This document is a statement of the aims and procedures for formative assessment at Alton Convent School. It encompasses marking and oral feedback.

Aims

Formative assessment is intended to support learning, raise attainment and equip children as life-long learners. To maximize its effectiveness, it should provide constructive feedback to pupils, encourage active participation in the learning process, inform subsequent teaching, enhance pupil motivation and allow opportunity for learners to reflect.

Marking

Marking is a fundamental aspect of teaching and learning and it is a way of communicating assessment to pupils, parents and others. Marking should acknowledge effort as well as achievement and error, and should provide an indication of how further progress may be made.

Marking should:

• be appropriate to the age and needs of the pupil;
• encourage and motivate the pupil;
• help the pupil to progress and develop;
• be part of an on-going dialogue with the pupil.
• involve a prompt response, as far as possible, so that feedback is more effective;
• be positive, constructive and purposeful;
• relate to a focus according to planned learning objectives;
• help to inform the planning of future teaching and learning;
• identify strengths and weaknesses; and
• outline corrections which need to be made as appropriate and provide further opportunity for follow up work if required.

• Marking may be communicated through written with comments, symbols (e.g. ticks, crosses) or grades. The use of these procedures, and the depth of marking, will vary according to the task, the subject, the age of the pupil and the learning objective.
• Pupils may be rewarded with stars or house credit points at the discretion of the teaching staff.
• Pupils must have a clear understanding of what is being assessed.
• Incorrect work will be indicated clearly and pupils should be encouraged to correct and learn from their mistakes.
• If a concept has been misunderstood, a full written comment should be made or the teacher should invite the pupil for one to one discussion.
• All teachers should indicate spelling errors by underlining the word and encourage corrections.
• At times pupils may be involved in the marking and evaluation of work, or that of others, although teachers will always oversee this process done in class.
• Homework will normally be marked by teachers.

Oral feedback

Positive oral feedback to pupils takes place as part of the strong and supportive relationships between teachers and pupils. Criticisms should always be constructive, indicating how pupils can improve their performance. Pupils should be provided with opportunity to reflect on their own work in discussion with their teacher and to respond to the teacher's comments.

Target Setting (Prep School)

Target Setting Target setting is used as a way of encouraging pupils to take greater responsibility for their learning and to provide greater personalisation of learning. Pupils and teachers may each set targets, often through discussion. Targets should be

• Specific;
• Measurable;
• Achievable;
• Realistic; and
• Time-related.

The use of National Curriculum attainment targets and levels, whilst not required by the Alton Convent Prep curriculum, provides objectivity and useful national benchmarking. Where possible, individual pupil targets can be linked to class learning objectives, and should inform the planning process. Targets, and progress towards meeting them, will often form the focus of discussions at parents’ evenings.