• To clarify the key principles of effective feedback.
• To outline the features of next step marking in mathematics.

Where anyone is trying to learn, feedback about their efforts has three elements – the desired goal , the evidence about their present position , and some understanding of a way to close the gap between the two.

Deciding:
• where learners are
• where they need to go
• how best to get there

• Providing effective feedback to children.
• Actively involving children in their own learning.
• Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment.
• Recognising the profound influence assessment has on the motivation and self-esteem of children, both of which are crucial to learning.
• Considering the need for children to be able to assess themselves and to understand how to improve.

• Oral
• Written
“To be effective, feedback should cause thinking to take place.”
Shirley Clarke

Learners need information and guidance in order to plan the next steps in their learning.
Teachers should:
pinpoint the learner’s strengths and advise on how to develop them;
- be clear and constructive about any weaknesses and how they might be addressed;
- provide opportunities for learners to improve upon their work.

The purpose of returning marked work to pupils or of oral feedback is to enable pupils to improve their learning.
However, both teachers and pupils need to be clear about the assessment criteria that will inform marking and feedback.
For instance, if the learning objectives for the work to be marked were not concerned with presentation and neatness, teachers may consider whether comments about those things should be made, particularly if it is the only comment that is made.

Oral feedback is regular and interactive.
Oral feedback can be direct (targeted to individuals or groups) and indirect (others listen in and reflect on what is said).
Works in three directions:
- teacher to child
- child to teacher
- child to child

Oral feedback should be:
• positive – recognising the children’s efforts and achievements to date
• developmental – offering specific, detailed advice to help children progress

• Highlights success and improvement against the learning objective.
• Asks for small improvement.
• Quality marking - once or twice a week - not for every piece of work.
• Gives children time to act on it.
• Eventually develop shared marking:
– teacher and child
– child and partner - paired marking
– child marks own work.

A study by Ruth Butler (1988) analysed pupils’ work marked by one of the following strategies:
- comments and actions for improvement
- grades only
- praise only
- no feedback at all
The quality of work of those given only comments and actions for improvement improved substantially from lesson to lesson. Those given praise only, or grades only, did no better than the pupils who were given no feedback at all.

In marking pupils’ work, teachers can consider:
• how well the pupil has understood the task;
• what the pupil knows and does not know;
• what the pupil needs to do next to improve;
• how the pupil will be informed of this;
• how they can encourage pupils to review their work critically and constructively.

Outcome of piece of work
Correct Incorrect
Correct, with thorough understanding
Correct, inefficient methods
Incorrect, inefficient methods
Incorrect in part of process
Lack of prior knowledge/ understanding
Identify next steps/ challenge
Model efficient method with task set
Highlight errors/model efficient method with task set
Identify error in process address appropriately
Identify gap and address appropriately

30  6
- 10  2
20  4 = 24
50  2
- 20  6
30  4 = 34
80  9
- 40  3
40  6 = 46
70  1
- 40  7
30  6 = 36

Show the reflection of shape A in the line of symmetry
A

• When AfL is truly embedded, there will be a range of evidence:
- pupils know what they are learning
- next step marking will be in place
- opportunities to reflect upon learning are provided
- assessment informs practice.