Students can start reading straight away, after their Sparx Reader Test (SRT) or after their training book if no SRT is set. In order to read and earn SRP for homework, you'll need to create a homework plan.
Please ensure your school holiday dates are set up first
Creating homework for multiple classes
Creating homework for multiple classes
Go to the Hand-in page
Click the ‘Create homework’ button
If required, use the ‘Create homework for:’ dropdown to select any other classes you would like to set homework for.
Set your homework details:
SRP target
Set day & time
Due day & time
Holiday behaviour
You’ll see a visual representation of each homework laid out across the academic year
You can untick any homework so it does not get set in a specific week
Click Save
Creating homework for a single class
Creating homework for a single class
Go to the Hand-in page
Select a class from the top Class navigation
Click ‘Create Homework’
Set your homework details:
SRP target
Set day & time
Due day & time
Holiday behaviour
You’ll see a visual representation of each homework laid out across the academic year
You can untick any homework so it does not get set in a specific week
Click Save
Editing homework plans
Editing homework plans
If you would like to make changes to a homework plan for a class, you can edit the plan on the Hand-in page.
Editing the whole plan
Editing the whole plan
Editing a homework plan will replace every homework in the plan that has not yet been started. You will also lose any edits you have made to individual, upcoming homeworks.
To edit a homework plan:
Click 'Edit homework' at the right-hand side of the page.
Make your desired changes to the homework plan.
Check the plan to ensure homework weeks match what you expect.
Click 'Save'.
Editing individual homework weeks
Editing individual homework weeks
If you would like to make changes to an individual homework for a class (for example to extend the hand in date), you can edit the homework on the hand in page.
To edit a homework:
Click on the week’s homework tab that you wish to edit, then click 'Edit week X homework'.
Click on the setting that you want to edit - 'SRP', 'date' or 'hand-in time'.
Click on 'Submit'.
If you choose to Delete this homework it will no longer be active for that week.
Tips for effective homework scheduling
Tips for effective homework scheduling
Consider these factors when planning your homework schedule:
Keep hand-out and hand-in days consistent across the school or year group
Thursday hand-ins tend to show better completion rates
Avoid Friday hand-ins as these typically have lower completion rates
Choose different days to other Sparx systems homework due dates to avoid overwhelming students
Allow a day between hand-in and new homework being set for follow-up with students
Include a weekend between hand-out and hand-in to give students more time
Untick holiday weeks if you do not want homework set
We recommend setting 300 Sparx Reader Points (SRP) per week.
Viewing homework plan details for all classes
Viewing homework plan details for all classes
You can see the hand out and hand in times, as well as SRP set, for all classes on Class Manager. This can also be helpful to see if teachers are setting a consistent homework pattern for students across classes. If a class has had multiple homework plans, the message will reflect this.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set fortnightly homework instead of weekly?
Can I set fortnightly homework instead of weekly?
No, Sparx Reader is designed around weekly homework to help build regular reading habits.
Can I apply a homework plan to multiple classes at once?
Can I apply a homework plan to multiple classes at once?
Yes, when creating a plan you can select multiple classes to apply it to, as long as they don't already have homework scheduled for that period.
What happens to previous homework when I edit a plan?
What happens to previous homework when I edit a plan?
Any homework that students have already started won't be affected. Only future, unstarted homework will be updated.
I forgot to stop homework in the holidays in future weeks, can I update my plan?
I forgot to stop homework in the holidays in future weeks, can I update my plan?
Yes, you can edit your plan and untick future homework, where applicable, for each class.
How do I change the homework for a class to Optional?
How do I change the homework for a class to Optional?
You can change a homework week to zero SRP, and this will make it Optional.
What if I want to set homework in one holiday but not another?
What if I want to set homework in one holiday but not another?
You could choose the ‘Set homework during holidays’ option and then manually turn off homework where you do not want it by using the checkboxes in the homework plan view.
How do I extend a homework so it is more than one week long?
How do I extend a homework so it is more than one week long?
Currently you can’t do this in bulk but you can do this for a single homework by using the ‘Edit homework’ button in the Hand-in screen (you will need to initially turn off homework in the following week first)