Marking and Feedback Policy

1. Vision and Principles

At ISJ, a consistent approach to marking and feedback should be meaningful to the learner, manageable for the teacher, and motivating to support further progress.

Feedback is most effective when it is immediate, actionable, and embedded in the learning process. This policy supports the recommendations of the DfE report Eliminating Unnecessary Workload Around Marking (2016) and aligns with current research on effective feedback and pupil progress.

Core Commitments

• Marking must serve a clear purpose for learning
• Feedback is primarily live and verbal
• Pupils are taught to reflect on and use feedback metacognitively
• Written feedback is only used when necessary and developmentally appropriate
• Younger children (FS1 – Year 2) will not receive written feedback
• There is no requirement for staff to write "VF" or any annotation to prove verbal feedback has been given
• Post-lesson marking is minimised, as ISJ values in-lesson assessment and feedback over retrospective corrections

2. Whole-School Feedback Strategy

Phase	Feedback Method	Marking Expectations
FS1–FS2	Verbal, modelling, observation	No written marking
Y1–Y2	Verbal, simple symbols or dots	No comments
Y3–Y8	Live feedback, metacognitive prompts, modelling	Written comments only when purposeful

Pupils are taught to reflect on: what they have done well; where they need to improve; and how they can improve it.

When responding to feedback, completing self or peer marking, or making corrections, children should use a different coloured pen to the one they have been working with. They should not use a green pen, as this is for staff. This helps identify where corrections have been made and how children are using self and peer assessment to progress their learning.

It is not necessary to give written feedback for all pieces of work. In the case of extended written work, the teacher should highlight successes against the learning objective and either give focused verbal feedback, mark with the child, or give a target for the child to act upon in future pieces of work. Children should have time to look back at their work during daily starters and consider their target.

Presentation

A high standard of presentation is expected, as relevant to the age and ability of individual children. Presentational points relevant across the school:

• The margin, where present, should be used as a guide
• The date should precede any new piece of work. The short date is used in Maths; the long date in all other subjects
• A clear lesson objective should precede pieces of work, as appropriate
• Pupils should write with pencils, roller-ball or ink pens only
• Drawings and diagrams should be made in pencil in normal circumstances
• The use of rubbers and ink erasers should be discouraged — it is important to see clearly where corrections have been made
• When self-correcting, pupils should put a line through the error and write the correct version next to or above it. Scribbling or large crossing out should be discouraged

3. Subject-Specific Feedback Approaches

Mathematics

• Yellow highlighter dot = correct
• Green pen dot = error or misconception
• Teacher annotations in green pen when supporting
• All feedback is given live during lessons
• Pupils use feedback to review and correct

English

• Live conferencing, editing stations and modelling are prioritised
• Symbols and codes (e.g. SP, P) may be used to guide self-correction during lessons
• No need for written comments unless focused on improving extended writing
• Whole-class feedback is used to identify and share key learning points
• Pupils use editing checklists and reflective strategies

Spelling

The teacher should decide, dependent on the child's needs, which spellings to correct and which mistakes should be used as teaching points. When correcting spellings, teachers should bear in mind the spelling expectations for the phonics phase the child is working at, focussing on key words and digraphs that they should be able to apply.

Science

• Feedback during practical activities and live marking of written tasks
• Green pen may be used for questioning or prompting more precise answers
• No full write-up marking expected
• Reflection on accuracy and clarity of explanations is taught explicitly

Humanities (History and Geography)

• Discussion and questioning drive feedback
• Written feedback only when needed to support reasoning or source evaluation
• Pupils taught to assess argument structure, evidence use, and perspectives
• Use of visual organisers supports independent reflection

Art

• Feedback is immediate and process-based
• No written marking of sketchbooks or portfolios
• Verbal guidance and modelling are used throughout
• Peer critiques and reflection support metacognition and artistic development

Music

• Feedback is aural and physical: through performance correction and demonstration
• No written marking
• Pupils review their performance through discussion and guided listening
• Use of audio recordings may support self-assessment

Physical Education

• Feedback is on-the-spot and physical
• Teachers correct, encourage and model throughout
• No written marking is expected
• Pupils reflect on performance through peer coaching and visual cues
• Pupils are provided with focus points for improvement through modelling and direction

4. Monitoring and Evidence of Impact

Evidence of effective feedback may be seen through: progress over time in pupils' books and work; pupils' ability to explain their next steps; visible in-lesson improvement; and verbal engagement and reflection.

There is no expectation for evidence of feedback to be written. What matters is that pupils are making progress, not that teachers are producing documentation.

5. Professional Trust and Development

ISJ staff are trusted professionals. They are empowered to use their judgement about the best form of feedback, tailor strategies to the age, stage, and needs of learners, and innovate in their classroom with live marking, conferencing, and modelling.

Ongoing CPD will support: live feedback techniques; metacognitive questioning; whole-class feedback and self and peer assessment strategies.

6. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains rooted in best practice and evidence, aligned with staff wellbeing and workload, and focused on pupil progress and learning outcomes.