Marking and Feedback Policy

Policy details

• Date created - 2025/2026
• Date reviewed - 2026/2027
• Policy owner - R.Fox

1. Introduction
2. Definition of feedback
3. Feedback and marking should

4. Teacher responsibilities

5. Marking should be

6. Feedback Strategies Used at Co-op Academy Leeds

Introduction

This policy reflects the school’s philosophy and values with regards to providing children with feedback about their learning. The policy is for the use of all teachers and learning support assistants who are involved in providing feedback to our children and is also to inform parents and carers about our assessment for learning practices and how children are involved in their own learning. It also makes clear our stance on the marking of children’s work.

Definition of feedback

Feedback is a process in which learners make sense of information about their performance and use it to enhance the quality of their work or learning strategies. Feedback should empower children to take responsibility for improving their work; it should not take away from this responsibility by adults doing the hard thinking for the pupil. Feedback is a part of the school’s wider assessment processes which aim to provide an appropriate level of challenge to pupils in lessons, allowing them to make good progress. Feedback can take the form of spoken or written marking, peer-marking and self-assessment. At Co-op Academy Leeds, we recognise that verbal feedback can be just as valid as written feedback and the school will not necessarily put greater emphasis on written feedback. The quantity of feedback should not be confused with the quality.

Feedback and marking should:

• Focus solely on furthering children’s learning and driving pupil progress; it should improve the learner, not just a piece of work.

• Be manageable for teachers and accessible for pupils and relate to the learning intention.
• Give recognition and praise for achievement.

• Give clear strategies for improvement which result in better pupil achievement

• Allow specific time for pupils to read, reflect and respond to feedback and marking.

• Provide a consistent stance on feedback throughout the school, so that pupils have a clear understanding of their teachers’ expectations of them, enabling them to identify strengths and information on how to improve their performance.

• Use marking as a tool for ongoing formative assessment, ensuring children are effectively challenged and that progress is evident through a dialogue which supports progression.

• Develop positive attitudes to learning and achievement

• Inform the teacher of children’s progress and needs for future planning.

• Support the balance of teacher workload.

Teacher responsibilities

As stated in the Department for Education Teachers’ Standards (Teacher Standard 6), teachers have the duty to give pupils regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage pupils to respond to the feedback.

Workload Considerations

The DfE commissioned a Marking Policy Review Group to consider effective practice on marking which raises standards for pupils without creating unnecessary workload. The Review Group found that marking, particularly providing extensive written feedback, had evolved into an unhelpful burden for teachers when the time it takes is not repaid in positive impact on pupil’s progress. The Review Group stressed that marking is best regarded as one element of a wider approach to feedback and assessment. Its report made clear that it is inappropriate to regard marking as more important or more effective than other forms of feedback or to consider it in isolation from other ways in which a pupil's work can be assessed. Principles of effective feedback In their guidance report - ‘Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning’, the Education Endowment Foundation provides a summary of recommendations for effective feedback. Effective feedback should move learning forward, targeting either the task, the subject or self-regulation strategies.

Feedback may be delivered either verbally or in written form. Crucially, pupils need to be given opportunities to act on the feedback they have been given.

1. Lay the foundations for effective feedback. Before providing feedback, teachers should provide high quality instruction. This includes setting clear learning intentions and using formative assessment to assess learning gaps. High quality initial instruction will reduce the work that feedback needs to do.

2. Deliver appropriately timed feedback that focuses on moving learning forward. There is not one clear answer for when feedback should be provided. Teachers should use their professional judgement to decide whether more immediate or delayed feedback is required.

Feedback should focus on moving the learning forward. High quality feedback may focus on:  

• The task (feedback focused on improving a specific piece of work or task)

• Self-regulation strategies (feedback is usually provided as prompts and cues and aims to improve the learner’s ability to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning)

• Plan for how pupils will receive and use feedback. Careful thought should be given to how pupils receive feedback. Pupil motivation, self-confidence, their trust in the teacher and their capacity to receive information can impact the effectiveness of feedback. Teachers should implement strategies that encourage pupils to welcome feedback. They should also provide opportunities for pupils to use and respond to feedback.

• Discuss the purpose of feedback. Discuss with the class why feedback is important. The key is to emphasise that feedback is provided not to be critical but because the teacher has high standards and believes the pupils can meet them (mindset)

• Model the use of feedback.  Pupils may be more likely to welcome and use feedback if this is modelled to them by their peers. For example, could whole-class discussions focus on a learner who has improved their work as a result of acting on feedback?  Provide clear, concise, and focused feedback. Sometimes less is more. Teachers should avoid feedback that ‘overloads’ pupils.  Ensure the pupils understand the feedback given. This includes teacher handwriting being clear enough for pupils to read.

• Carefully consider how to use purposeful, and time-efficient, written feedback. Written methods of feedback, including written comments, marks and scores, can improve pupil attainment; however, the effects of written feedback can vary. The method of delivery (and whether a teacher chooses to use written or verbal feedback) is likely to be less important than ensuring that the recommendations

Written feedback can be effective if it follows high quality foundations, is timed appropriately, focuses on the task, subject, or self-regulation, and is then used by pupils.

Strategies for written feedback are described later in this policy

Carefully consider how to use purposeful verbal feedback. Verbal methods of feedback can improve pupil attainment and may be more time-efficient compared to some forms of written feedback. Again, the effects of verbal feedback can vary and the method of delivery is likely to be less important than ensuring recommendations 1-3 are followed.

Marking should be:

Meaningful: Marking varies by age, group, subject, and what works best for the pupil and teacher in relation to any particular work. Teachers are encouraged to adjust their approach as necessary and should be trusted to incorporate the outcomes into subsequent planning and teaching.

Manageable: Marking practice is proportionate and considers the frequency and complexity of written feedback, as well as the cost and time-effectiveness of marking in relation to the overall workload of teachers.

Motivating: Marking should help to motivate pupils to progress. This does not mean always writing in-depth comments or being universally positive – sometimes short, challenging comments or oral feedback are more effective. If the teacher is doing more work than the pupils, this can be a disincentive for pupils to accept challenges and take responsibility for improving their work.

Feedback Strategies Used at Co-op Academy Leeds

Above all, feedback (whether written or verbal) needs to reflect the principles of effective feedback as described in recommendations 1-3 above.

Strategies what this might look like:

‘Live marking’ happens during the lesson, either with individuals as the teacher moves around, or with the whole class through modelling (e.g., using a visualiser). This approach saves time, ensures feedback is clear, and allows pupils to use it straight away. Both teachers and support staff may provide live feedback.

Mini plenaries

Mini plenaries are short mid-lesson stops where teachers review objectives and success criteria, model thinking, and guide pupils to self- or peer-assess. This gives pupils time to edit and improve work before the lesson ends.

Verbal feedback can be structured (e.g., whole-class guidance, conferencing) or spontaneous (e.g., quick prompts). It may be given to individuals, groups, or the whole class, with or without written feedback. Effective feedback should be specific, motivational, and linked to learning—for example, “You are beginning to use capital letters correctly” rather than vague praise.

Written Feedback

Written feedback happens away from the point of teaching and allows teachers to assess understanding. It balances ‘light touch’ marking (ticks, brief notes) with deeper marking when meaningful guidance is needed. Teachers review books to spot misconceptions, assess understanding, and identify strong examples for future lessons. Instead of lengthy comments, key messages are shared as whole-class, group, or individual feedback at the start of the next lesson, followed by time for pupils to review and improve their work.

Deeper marking is used when guidance couldn’t be given during the lesson. Where groups share similar needs, adjusting planning may be more effective than writing in every book. Written feedback must always be actionable, with pupils given time to respond—often through DIRT. Teachers respond in green pen, and pupils in red.

Self and peer assessment

Pupils are expected to take ownership of their learning through self- and peer-assessment. Teachers share learning intentions and success criteria (via modelling, checklists, exemplars), and where appropriate co-create criteria with pupils. Children act as the ‘first markers’, spotting and correcting their own errors before teacher feedback. This reduces workload and ensures immediate feedback (e.g., self-marking maths answers).

In literacy, pupils should proofread, edit, and redraft before teacher marking, using red pen (teachers mark in green). Teachers highlight a few examples where success criteria are met and use codes for feedback:

• SP – spelling
  
• P – punctuation
  
• // – new paragraph
  
• *** **– area for improvement with a developmental comment

For longer pieces, teachers may focus on a section, highlight it, and provide targeted developmental feedback for redrafting. Pupils must be given time to respond to feedback promptly. Feedback may also include short verbal/written prompts such as “Prove it”, “Explain how you know”, or “Show it another way”.

Structure lessons

Structuring Lessons to Maximise the Effectiveness of Feedback Teachers should be resourceful and flexible with the structure of lessons to ‘carve’ out opportunities for feedback to take place and be responded to.

• Use of whiteboards throughout the lesson so children can share answers and teacher can give immediate feedback.
• Time built into lessons for self-assessment - for example, self-marking in Maths, checking writing against success criteria checklists.
• Lessons design allows for proof-reading and editing  on a regular basis