Assessment and Feedback Policy
1. Ethos
At Summercroft Primary school, we recognise the importance of feedback as an integral part of the Plan –Teach-Review cycle. We always start by asking ourselves, ‘why are we giving this feedback?’
There are two main reasons:
· To motivate the child
· We can see an opportunity to move learning on by:
- Addressing a misunderstanding
- Reinforcing a skill or key piece of information
- Extending a child’s understanding or ability to do something
Through this policy, we aim to maximise the effective use of feedback in practice whilst also reducing teacher workload. We want our teachers to make professional judgements about when is the right time to intervene, which means that all of our time and effort is focussed on having an impact on learning rather than ticking a box. In essence, the ethos of this policy is to adhere to the principles that feedback should be meaningful, manageable and motivating for the student and for the teacher.
2. Principles
Research by the Education Endowment Foundation (April 2016) shows that effective 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.
- Put the onus on the students to correct their own mistakes
- Alert the teacher to misconceptions that he/ she can address in subsequent lessons
- Provide pupils with the metacognitive language to manage their own learning which includes the skills of setting and monitoring goals, assessing progress, and identifying personal strengths and challenges.
The school has taken on board these findings alongside research from educational experts, such as Professor John Hattie, when producing this policy.
3. Our Approach to Feedback and Marking
3.1 Children’s Writing across the curriculum
Our approach to feedback is precisely selective and measured. Teachers use the following approaches to give children feedback on their writing:
Type: | What it looks like: | Evidence of impact: |
Immediate – in the lesson | Check for Understanding and On-the-spot feedback:
We encourage as much feedback as possible to be carried out within the lesson.
Teachers use formative methods such as ‘tracking not watching’ and questioning to inform their assessment of pupils’ understanding while they are working independently or with peers, in books or on whiteboards, or orally.
Through this process, feedback is instant, continuous and ever-present. Feedback is specific to next steps and provides clear pathways to success. It is an actionable learning dialogue and can take the form of:
When children are responding to adult feedback, they will make changes in a purple pencil (KS1) or purple pen (KS2) to indicate that feedback has been given.
Culture of Error: Teachers create an effective climate for learning where children feel safe to make mistakes and therefore develop a growth mindset about receiving and acting on feedback.
Feedback may be about the task, the process or the self-regulation of the learner.
EPoW: Teachers and pupils co-construct the non-negotiables expected for Every Piece of Work (EPoW). These are the learned rules of writing that are clearly visible and provide the starting point for pupils to proof read their work in each lesson. They support self-assessment, self-regulation and independence.
This approach captures our expectations all pupils from Early Years to Year 6 |
Informal drop ins/formal observations as part of the school’s monitoring schedule
Book looks and conversations with teachers
Pupil voice
Moderation of writing across the curriculum |
Whole Class Feedback– after the lesson | For children who did not receive feedback in the lesson, teachers will read pupils’ work and divide into three piles:
OR
Use the thinking outlined in the feedback sheet (see Appendix 5) to collect formative data about common misconceptions, successes and next steps. In doing this teachers will identify the key point(s) required to enable progress. This may inform class feedback and planning, or pupils may be grouped depending on their needs/ next steps.
‘The next step is the next lesson’: The successes in learning are celebrated (this will sometimes include specific examples from pupils) and teachers teach children how to make improvements to their writing using the common misconceptions or next steps from the feedback sheet).
They may have an opportunity to practise the improvement; they will then edit or redraft their writing using pencil/black pen (if working as a whole class) or purple pencil/pen (if working in a small group or 1:1). | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
Moderation of writing across the curriculum |
Marking – after the lesson | There may be times when the teacher decides that written marking is the best vehicle to enable progress. This is when pupils already have knowledge of how to edit and improve their writing. Tickled Pink KS1 In KS1, staff will mark areas of strength in pink pen using symbols from the KS1Marking Code (see appendix). KS2 In KS2, staff will double tick or underline areas of strength in pink pen and, on the adjacent page, may use symbols from the KS2 Marking Code (see appendix) or add a brief comment.
Green for Growth KS1 In KS1, staff will mark areas for improvement in green pen using symbols from the KS1Marking Code (see appendix). Children will then be given time to respond to this marking using purple pencil on the adjacent editing page. KS2 In KS2, staff will underline or circle areas for improvement in green pen and, on the adjacent page, use symbols from the KS2 Marking Code (see appendix) or add a brief comment to explain what improvements are needed. Children will then be given time respond to this marking using purple pen on the adjacent editing page. | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice |
Self and Peer Assessment | Self-assessment We encourage children to self-reflect on every piece of writing they complete.
Tickled Pink Pupils will use their pink highlighters to highlight any areas that they feel are particularly strong. This may be done against success criteria or may just be a phrase or sentence of which children are particularly proud.
Green for Growth
Pupils will use their green highlighters to highlight any areas that they feel need editing or improving. They will then edit their writing on the adjacent page using pencil or black pen. We encourage children to not only edit secretarial elements, but also larger chunks of writing as they reflect on their authorial voice and effect on the reader.
When self-assessing, children may highlight the WALT to show how they believe they have met the objective, using pink highlighter and green highlighter.
Peer Assessment Children will often work with a peer when reflecting on their work. This may include reading aloud their own work, or their partner’s. Although they will receive advice from their partner, pupils can decide if they want to make the edits and will only ever write in their own books.
Metacognition Lessons contain opportunities for pupils to evaluate and assess their own writing using metacognitive language. Teachers direct children to use language-rich reflections to evaluate their progress and to understand their next steps. | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
Observations |
Summative | This includes grammar tasks, spelling tests, end-of-unit or -term tests or quizzes. | Data analysis – progress and attainment tracking PPAMS Gap analysis |
3.2 Mathematics
Feedback in mathematics is most useful when it is immediate, verbal and related to the process that a child is using
Type: | What it looks like: | Evidence of impact: |
Immediate – in the lesson | Check for Understanding and On-the-spot feedback:
We encourage as much feedback as possible to be carried out within the lesson.
Teachers use formative methods such as ‘tracking not watching’ and questioning to inform their assessment of pupils’ understanding while they are working independently or with peers, in books or on whiteboards, or orally.
Through this process, feedback is instant, continuous and ever-present. Feedback is specific to next steps and provides clear pathways to success. It is an actionable learning dialogue and can take the form of:
Culture of Error: Teachers create an effective climate for learning where children feel safe to make mistakes and therefore develop a growth mindset about receiving and acting on feedback.
Feedback may be about the task, the process or the self-regulation of the learner.
|
Informal drop ins/formal observations as part of the school’s monitoring schedule
Book looks and conversations with teachers
Pupil voice
|
Self- Assessment
| Self-assessment Before the end of the maths lesson, children will mark their own work. This may be through answers provided verbally by adults, or through checksheets that will allow children to check their own answers. Children are encouraged to check their answers after every two to three questions so that misconceptions can be identified early in the lesson.
If a child identifies an incorrect answer, they put a dot next to their original answer in their marking pen or pencil and try to solve the calculation/problem again using pencil.
If a child realises that they need additional guidance based on their self-assessment, they are encouraged to discuss their work with their learning partner. If they need further help, they will alert an adult within the class.
Teachers will gather live data on children’s errors and misconceptions (tracking not watching) and address these in plenaries.
When self-assessing, children may highlight the WALT to show how they believe they have met the objective, using pink highlighter and green highlighter.
Metacognition Lessons contain opportunities for pupils to evaluate and assess their own work using metacognitive language. Teachers direct children to use language-rich reflections to evaluate their progress and to understand their next steps. | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
|
Whole Class Feedback– after the lesson | For children who did not receive feedback in the lesson, teachers will read pupils’ work and divide into three piles:
In doing this teachers will identify the next step needed to enable progress. This may inform class feedback and planning, or pupils may be grouped depending on their needs/ next steps. | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice |
Marking – after the lesson
| There may be times when the teacher decides that additional written marking is the best vehicle to enable progress.
Children may be asked to retry a challenge or answer a new challenge, either via green pen in their books or via a question on the whiteboard. When this is the case, children will be given time to respond and will do so using a purple pencil (KS1) or purple pen (KS2). | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
Observations |
Summative | This includes end of block tests and termly tests with gap analysis. | Data analysis – progress and attainment tracking PPAMS Gap analysis |
3.3 All other subjects
Feedback in all subjects is most useful when it is immediate, verbal and related to the process that a child is using
Type: | What it looks like: | Evidence of impact: |
Immediate – in the lesson | Check for Understanding and On-the-spot feedback:
We encourage as much feedback as possible to be carried out within the lesson.
Teachers use formative methods such as ‘tracking not watching’ and questioning to inform their assessment of pupils’ understanding while they are working independently or with peers, in books or on whiteboards, or orally.
Through this process, feedback is instant, continuous and ever-present. Feedback is specific to next steps and provides clear pathways to success. It is an actionable learning dialogue and can take the form of:
Culture of Error: Teachers create an effective climate for learning where children feel safe to make mistakes and therefore develop a growth mindset about receiving and acting on feedback.
Feedback may be about the task, the process or the self-regulation of the learner.
|
Informal drop ins/formal observations as part of the school’s monitoring schedule
Book looks/evidence of children’s work and conversations with teachers
Pupil voice
|
Self- Assessment
| Self-assessment Before the end of a lesson, children may mark their own work.
If a child realises that they need additional guidance based on their self-assessment, they are encouraged to discuss their work with their learning partner. If they need further help, they will alert an adult within the class.
Teachers will gather live data on children’s errors and misconceptions (tracking not watching) and address these in plenaries.
Metacognition Lessons contain opportunities for pupils to evaluate and assess their own writing using metacognitive language. Teachers direct children to use language-rich reflections to evaluate their progress and to understand their next steps. | Book looks/evidence of children’s work and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
|
Whole Class Feedback– after the lesson | For children who did not receive feedback in the lesson, teachers will look over pupils’ work after the lesson.
If necessary, they will provide whole-class, group or individual feedback to children.
Teachers may adapt their planning based on assessment from the lesson. | Book looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice |
Marking – after the lesson
| There may be times when the teacher decides that additional written marking is the best vehicle to enable progress.
Children may be asked to retry a challenge or answer a new challenge, either via green pen in their books or via a question on the whiteboard. When this is the case, children will be given time to respond and will do so using a purple pencil (KS1) or purple pen (KS2). | Book/word looks and learning conversations with adults
Pupil voice
Observations |
We encourage teachers to use their professional judgement to decide on which approach to feedback is most appropriate, considering what will most positively impact that child's progress. SLT will have professional dialogue with teachers during coaching meetings to understand why they have made certain choices and to offer further support and guidance where it might be required. Whilst this level of professional decision-making is our ultimate goal, we understand that these judgments are difficult and, often, it can take time to develop a real understanding of when to use a particular type of feedback.
We believe that our assessment will be most successful when we remember the following:
- Oral feedback is as valuable as, often more so than, written feedback and we should shape our pedagogy with that in mind closing the gap between the two.
- The gap should also be closed between the teacher giving feedback, both orally and in the written form, and students self-assessing their own work and peers giving effective feedback.
- Peer and self-assessment done well takes careful training and scaffolding and is a skill that should be taught to children throughout the school.
- We should undertake written feedback that is selective, targeted and uses precise language.
- We should dedicate adequate time for students to act upon feedback.
- We should devote time to engage in dialogue with students to ensure they understand what they need to do to improve.
Please view the pdf version below for the appendices