Home Based Learning

Please find this printer-friendly HBL schedule for your convenience. Access the PDF file HERE

What is Home-Based Learning (HBL)?

Home-based learning is where students will have their lessons and do their learning at home. Learning at home can be a combination of Zoom ‘live’ lessons and/or doing their pen and paper practices on their own.

Not every home-based lesson requires use of laptop. In fact, teachers will plan such that there is pen and paper work, mixed with use of laptops when necessary, especially when it will help to enhance learning greatly.

HBL is beneficial to students to encourage them to be more independent in their learning, to practise good time management and to regulate themselves to be responsible to finish the day’s work assigned to them. These are the important life skills that will serve them well into their working lives.

Lesson coverage in HBL days

Curriculum Coverage

Every subject will be involved in HBL except CCE subjects such as Ohana, SELF and NICE in a year. Students will access the HBL Task Sheet (Google Sheet) online for the day’s lesson instructions provided by their subject teachers. Students would need to actively plan for their day and practise good time management as one of the key purpose of HBL is to encourage independence and self-directedness in their learning.

Student-Initiated Learning (SIL)

We encourage students to learn beyond the formal curriculum to explore a strength or an area of interest through SIL activities. Students can choose their activity from a school-curated list of activities or to choose an activity independently. Please see the infographic below.

Students will be encouraged to reflect on their learning experience in an online journal after conducting their SIL activity.

Schedule of HBL dates for the different levels in 2022

What do students need to do during HBL days for lessons?

For student’s reference on what he needs to do during HBL, please click here to view the easy-to-follow guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the student need any special equipment or materials for HBL?

A student only needs a laptop, internet connection, stationeries and the materials needed for each subject if mentioned in the lesson instructions.

What must the student do should he not have a laptop or desktop or have no internet connectivity at home for HBL?

The student should have purchased a laptop from school through the Personalised Digital Learning Programme (PDLP). You may browse the website here by looking through the different links in PDLP (see drop-down menu above) for more information.

If the student’s home has no internet connectivity, parents can consider to apply for subsidised home broadband from IMDA. Please click here for more information: http://www.digitalaccess.gov.sg/ .

In the meantime, the student may come to school to finish the lessons and work given during the HBL day. The school is open and students can make use of our computer labs for HBL.

What must the student do should the laptop or internet connection failed halfway through a lesson on a HBL day?

The student needs to inform his form teacher. If the remaining pieces of work do not need the laptop or internet connection to complete, the form teacher will inform the student what needs to be completed and the student can proceed to complete it for the day.

However, should the remaining pieces of work need the laptop or internet connectivity, the student can either come to school to finish his work on the same day or to complete it in our computer labs after school the next day.

The student is not feeling well on HBL day. What must he do?

Please inform his form teacher. The usual procedure of submitting medical certificate or parent’s/guradian’s letter to explain for the absence will still need to be followed.

Must the student really check in with the form teacher between 8.00-8.30am on HBL days?

HBL day is a normal school day. Teachers will need to mark attendance in the morning to ensure students are awake and ready to start the work given on HBL days. Should the student not be virtually present to mark attendance, a phone call will be made to the parent to check on the student.

What must the student do if he has questions about the lesson instruction or the work that he is doing?

The student can contact the subject teacher to clarify. Should the student not have the contact of his subject teacher, he may contact his form teacher or the Admin Office. Our Admin Office number is 6899 2779. The form teacher or Admin office staff will relay the question to the subject teacher. The subject teacher will then contact the student to help him.

What must the student do should he miss a ‘live’ lesson on Zoom on a HBL day?

The student needs to attend the remaining ‘live’ lessons on Zoom (if any) and to complete the work given for the day. Student is required to explain to the subject teacher for missing lesson the next school day. Disciplinary actions might be taken against the student should the student be found of truancy or for any other unacceptable reasons given.

Additional Resources for Parents

Please click on the links below to find additional resources to support your child during HBL days.