Sparx is an exciting online platform that offers every student a personalised maths homework.

We know that you want to support your child’s maths progress so we’ve put together this letter to explain how Sparx works and why it is important to make sure that maths homework is 100% completed.

How does Sparx homework work?

Sparx personalises each child’s homework, creating a weekly set of questions tailored to their level of understanding and learning pace. The questions are designed to be achievable whilst offering the stretch that learners need to make progress.

Each week, topics are set by your child’s maths teacher and will make up the majority of the homework questions. Questions from previous topics will also be included in the homework so that students can keep practising the skills they have learned.

How can I help my child with their homework?

We appreciate that you will of course want to support your child with their home learning but please try not to help them with a question until they’ve had a go first! It is really important that they complete their homework independently, and that questions are marked as correct. They can watch the support video if they need to. This way, Sparx can make sure your child continues to see homework that’s at the right level for them.

Why does my child need to achieve 100% compulsory homework completion?

Sparx Homework is deliberately designed to help students really get to grips with and understand the concepts and skills they are learning by ensuring they cover the essential building blocks needed to make progress in maths. Sparx’ research (sparx.co.uk/evidence) has shown that an average of 60 minutes a week of this type of personalised maths home learning leads to clear progress. It is therefore advised that students do their homework as early as possible, so they have the time to have a go themselves and seek help from their teacher if needed. Homework is not marked as complete until all of the compulsory questions have been answered correctly, so starting early is key to finishing before hand-in time.

If your child does not complete their homework before the hand in date (8am on Tuesdays), they will be invited to a compulsory Sparx Homework Club afterschool, during which they will have the opportunity to complete their homework. Sparx Homework Club will run from 2:50-3:50pm on Wednesdays and you will be notified via Edulink if your child needs to attend. The Sparx homework club does not carry any negative behaviour points, however, if your child fails to attend, they will be placed in a whole school detention the following day to complete their homework, this will carry 5 behaviour points.

We understand that every child is different and their individual needs must be taken into consideration. Please feel assured that although we aspire for 100% completion, we can appreciate that there are huge gaps in knowledge as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic and this will be accounted for. As long as it is clear that your child has made a significant effort to either, help themselves by watching the Sparx videos or sought help from a teacher, accommodations can be made.

You can keep track of your child’s homework completion in the weekly email you will receive from Sparx.