1) The policy for marking student work is to mark core subjects every two weeks and non-core subjects every three weeks. Marking can be done by peers or self-marking but must also be marked by the teacher every half term for non-core subjects. Comments should include strengths, improvements, and a student response. 2) Suggested marking techniques include acknowledgment marking of 5 books per lesson, dot marking to note strengths and improvements, and using a yellow box to focus student improvements on a specific paragraph. Process praise focuses on effort rather than ability. 3) Self-assessment and student reflection are effective for understanding improvement areas and measuring progress, and may be more powerful than peer assessment.

1. Marking and Feedback Mentoring Lunch, 1.20pm Tuesday 2/2/2016
Policy
 Recap the policy – mark once every 2 (c0re) or 3 (non-core)weeks.
 Markcan be peer/self, in green pen, but shouldbe marked by the teacher and levelledonce a
half term (non-core).E.g. once every 6 teacher andin between peer/self.
 S.I.R – Strength(subject specific), Improvement (again subject specific, possibly a question),
response(studentsmustrespond to the specific improvement, not ‘I will do it next time’, in
green pen). The response shouldbe checked.
Ideas
 AcknowledgmentMarking and5 Minute MarkingPlan – collect in 5 books (make sureit is a
different 5 each time) andmark. Complete the five minute marking plan.Next lesson, you can
either re-teach andchange what you did or introduce a different activity to help them or you can
feedback to studentsthe common strengthsandimprovements (I write them on the board and
get the studentsto write them in green pen).Then give them an opportunity to respond and
improve their original piece in green pen. I then mark the whole classincluding the green
improvements. Studentsshow some really goodprogresswhen you are doing this. Also, you
don’t mark 30 allwith the same mistake and you are automatically checking the response so
don’t have to go back – feed forward not back.
 Dot Marking – As you are marking, instead of writing the same comment out time andagain, just
put a coloured dot andnote down what thatrepresents.Do this for strengthsand
improvements. Studentsshouldhave two different coloured dots with their work, andthen
share this with the class, they write in green pen what each of the dotsmean. Quick, students
quite like it.
 Yellow Box Marking – As partof their improvement comment draw a yellow box aroundthe
particularsection of the work you would like them to improve, normally a paragraph,and the
improvement comment. This encouragesthem to focus on improving one bit really well.
 Process Praise – partof Growth Mindset.With your comments, don’t focus on the ability, just
‘well done’, as this helpsto create a fixed mindset. Be specific about what it is they have done
well and how this is linked to their effort as this will reinforce that people aren’t necessarily just
good at one thing or the other, butthat it is linked to effort, hardwork and good learning.
 Self-Assessment andReflection – to aid understandingof improvement area/to measure
progressregardingimprovement area. Studies are beginning to show much more powerful than
peer assessment andour current studentvoice supportsthis.
SELF REFLECTION - How much didthe Nazischange tactics and become apeaceful anddemocraticParty?
AM I A GOOD HISTORIAN? R A G
I have a clear pointthatdecideshowmuchI thoughttactics changed(alot,to some extent,
a little)
I have includedmore thanone piece of specificevidence tosupportmypoint(names,dates,
percentages,specificdetail)
I have explainedwhythisevidence supportsmypoint.
I have usedsentence starterssuchasthismeantthat, thisledto,thisenabledandthis
resultedin,orI have rewordedthe questionasa sentence starter,tomake sure my
explanationisfocussed.
I have summedupmy pointandlinkedbackto the question.