This article explains how to adjust the weekly homework plans for your classes, to best align with your teaching and to support your students' learning.
Understanding the Planner
Understanding the Planner
The Planner shows a weekly view of the homework that's planned for your selected class. By default, the topics included in the plan will reflect the Scheme of Learning that you've set for the class.
If you want to find out more about a topic that's planned or that you're thinking about putting into the planner, click on the topic's blue 'i' icon to view a description, example questions, example support videos and any specific methods that our support videos use.
Changing the topics in a homework plan for a specific week
Changing the topics in a homework plan for a specific week
From Planner, add new topics by selecting the homework week that you want to work with, clicking 'Add topic to week x', searching for the topic that you want to add, expanding the topic's details and clicking 'Add to week x'
To help you to decide whether to include a topic, you can view example questions and support videos for each level by clicking the blue 'i' icon next to the topic
Move topics between weeks by clicking the 'Move' drop-down next to the topic and then choosing either 'Move topic into next week' or 'Move topic into week...' (and then choose the week)
Remove topics that you don't want Sparx Maths to cover by clicking 'Remove' against the relevant topic
Changing hand-out/-in dates and times for a specific week
Changing hand-out/-in dates and times for a specific week
From Planner, select the homework week that you want to work with and use the hand-out and hand-in date and time fields at the top of the plan to make changes
You can only move the hand-out date of a homework to be after todays date, and to be within the week it was originally scheduled for.
Changing homework length for a specific week
Changing homework length for a specific week
From Planner, select the homework week that you want to work with and change homework length using the 'Homework Length' dropdown (30-90 minutes)
Frequently asked questions
How many topics should I include in my homework plans per week?
How many topics should I include in my homework plans per week?
For maximum impact, we recommend:
60-minute homework: 3-4 topics
30-minute homework: 1-2 topics
What happens if I remove all of the topics for a week in the Planner?
What happens if I remove all of the topics for a week in the Planner?
Each week will always contain consolidation homework. If your remove all of the topics from a week, then only consolidation homework will be set. We recommend keeping the number of consolidation only weeks to a minimum, to ensure that students receive homework that's reflective of what they've been learning in class.
Can I make changes to a homework that's about to be set?
Can I make changes to a homework that's about to be set?
To ensure that any changes are included in an upcoming homework, we recommend making your changes at least 10 minutes before the homework hand out time.
I set a homework by mistake, can I cancel it?
I set a homework by mistake, can I cancel it?
From Planner, select the homework week that you want to change and click 'Cancel this homework'.
Note that this cannot be undone and you cannot set a replacement homework in the same week.
Can I make changes to homework that's already been handed out?
Can I make changes to homework that's already been handed out?
You can only cancel the homework, or edit the hand in date.