Assessment, Marking and Feedback Policy

Assessment, Marking and Feedback at The ACE Academy It is expected that individual departments will provide specific examples and guidance within their department handbooks/documentation, which has been both internally and externally verified for accuracy. This policy outlines basic, minimum expectations.

Rationale: The principle and purpose of marking and feedback is to orientate the teacher and the learner so that they are able to plan appropriate next steps in the learning journey.

Marking and feedback therefore diagnoses:  

What is secure and confident What can be realistically tackled as a next step in reaching the learning goal

Marking and feedback will always be more effective and accurate when it is supported by high quality long and medium term planning. It is an expectation that teachers at The ACE Academy will be secure in their knowledge of schemes of learning that have been planned carefully to support all learners within their curriculum year.

Schemes of learning should clearly define formative and summative assessments which are common to all learners.

For every learner in their care, outstanding teachers are able to: 1. articulate what is secure, 2. articulate what a student’s next key learning should be 3. articulate the means by which the student should be able to secure this Their planning and marking reveals this precise knowledge of each student and therefore facilitates outstanding progress.

A minimum expectation for all teachers at The ACE Academy is outlined below: All students’ work will be marked once every two weeks by their teacher. Extended and more detailed marking will be the minimum as detailed below.

Subjects with more than 2 hours contact per week: Within one half term it is expected that each student will undertake a minimum of two formative and one summative assessment; all of these activities should be marked in detail.

Therefore, it is expected that there will be a minimum of three extended pieces of feedback and marking in one half term, to include:  

a diagnostic comment which clearly outlines what is secure for the learner (www.) a minimum of one target outlining the next key aspect(s) of their learning to be secured (ebi.)

 

guidance/clarification of next learning and tasks to be undertaken to secure this, with room for the student to respond (net) www.ebi.net will be the acronym for our students and staff to work with (what went well. Even better if. Next extended task)

Subjects with 2 hours or less contact per week: Within one half-term it is expected that each student will undertake a minimum of one formative and one summative assessment; all of these activities should be marked in detail.

Therefore, it is expected that there will be a minimum of two extended pieces of feedback and marking in one half term, to include:   

a diagnostic comment which clearly outlines what is secure for the learner (www.) a minimum of one target outlining the next key aspect(s) of their learning to be secured (ebi.) guidance/clarification of next learning and tasks to be undertaken to secure this, with room for the student to respond (net)

It is an Academy expectation that for each of their subjects, every student should know:    

Their target grade Their predicted grade Specific actions needed to improve their progress in each subject That their parents will be directed to their books/files for specific feedback and all of the above information

Students should therefore, be able to use marking and feedback to consistently make ‘good progress’ (which is better than ‘expected progress’).

Securing accurate and externally validated Assessment, Marking and Feedback In order to gain complete confidence in the accuracy of the assessment, marking and feedback across all subjects delivered within the Academy, the following measures will be taken: 

Two work scrutinies per half term completed by HOD (with SLT LM) and post holders within the subject area, sampling all year groups and classes  One work scrutiny per term involving external subject experts/school to school support, to validate judgements and rates of progress seen in students work  All common assessments within the schemes of learning are designed for all year groups and abilities , and can be delivered, marked and moderated by all staff within the department, regardless of teaching group  Half termly, internal moderation of marking and assessment across all Year groups lead by the HOD and post holders.

Findings (strengths, areas for improvement, actions, impact of previous actions) of the above will be reported by the HOD via the half termly Head teachers report.      

One SLT work scrutiny per half term sampling all departments and all year groups.

In depth, SLT work scrutinies, by Year group, as directed by the academy QA process Work scrutinies via the department review process as detailed in the Academy QA process, involving ECMAT SIP All work scrutinies will follow the same agreed format for collation of evidence and utilise exemplar questions from the most recent Ofsted guidance.

Staff will receive feedback identifying strengths and areas for development.

Strengths will be shared with staff in order to develop good and outstanding practise as the norm.

All departments should satisfy the following requirements: 

   

Annual exam board training on standardisation of marking and assessment in all courses being delivered, is attended and shared – evidenced through LOA and Department minutes Annual exam board moderation reports that conclude that all marking is in line with expectations and no adjustment necessary All staffs’ subject pedagogy is accurate, current and able to satisfy the content needing to be delivered.

Predicted grades are accurate when compared to terminal result.

(Desirable) One member of the department is a trained and practising examiner for the board that the department are using.

Marking Symbols

All marking and feedback should be designed and delivered to improve the quality and accuracy of work and so should maintain a focus on spelling and grammar. Marking annotations below should be used for marking of student work. This guidance is the minimum level of marking expected, individual departments may provide more detailed guidance on this aspect of marking

Code

What does this mean?

Sp + Spelling error circle

Find correct spelling and write out 5 times, use look, cover and check method or breaking word up into ‘memorable chunks’

P

Punctuation error

Insert correct punctuation or amend highlighted punctuation.

Find out why the change is needed.

C

Capital letter error

A capital or lower case letter is used incorrectly. Pupils should make correction.

Gr

Grammatical error

The sentence is not clear and does not make complete sense.

//

New paragraph needed

Pupil should insert // in the correct place if the teacher has not done so.

Presentation point

Identify the aspect of presentation requiring improvement and amend in subsequent work

Spelling or vocab

Use to indicate:



acknowledgement

-

A word previously spelt incorrectly is now correct A sophisticated word that has an impact on the reader has been used

MC

Process/logic evident

Students have demonstrated a process by which they have arrived at a conclusion, or recognised logical steps to gain understanding. (Metacognition)

£

Units and scale

Students have identified and used correct units and scale in their work.

Marking colours:  

Teaching staff will mark and feedback in GREEN pen only Students will respond to marking and feedback in RED pen only

October 2014