Marking and Assessment Policy

Governor Committee Responsible Teaching and Learning

School Staff member Responsible Deputy Head – Teaching and Learning

Policy Type Statutory Review period 3 years

Date created: June 2015 Next Review: June 2018

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING’ (AfL)

Foreward
This policy incorporates and exceeds the former ‘Marking Policy.’ Assessment for Learning is
formative and takes place all the time in the classroom. Assessment of Learning tends to be
summative and is more commonly known as ‘marking.’ Together they form both sides of the
assessment coin.
This policy has evolved from existing good practice and the excellent contributions from the
‘Learning and Teaching Steering Group.’
It was decided that the term “student” should be replaced by “learner” to reflect the concept of that
we are all part of a continuous learning process.

Aims
• To make significant gains in raising learner attainment
• For learners to take responsibility for their own learning
• To work towards all learners being independent learners
• To facilitate personalised learning
• For learners to be involved in the setting of their own learning goals
• For learners to be involved in their own assessment

A useful definition:
“ Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for the use by learners
and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how
best to get there.” (Assessment Reform Group 2002)

Background
• Assessment of learners work has been around as long as there have been teachers. However,
just over 10 years ago the British Educational Research Association funded the ‘Assessment
Reform Group’ to evaluate assessment, as it is carried out in the classroom, and its crucial link
with teaching and learning. The resulting pamphlet, ‘Inside the black box,’ concluded that
informal classroom assessment with constructive feedback to the student will raise levels of
attainment. Copies of this pamphlet are available on request from John Farmer, the Teaching
and Learning coordinator.

• Assessment for Learning is at the centre of Ryburn Valley High School’s whole school
developments and should be firmly embedded in all teaching areas. It allows for improvement in

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 educational standards by ensuring that learners know what they are aiming for and are involved
in their own learning and assessment. When AfL is clearly evident in classroom practice, learners
develop the skills necessary to take charge of their own learning. They will be able to assess the
quality of their own work and assess the work of others. Learners will recognise aspects of their
own work that need improvement and therefore set their own targets. Consequently, this leads
to a happier, better behaved student.

• We must distance ourselves from seeing that learners are empty vessels waiting to be filled and
instead recognise that they are active learners of many things. They learn in a variety of ways,
through play and movement, through language and symbols, through emotions and through
thinking. This is important as it emphasises the multi-sensory nature of good learning which
leads to the use of varied styles and media in assessment. The person ‘assessing’ becomes
student, peer, teaching assistant, real audience as well as teacher.

Why develop AfL?

Research presented by Paul Black, Dylan William and their colleagues at King’s College, London
(1998, 2002) found that learners’ learning is dramatically enhanced when:
• learners know what it is that they are aiming for and
• when they play some part in deciding how to set about achieving their aims.
What is fundamental for AfL to have any significant impact on learning and raising attainment is that
AfL needs to be actively pursued as a whole-school approach

10 key principles of AfL

• Is part of effective planning
• Focuses on how pupils learn
• Is central to classroom practice
• Is a key professional skill
• Is sensitive and constructive
• Fosters motivation
• Promotes understanding of goals and criteria
• Helps learners know how to improve
• Develops the capacity for self (and peer) assessment
• Recognises all educational achievement

POLICY CRITERIA TO BE ACCEPTED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ALL CLASSROOM PRACTICE:

1. Departmental AfL policies

Each department should have their own subject-based AfL policy reflecting the following points.

2. Department standing item

Assessment for Learning should be a standing item on every departmental agenda (as should
teaching and learning generally!) It should promote discussion of individual, group and whole
class progress and inform future work. Discussion of AfL will also facilitate the sharing of good
practice within a department context or even amongst departments. This will allow for an ethos
of open reflection to improve classroom teaching. We at Ryburn are striving for all teachers to
be judged “Outstanding.”

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3. Departmental schemes of work
Schemes of Work should show how AfL is addressed in each subject area.
Each department should ensure at least an annual subject review for development in relation to
AfL. Department self-evaluation questions should include such questions as: How well do our
assessment practices enable learners to understand their own learning goals and success
criteria? How well do our assessment practices enable learners to set about their activities and
evaluate their decision-making? Schemes of work should therefore make it clear how learners
will receive feedback, how they will take part in assessing their learning and how they will be
helped to make further progress. Learners need to be made aware of the ‘how’ of their learning
as well as the ‘what.’ This has to be planned for.

4. Dfes ‘Assessment for Learning’ modules (Ref: Dfes 0043-2004)

Departments should be familiar with all of the following modules:
• Assessment in every day lessons
• Objective-led lessons
• Oral and written feedback (two modules)
• Peer and self-assessment
• Curricular target setting

All departments have been working on at least one or more of the above modules since
September 2005 and should continue until they are familiar with all modules and have them
fully embedded in classroom practice.

5. Lesson objectives and learning outcomes

• Whenever possible, lessons should be objective-led.

• Share lesson objectives and learning outcomes with the class at some stage of each lesson.
Ensure that everyone is aware of the difference between objectives and outcomes. A
learning objective is what the teacher intends students to learn. A learning outcome is how
achievement will be demonstrated by the learners, such as a diary entry or experiment
notes or a 5 minute drama performance.
• All learning outcomes should be measurable.
• In good practice, lesson objectives could evolve from starters or better still from the learners
themselves!
• Learning objectives are derived directly from teaching objectives and may be relevant for a
given lesson or series of lessons.
• Teaching objectives are referred to in the teaching frameworks for English, mathematics,
science, ICT and MFL.
• In other foundation subjects these will be found in the schemes of work (QCA/Dfes).

6. Peer assessment/self-assessment, marking and feedback

• Learners should be given the opportunity and actively encouraged to criticise each other’s
work and to suggest improvements. This skill needs to be taught to learners and is covered
comprehensively in the Dfes’ ‘Peer and Self-assessment’ module.
• Peer assessment can be effective because learners can clarify their own ideas and
understanding of both the learning intention and the assessment criteria while marking
other learners’ work.

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 • Self-assessment is an important tool for teachers. Once learners understand how to assess
their current knowledge and gaps in it, they will have a clearer idea of how they can help
themselves progress. Teachers should ensure that time is available in lessons for:
§ peer/self-assessment
§ reflection on their own work
§ time to work problems out

7. Student questionnaires
Student questionnaires in each subject area are useful in seeking a student’s perspective on learning
and are strongly recommended. Good practice exists in school where further help and advice may be
sought, for instance in RS. Questions that could help in gaining a better understanding are:
• What are you good at?
• What are you trying to get better at?
• What are you learning?
• What helps you to learn?
• How do you know how well you are doing?
• Do you assess yourself? How?
• Do you set your own targets? How?

8. Reflection
Time needs to be built in to lesson design for reflection in order to allow learners to consolidate
learning, consider what went well or could be improved on and what new targets need to be set. We
liked the term “ponder moments” which summed up the reflection concept.

9. Sampling learners’ work

Departments should regularly sample learners’ work. This activity promotes sharing good practice,
standardises marking and provides evidence of self-evaluation. Departments should keep a portfolio
of learners’ work at differing levels that can be used for internal inset purposes of standardisation.
When work is displayed on boards, departments should be mindful of exhibiting a range of
levels/grades and that writing is a process: draft work, leading up to the final presentation piece
should also be displayed.

10. Questioning techniques

• Whole-class and individualised questions need considering by teachers in advance of a
lesson so that teachers gain information and learners are able to make the next step in their
learning process.
• Bloom’s taxonomy is a useful basis for framing questions and ensuring the complete range
of questions are asked, including higher-order questions such as evaluating and synthesising.
• High-level questioning can be used as a tool for assessment for learning. Teachers should
use questions to find out what learners know, understand and can do. Also, teachers can use
questions to establish student misconceptions and therefore inform future lesson planning.
• Types of questions that are effective in providing assessment opportunities are:
• How can we be sure that...?
• What is the same and what is different about...?
• Is it always true/false that...?
• How would you explain...?
• What does that tell us about...?
• What is wrong with...?
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• Why is...true?

11. Lesson observations/sharing good practice

Departments should provide regular opportunities to observe/team teach/plan
together on Assessment for Learning activities.

This part of the policy refers to the ‘Assessment OF Learning (Marking policy)

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Different types of assessment
There are three key types of assessment:
• Assessment of Learning records development in progress, rather than completed
development. It is an ongoing part of classroom activity, it is cumulative and provides
information which informs teachers’ future planning. This forms part of ongoing teacher
assessment in the class.

• Summative assessment summarises completed learning. This type of assessment usually

takes place at the end of a period of teaching, such as at the end of a topic, the end of a year
or the end of a key stage. Summative assessment statements may be compiled using
information from formative assessments in addition to formal tests taken at given points
within students’ school careers.

• Assessment for learning, an extension of formative assessment, is the process of seeking

and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the
learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. It should be
ongoing and part of effective learning and teaching. Assessment for learning uses
assessment in the classroom to raise pupils’ achievement. It is based on the principle that
students will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they are in
relation to this aim and how they can achieve the aim.

Overarching Guiding Principles

Educating students as a journey
A good teacher establishes where the students are in their learning; identifies the learning
destination; carefully plans the route; begins the learning journey; makes regular checks on progress
on the way and makes adjustments to the course as conditions dictate.
Effective feedback and marking
• Marking must recognise, encourage and reward students’ efforts and achievements and
celebrate success over time. Commendations can be directly linked to students’ work.
• Copies of rewarded work can be used for a departmental portfolio, for display purposes or for
evidence of levelling/grades for internal department inset.
• Marking books is an important part of student feedback but inordinate amounts of writing in
books is not always the most effective use of teacher time. It is more important that teachers
show that they are helping students to develop and progress, whether that is through dialogue
or written feedback, than that they are able to present beautifully detailed, marked books.

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Marking is an essential tool that checks on the learning taken place. It should be clear, appropriate
feedback about the strengths of their work and areas for development.
Professor John Hattie (‘Visible Learning’) argues that, “Formative assessment is vital in quality
teaching and teachers should constantly be using evidence to reflect on the impact their practice
had on their learners.”
Hattie says, “Assessments are more for teachers than students; they are for you to find out what you
taught well and to whom.”
Hattie argues that this reflective, evidence-based mindset, “Captures the essence of what
educational research concludes has a high-impact on achievement.”
Hattie says, “Teaching is to D.I.E for: Diagnose what they do/don’t know, Intervene, Evaluate your
impact. Repeat.”
Marking enables teachers to make judgements about their pupils’ attainment, keyed into national
standards. It develops and refines teachers’ understanding of progression in their subject, provides
diagnostic information about the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and groups of pupils.
It enables teachers to track pupils’ progress over time, informs curriculum planning and facilitates
the setting of meaningful curricular targets that can be shared with pupils and parents. It promotes
teaching that is matched to pupils’ needs. It is not a ‘bolt-on’ exercise.

• A strong focus should be on progression/improvements/acting upon advice.This is a

particularly important approach in the light of assessing without levels reforms. Targets can
be set based on accurate diagnostic assessment of students’ weaknesses. Progress must be
made very clear to: the teacher, the students and external observers. Learners should be
given constructive advice as to how to improve. They need information and guidance in
order to plan the next steps in their learning. Aim for at least three specific action points as
to how a student can improve his/her work. Comment on strengths of a particular piece of
work. Build time in to lesson design for learners to improve their work.

• No learners’ work should be just tick marked. Ticks that are given should clearly tie in with
valid points connected to the question. Constructive comments are the most effective form
of marking and allow learners to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses. Teachers
should be aware of the impact that comments, marks and grades can have on learners’
confidence and enthusiasm and should be as constructive as possible in the feedback that
they give. Comments should focus on the work rather than the student.

• Marking should be immediate to be of benefit to both the teacher and the learner.
All marks, levels/grades need to be kept as accurate records in an appropriate record book.
Grades and levels that are recorded should follow department guidelines which in turn
reflect the common report criteria of: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Poor and Unacceptable.

• A variety of assessment techniques should be used on learners’ work e.g. comments only,
self/peer assessment and focused, close marking should be used when appropriate.

• Time should be given for reflection on teacher feedback.

• The whole school literacy policy must be followed.

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 • Peer and Self-assessment Both these strategies are important but skills of assessment need
to be taught. Sharing of exemplar materials allows students to see what success looks like
and therefore can share in the learning process. It is important to improve students’ self
confidence in self-assessment and help them, with the teacher, to set future targets for the
‘next steps’ in their learning. This could be other student’s essays, past student’s exam
scripts, teacher modelling, passages from fiction/non-fiction texts.

• Each subject should have its own personalised marking policy. Each department needs
their own marking policy which should be regularly reviewed. This will ensure consistency of
marking within a department. However, it is also important to have consistency across all
departments in order to avoid confusion for learners when having their work assessed by
many teachers across a range of subjects. Therefore, this policy should act as an overarching
policy that is then individualised by each department as appropriate.

• All subjects should make their marking criteria available to students. Subject level/grade
criteria need to be available to all learners in student speak. Ideally copies need to be fixed
in student exercise/work books. This will help learners to identify where they are at and
what needs to be achieved to reach the next level/grade. Learners need to have some part
in deciding goals and identifying criteria for assessing progress within levels or reaching the
next level/grade. Communicating assessment criteria involves discussing them with learners
in terms that they understand and by providing examples of how the criteria can be met in
practice. When marking work from learners with specific learning difficulties, it may be
helpful to use a form of short hand e.g. CFC (Come for a chat).

Assessing pupils

There are many different ways to assess pupils' progress but if assessment is to be meaningful and
informative it is important that teachers consider the following:
• identify clear learning objectives
• choose a suitable activity to facilitate students’ learning
• articulate the assessment criteria to the students, as it is important that learners are aware
of what is being assessed
• decide who to assess, and who will be doing the assessment (e.g. teaching assistant,
teacher, students)
• decide how to assess (e.g. observation, discussion, working with a learner, looking at work in
progress)
• record the activity, including learning opportunities - consider how this will be done
• decide what evidence is required for the students to be able to demonstrate that learning
has taken place
• observe and record the key findings (photograph, tape recorder, annotated notes etc)
• share the outcomes of the assessment with the students in a constructive way, so that
targets can be set for future learning
• note any individual needs for extension or reinforcement - this will inform future planning
and differentiated activities
• plan further action based on the assessment findings.

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Assessment strategies
The five-minute check
Check through a cross-section of books – five or six – to assess how students across a range of
abilities performed in the previous lesson. If they have produced a piece of writing, begin the next
lesson by showing an example from one student (or small group) – typed up or photographed or
projected on a visualiser – and critique it together. Guide the class through the editing process,
staying focused on common misconceptions and weaknesses, so that modelling an improvement is
done together. Individuals then return to their own work and edit independently with this example
in mind.
Focused marking
Choose a specific learning point, skill or technique. Inform students that the assessment of their
work will be based only on the teaching point. Tie in the marking with the learning objective.
Note making and summarising.
Students create their own notes and get feedback on their efforts e.g. by comparing their notes with
a model. A mixture of both individual and collective feedback is the most effective approach, given
the constraints of time.
Guided Marking
Similar to guiding reading or writing. The teacher works with a targeted group of students (between
6 and 8 students) to concentrate on specific feedback and how to act on it.
Teacher/student dialogue
The teacher asks the student a question about why they have written something or how other
people might think about their point or how a sentence or point could have been differently. The
student responds by writing a response to the teacher’s question(s). Over a short period of time, a
dialogue is developed between the teacher and the student which focuses on the learning and
actively involves the student in their own learning. This technique also provides a trail that can be
referred to if the same error reappears in later work. It also concentrates on progression.

Ipsative assessment: a personal best

Ipsative assessment is where a student’s current performance is compared with a previous
performance. Many informal and practical learning experiences are assessed in this way, such as:
sports coaching, music teaching and in computer games. A personal best in athletics – a highly
motivating and enjoyable process – is an ipsative assessment. The same method can be used in
other subjects too.

If a piece of work is compared to a previous piece of work then all students could demonstrate some
progress. Progress can be measured by comparing old and new marks. For example, a change from
50% to 60 % would mean an ipsative mark of 10%. Dr Gwyneth Hughes ‘The Guardian’ - article 14th
December 2014.
Dr Gwyneth Hughes is a reader in higher education at the Institute of Education. She has recently
published Ipsative Assessment: Motivation through marking progress, Palgrave Macmillan.

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Verbal Feedback
Verbal feedback is the most valuable form of feedback for all students, regardless of age or ability,
as it is immediate, focused, personal and usually more articulate than written comments. The quality
of thinking can be higher if it is verbal. It also allows for interaction between the student and the
teacher or teaching assistant and, where appropriate, between peers. Key learning points from
verbal feedback should be kept in the students’ exercise books and/or teacher’s planner.

Passive marking v Active marking

Passive marking: Well done! Good decision-making (This is descriptive only)
Active marking: Good decision-making. How could someone have argued against this?
Teacher writes: You must complete your work
Student thinks…I wasn’t sure how to finish it and I still don’t know how to finish it

Ask the student

Ask the students what they would like to see as the focus for the marking on any given piece of
work.

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APPENDIX 1
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
The following codes should be used across all subject areas to help promote high standards of
literacy.
sp – spelling mistakes
p – punctuation error
np or // - new paragraph
gr – grammatical error
ww – wrong word
NAS – not a sentence
ROS – run on sentence (series of comments without punctuation)
^ - missing word

APPENDIX 2
Summary of December 2014 Ofsted handbook changes (12 January 2015)
Inspecting the teaching of mathematics
Additional bullet points have been added which refer directly to the national curriculum for
mathematics:

‘The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at the
same pace’ and, ‘Decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’
understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly
should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration
through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate
their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.’

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