will.Matthews@brixhamcollege.tsat.uk.
