Homework Is Worth 5 Months In Secondary, Only 3 In Primary

The EEF's Teaching and Learning Toolkit is clear on the numbers: homework adds five months' progress in secondary, three in primary. What it doesn't do is explain the gap — no claim about independence, self-regulation or anything else. We go looking for the "why" the episode title promises, find the evidence stops short of it, and land on the thing that actually does move the number regardless of phase: feedback, not frequency.

Printable one-pager for this episode, free: https://theeducationcommute.co.uk/#newsletter-staff

Two free newsletters, one for staff and one for parents and carers, same evidence written for the person reading it.

Sources

• EEF Teaching & Learning Toolkit — Homework: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework
• EEF evidence summary — Homework (secondary): https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework-secondary/
• EEF Homework Technical Appendix: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework/technical-appendix

Disclosure

Both voices on this show are synthesised (NotebookLM, Google); the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.

Actions for consideration

• Check whether your homework policy says anything about feedback, or only about frequency.
• Next homework set: pick three pieces for one specific comment each, rather than a thin comment spread across all of them.
• Don't repeat "older pupils are more independent" as the reason secondary homework works better — the Toolkit doesn't say that; it's assumption, not evidence.
• If asked, be able to explain why feedback on homework varies between subjects or classes in your setting.
• Treat digital-technology and peer-collaboration homework gains as promising, not proven — smaller evidence bases sit under both.

Strand: Teachers