Feedback, Marking and Presentation

Feedback

We believe that constructive feedback – written and oral enables pupils to become reflective learners, helping them to close the gap between what they currently do and what we would like them to do.

We believe that marking and feedback should:

  • be accessible for the children
  • relate to the learning intention
  • give recognition and praise achievement
  • provide clear strategies for improvement
  • allow time for reading, reflection and response
  • allow for face to face marking
  • be manageable for the staff
  • inform future planning

Methodology

We recognise the importance of feedback as part of the teaching & learning cycle, and aim to maximise the effectiveness of its use in practice. The purpose of feedback is to help pupils to move their learning forward.

We believe that effective marking and feedback should:

  • redirect or refocus either the teacher’s or the learner’s actions to achieve a goal
  • be specific, accurate and clear
  • encourage and support further effort
  • be given sparingly so that it is meaningful
  • provide specific guidance on how to improve and not just tell students when they are wrong
  • alert the teacher to misconceptions so that the teacher can address them in subsequent lessons.

We believe that marking must be; meaningful, manageable and motivating. We believe marking and feedback should take a range of forms and we note that the most important activity for teachers is teaching, supported by the design and preparation of lessons and marking and feedback should be a tool to further children’s learning.

Key Principle

  • The sole focus of feedback and marking should be to further children’s learning;

Marking in practice

  • Written comments should only be used where they are accessible to students according to age and ability.
  • All feedback will be meaningful.
  • Feedback will be frequent enough to respond to pupils needs.
  • Feedback will be timely. Feedback delivered closest to the point of action is most effective and as such feedback delivered in lessons is more effective than comments provided at a later date.
  • Feedback should empower children to take responsibility for improving their own work.
  • Feedback is provided to pupils as part of assessment processes in the classroom and takes many forms other than written comments.
  • Feedback will help pupils to understand what they need to do next in order to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills.
  • Children should receive feedback either within the lesson itself or it in the next appropriate lesson. The ‘next step’ is usually the next lesson.
  • All pupils’ work should be reviewed by teachers at the earliest appropriate opportunity so it can impact on future learning. When work is reviewed, it should be acknowledged in books.
  • Praise is important for learning and motivation. Both verbal and written feedback will identify specific things the pupil has done well, this will help them learn from the feedback and it may incorporate behaviours, e.g. resilience.
  • Work will always be marked or literacy and numeracy in order to help pupils to improve these fundamental, core, cross-curricular skills.
  • Every piece of work in all subjects should be dated and have a clear title.

Marking for Literacy

a. Mis-spellings will be noted (sp) and the incorrect grapheme(s) underlined. Where students have made multiple spelling errors, staff will use their professional judgement to decide which spellings it is most important for students to correct, and how many each student should correct. Usually 2-3 per page will be enough.

b. Punctuation errors will be circled and marked

c. Capital letter errors will be circled and marked

d. Missed paragraphs will be marked

e. Grammatical errors will be underscored

We work to ensure that children are provided with timely and purposeful feedback that furthers their learning, and that teachers are able to gather feedback and assessments that enable them to adjust their teaching within and across a sequence of lessons.

Pupils will peer and self-assess their work as appropriate according to age and where appropriate they will complete this against a clear success criterion. They will use purple pen for self-assessment, and pink pen for peer assessment. Teachers will use green pen.

Following formal termly assessments, formative feedback will be provided to pupils and they will be given tasks and time to act on this. Comments will also identify specific things that the pupil has done well. Formal assessments will also be graded/levelled.

Train Local, Teach Local