Before turning homework on for a class, there are some important steps to complete to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This article guides you through these steps.
Steps to complete
Assign a scheme of learning to the class
Assign a scheme of learning to the class
You'll need to set a scheme of learning for the class so that we can automatically set homework each week that follows your teaching.
See Setting or changing the default homework settings for a class for more information on how to do this.
Set when the class's homework will be handed out and due in
Set when the class's homework will be handed out and due in
You'll need to tell us the day and time each week that homework should be handed out for the class (the hand-out day/time), and what day and time students will need to complete it by (the hand-in day/time).
See Setting or changing the default homework settings for a class for more information on how to do this.
Set the initial homework difficulty level for the students
Set the initial homework difficulty level for the students
The objectives within each topic in Sparx Maths have a set difficulty level that describes which students are likely to be able to access its content.
Students also have a homework level, which allows us to match question difficulty to the student's capability.
You'll need to set an initial difficulty level that we'll use to personalise early homeworks for all students in the class, until we learn more about their behaviours and capabilities. By default, students are set to level 2.
Once you have assigned a scheme of learning to your class, you can go to student manager, and either edit individual students, or select all in the table and edit selected students in bulk and choose a level.
Assign teachers to the class
Assign teachers to the class
We strongly recommend that you assign at least one teacher to each class, as:
Throughout your Sparx Maths site there are various options to filter pages down to 'my classes'. This won't work for a teacher if they aren't assigned to any classes.
When teachers are assigned to classes, they'll receive helpful homework planning emails about their classes.
Teacher assignments will show in downloadable reports, which is likely to help with your analysis of those reports.
When setting up the class, use the 'Add teacher' button to select a new teacher to assign to the class, and press the 'Add' button.
Ensure that your students understand how to use Sparx Maths and can log in
Ensure that your students understand how to use Sparx Maths and can log in
To ensure a smooth experience for your students when they receive their first Sparx Maths homework, we strongly recommend that you show them how Sparx Maths works, and verify that they can all log in, before you set their first homework.
See our Getting students started article for more information.
Frequently asked questions
What should I set my classes' initial homework difficulty levels to?
What should I set my classes' initial homework difficulty levels to?
Following are the difficulty levels that we set for objectives, across the curricula that we support. You can use these as guidance when setting the initial difficulty level for a class.
Key Stage 3 levels
Suitable for students who need significant extra support
Suitable for students who need some extra support
Suitable for students who meet the expected standards for their age
Suitable for students who need more challenging material
GCSE levels
Suitable for Foundation/Core tier students who need extra support
Suitable for most Foundation/Core tier students
Suitable for students on the borderline between Foundation/Core and Higher/Extended tier papers
Suitable for most Higher/Extended tier students
Suitable for Higher/Extended tier students aiming for the highest grades
Fundamentals levels
Suitable for students who need significant extra support to access secondary material
Suitable for students who need extra support to access secondary material
Further Maths levels
Suitable for the lowest attaining students taking this course
Suitable for middle attaining students taking this course
Suitable for the highest attaining students taking this course
When will the first homework appear for students?
When will the first homework appear for students?
The first homework will be set on your next scheduled hand-out day.
For example, if you assign a scheme of learning to a class on on a Tuesday and the hand-out day for the class is Wednesday, the first homework will go out the upcoming Wednesday.