We believe that pupils who develop skills in managing their own learning grow into effective, independent, autonomous learners. So every pupil at Cynffig has a Planner, in which homework is recorded and scheduled, reminders logged, and a record kept of what has been completed. It is checked regularly by every Form Tutor, to see that homework is being recorded and completed, and also by parents or carers so that they are aware of the work their son or daughter is expected to do. They also sign to acknowledge that they have talked over the week’s work at home.

In addition, however, the Planner can be a very effective way of communicating: subject teachers can write a note to a parent about a particular issue, and of course similarly, a parent can be sure that anything they address to the Form Tutor will be seen quickly. The Planner has become part of the culture at Cynffig: it really works.