Marking Policy. Date: Spring 2015 Ratified by Curriculum Committee: Spring 2015

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1 Marking Policy Reviewed by: Leadership team Date: Spring 2015 Ratified by Curriculum Committee: Spring 2015 Next Review: Spring 2016

2 Introduction: At Carpenters Primary School, we believe that marking is an essential part of planning, assessment, teaching and learning. Responding to pupils' work through constructive comment, acknowledges achievement, promotes positive attitudes and behaviour, and leads to an improvement in standards. The way that work is marked can make or break the essential dialogue between teacher and learner: this is the dialogue which enables a student to know how well they are working, what their strengths are and what to do next to improve. Elizabeth Phillips. Purpose: At Carpenters Primary School, we see the purpose of marking to be: to provide information for assessment, inform planning and to support learning; to encourage, motivate, support and promote positive attitudes; to promote higher standards; to correct errors, misconceptions and set next step targets for improvements; to recognise achievement, presentation and effort; to provide constructive feedback; to show pupils that we value their work; to develop pupils skills of self and peer assessment. Key Principles: At Carpenters Primary School, marking should ensure: General: All work should be marked on a regular basis and be marked up-to-date; Comments should either refer to the learning objective and/or steps to success; Comments are written in child friendly language, so that children understand what we are asking them. Comments should set an example through being well presented and modelling correct spellings and grammar. Ensure that pupils know what they have done well and what they need to improve to make further progress; Exceptional pieces of work or effort are rewarded with a stamp/ sticker to show they have been awarded a tick or marble; Comments are by the teacher using blue pen to ensure they are easy to see; State whether work was guided or supported; Oral feedback (whether individually or in groups) is clearly marked using the symbol Comments that are not related to the learning objective or steps to success are kept to a minimum. E.g. about handwriting or spellings.

3 Spellings should not be overcorrected (a maximum of four appropriate spellings per piece of work) and should be focused on high frequency or topic related words. Any spellings that are highlighted should be practised and edited by the child as part of their feedback. Children are given frequent opportunities to respond to teacher comments or verbal feedback. They should be given the opportunity to edit; correct their work and answer questions and should do so in a green pen. The Triangle System: Children are made aware of their success in meeting the learning objective of each lesson through the triangle system. You need more help to meet the learning objective. You are nearly there and just need a little more time and help to meet the learning objective. You have achieved the learning objective. Children should be aware of these symbols and their meaning and alongside written and oral comments, use the symbols to support them in their self assessment of their progress. Subject Specific: Reading Comprehension / Guided Reading: (Appendix 1) Any errors should be corrected, alongside a short comment (or question) that is related to the learning objective of the reading session. Evidence of the children s progress should be recorded in the class reading file. Reading Journal: Reading journals should be handed in daily, and signed and acknowledged by a member of staff each day. When children are not completing journals at home, letters will be sent home in accordance with our homework policy. Extended Writing: (Appendix 2) Formative assessment, completed at the start of the unit, should always be marked prior to the teaching of the unit commencing. Marking of formative assessment will result in a genre target being given to the children that refers explicitly to the text type. These should be shared with the children at the start of the teaching sequence. All pieces of writing should be marked using constructive comments, providing children with their next steps and the opportunity to respond to marking in green pen: particular areas to improve should be highlighted.

4 Once a whole text is completed, writing should be marked using two stars and a wish to identify elements of the toolbox which are evident in the writing and a next step which also relates to the toolbox. Comments will always be constructive, written in child friendly language and examples given where Marking should be differentiated for each child using the Carpenters marking key. Story maps, boxing up, and other speaking and listening activities should be marked using the triangle system and a question, or next steps written. Examples of effective language use should be identified using a and (OVCP) over the word. Incorrect spellings will be identified and children are expected to respond to these. At the end of every unit, a piece of extended writing, summative assessment, should be levelled using the criterion scale which will be displayed in the child s Golden Book. Maths: (Appendix 3) Work should be marked using ticks and dots ticks to show correct work and dots for incorrect work. Children will know how well they have achieved the learning objective through the use of the triangle system. Formative and summative assessment, is marked in order to level should be used to gauge a child s level at the start and end of each unit. Where a child has made mistakes due to the method they have used, the correct method should be modelled by the teacher and another question set for children to complete using the example. If children have no work to correct, a next step question should be given linked to their future learning, targets or the next stage in the learning journey. Children could be encouraged to spot the mistake. E.g. leave 4 questions unmarked and ask the children to identify the 2 correct and 2 incorrect answers. Incorrect spellings, linked to the mathematics curriculum should be identified and children should respond to these. Children should respond to marking regularly using green pen.

5 Homework: (Appendix 4) Homework should be marked weekly, with a comment written in the teacher box. Effort should be recognised and praised, or questions asked. Incorrect or insufficient work should be highlighted using dots and/or questions. IPC (Foundation Subjects) including Science & RE: (Appendix 5 & 6) All work should be acknowledged with a short comment or question that links to the child friendly learning objective, or key question. Moving on questions will be used to assess children s learning. The importance of using basic skills across the curriculum should be stressed, but not the main area of focus in the marking. However, incorrect spellings, linked to the topic curriculum should be identified and children should respond to these. Self assessment: As part of each lesson, during the plenary, children should be encouraged to self assess each piece of work across the curriculum using the system of smiley faces. E.g. Smiley face - I feel confident about what I have achieved. Straight face I would like a little more time and help to achieve this learning objective. Sad face - I would like help to achieve this learning objective. In key stage 2, Children will be given regular opportunities in plenaries to comment on their learning in the lesson. E.g. TILT (today I learnt to) Children will be given frequent opportunities to self assess their work in relation to the learning objective and /or steps to success. They will underline their successes (using a key) and comment using a star and wish as Peer Assessment: On focused pieces of work: In key stage 2, pupils should be given regular opportunities to assess their own or others work. Appropriate comments should be modelled by the class teacher to ensure that they related to the learning objective and /or steps to success only. When peer assessing, children should use a red pen and be reminded of the importance of neat presentation. Teacher s will moderate peer assessments and comment when appropriate to indicate whether they agree or disagree.

6 EYFS: (Appendix 7) The majority of assessment will be through observations and photographs; When oral feedback has been given, it will be shown using the symbol. In Reception, AfL marking is expected at all times when working with focus groups; A-boards (stand alone whiteboards) are used to show steps to success for targets and child friendly learning objectives. Assessed work will show the relevant age band in developmental months. E.g months. Monitoring: The leadership team, alongside subject leaders, will regularly ensure that these guidelines are being used consistently throughout the school by moderating samples of work. Ofsted guidelines will be used to support judgements, a copy of which has been given to all teaching staff. Additional copies can be obtained from the office on request. Feedback on the implementation of the policy will be given during staff meetings or to individual members of staff. A copy will be kept by the Headteacher. We know our policy is working if book audits show: Work is being marked up-to-date in accordance with the marking policy; Marking informs future planning and teaching; There is evidence that children have regular opportunities to self and peer mark, as well as responding to marking. There is evidence that children acknowledge targets and/or next steps and show they are working towards them; Due to high quality marking and teaching, children can be seen to make good progress over time; During interviews with children, feedback shows they have a greater understanding of what they do well and what they need to do in order to make good progress.

7 Appendices