| “Teachers mark students’ written work regularly. Some marking is of exemplary quality, for example in English, in showing students the steps that they need to take to improve their work and in insisting that comments are followed up and acted upon.” - Ofsted |
One key element to ensure that students improve is by staff consistently applying a marking policy. This policy has been developed through a detailed series of discussions and workshops with staff to ensure that the final policy meets the precise needs of the students and staff. Curriculum and subject area policies reflect whole school practice; Subject Leaders are responsible for ensuring that the policy is monitored and adhered to.
Marking & Feedback Policy
During the year, we have been reviewing our approach to marking and feedback and, in the light of what we have learnt from looking at how to develop a growth mindset, the employability attributes and the demands of the new GCSEs, we have been establishing the most effective ways of providing feedback to students on the work that they have completed and the progression of their learning.
Traditionally, feedback has been in the form of marking and comments at the end of a piece of work, but we are aware that the same comment might be written a number of times and the student has not changed how they work, suggesting the feedback is not working. Therefore, we have been reviewing how to provide feedback in a way that will ensure an impact on students’ learning.
Different forms of feedback might include:
- Students using assessment criteria to evaluate their own work and then the teacher confirming if they have got this right
- Providing a lesson looking at key areas for development based on the work all students handed in and then providing time for students to improve their own work or tackle a new piece with similar skills
- Highlighting key elements of the students’ work that show where they have improved
- Highlighting key elements of the students’ work that need improvement and asking them to make the developments
- Asking a question at the end of a piece of work to further thinking about the learning / topic
- Asking students questions about how they approached the work or why they think they were / were not successful and providing feedback on this commentary
- Asking students to complete a specific task at the start of the next lesson that is based on what the teacher has seen in the previous work, providing an opportunity to develop learning / correct misconceptions
- Verbal feedback whilst a student is working
How you can help:
Students make the most progress when they know why a piece of work was successful or not and can reflect on how they approached the work. This enables them to repeat what worked or find an alternative approach to what didn’t work.
Metacognitive (thinking about thinking) questions can help students develop this understanding. Below are some of the questions that teachers might ask your child in class. Asking these kinds of questions at home about their homework can help your child make progress.
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Before the work:
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During the work:
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After the work:
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- Is this similar to something
you’ve done before?
- What would be a good
example of this work?
- Have you got any previous
targets that you want to
focus on?
- What do you need to do
first?
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- Are you on the right track
– how do you know?
- Is there anything you need
to do differently?
- Where could you get help?
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- What went well?
- What was it about the way you approached the work that meant this worked?
- Where might you use this again?
- What could you have done
better?
- How will you find out what to do for next time?
- What would you do differently?
- Where do you feel you put
particular effort in?
- What are you proud of with this work and why?
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