Assessment and Pupil Information

Effective assessment is essential for understanding each pupil’s starting point, monitoring progress, and tailoring teaching to meet individual needs. At The Sky Academy, we use a range of assessment tools and data sources to build a comprehensive profile of each learner.

Sources of Assessment Data:

• Previous Academic Data
  Includes prior attainment, progress scores, and teacher assessments from previous schools or key stages.
• Cognitive Abilities Test (CATs)
  Provides insight into students’ verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning abilities, helping to identify strengths and areas for support.
• Baseline Assessments
  Conducted at the start of the academic year or upon entry to the school to establish current levels in core subjects.
• Reading Age and Spelling Age
  Assessed regularly to monitor literacy development and inform targeted interventions.

Additional Pupil Information:

• Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
  EHCPs are reviewed and used to guide personalised learning strategies, ensuring that statutory support is implemented effectively.
• Specialist Reports
  Includes input from professionals such as:
  • Speech and Language Therapists: Recommendations for communication support and language development.
  • Educational Psychologists: Insights into cognitive profiles and learning behaviours.

This holistic approach ensures that teaching is responsive to both academic and developmental needs, and that feedback and marking are aligned with each pupil’s individual learning journey.

Core Principles of Feedback

At The Sky Academy, our feedback and marking policy is firmly rooted in the belief that effective feedback is crucial for student development and progress. The principles that guide our feedback approach are as follows:

Learning-Centered Focus

All feedback and marking should be designed to enhance students’ learning experiences. Every interaction, whether it is verbal or written, is crafted to help students understand their current progress and clearly identify their next steps towards improvement.

Evidence is Incidental

Our primary emphasis is on the impact feedback has on student learning rather than the documentation process itself. Teachers are not required to produce additional evidence of feedback for the purpose of external evaluation, allowing them to focus more on student outcomes.

Accessibility of Written Comments

Written feedback should be tailored to be accessible to students, taking into account their age, ability, and level of independence. For students who may struggle to access written comments, alternative methods such as verbal feedback should be employed to ensure understanding and engagement.

Timeliness and Proximity

Feedback is most effective when it is delivered promptly, ideally during the learning event itself. Providing feedback within the lesson allows students to act immediately, reinforcing their understanding and addressing any misconceptions in real-time, which greatly enhances learning efficiency.

Varied Forms of Feedback

Feedback is not limited to written comments alone; it includes a diverse range of methods such as:

• Verbal interactions that allow for immediate clarification and encouragement
• Peer and self-assessment to promote reflective learning
• Visual cues like highlighting and symbols to quickly convey understanding
• Whole-class discussions to foster a collaborative learning environment
• Teacher reflection and planning to tailor future lessons based on feedback received

Integration with Assessment

Feedback is intricately woven into our formative assessment strategy. This integration aids teachers in identifying learning gaps, adjusting their teaching methods accordingly, and providing the right level of challenge to ensure that all students make substantial progress.

Timely Review of Work

Teachers are encouraged to review students’ work at the earliest appropriate opportunity. This timely review is crucial for informing future lesson planning and ensuring that feedback has a meaningful impact on learning outcomes.

Our feedback practices are aligned with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) toolkit, ensuring that feedback is purposeful, timely, and effectively used to adapt teaching strategies for enhanced student learning.

Feedback and Marking in Practice

Feedback is delivered at three key stages in the learning process:

Note: Subject-specific variations may apply. Refer to individual Curriculum Leaders for tailored guidance.

Marking and Feedback Guidelines

Marking should be constructive, consistent, and centred on student progress. It should:

• be conducted during lessons whenever possible, often taking the form of verbal feedback
• directly relate to the learning objectives and success criteria set for the lesson
• recognise and celebrate individual and group achievements
• motivate and encourage students to enhance their learning journey
• offer clear, actionable strategies for improvement
• address the unique learning needs and attainment levels of each student
• inform future lesson planning and teaching approaches
• be accessible and understandable to all students
• be applied consistently throughout the school
• be regarded as a positive tool for enhancing learning
• acknowledge the level of support provided to students
• demonstrate visible progress over time

Implementation of Effective Feedback

Effective feedback is a crucial component of formative assessment and plays a significant role in helping students achieve their desired learning outcomes. It involves:

• Specifying Attainment:
  • Clearly identifying what has been achieved successfully
• Specific Improvement:
  • Highlighting areas that need development and suggesting methods for improvement

Teachers should utilise feedback to:

• Adjust and refine their teaching strategies
• Group students based on their learning needs
• Plan future lessons more effectively
• Set targeted goals for individuals or the whole class

Role of Other Adults

• Support Staff:
  • May be responsible for marking work of groups they assist, ensuring alignment with the marking policy
• Supply Teachers:
  • Required to mark all work in accordance with the established policy

Responsibility and Monitoring

• Class Teachers:
  • Responsible for implementing the marking policy within their classrooms and ensuring its effectiveness
• Curriculum Leaders:
  • Monitor and ensure adherence to the policy within their specific subject areas
• SLT (Curriculum & Assessment Lead):
  • Oversees the implementation of the policy, collaborates with Curriculum Leaders, and reports progress and issues to the Principal and Academy Council

Appendix 1

Pink Means Think and Green Means Great

To support clarity and consistency in marking, we use a colour-coded system:

Pink Means Think:
Pink is used to highlight areas where students need to reflect, improve, or correct. It signals a next step in learning or a misconception that needs addressing.

Examples:

• • A pink underline beneath a misspelled word with a prompt to correct it.
  • A pink box around a maths calculation with a note: “Check your method – what went wrong?”
  • A pink comment: “Can you explain this idea more clearly?”

Green Means Great:
Green is used to celebrate success. It highlights what has been done well, showing understanding, achievement, or progress.

Examples:

• • A green tick next to a well-structured paragraph.
  • A green comment: “Excellent use of descriptive language!”
  • A green highlight over a correct answer with a note: “Well done – clear understanding shown.”

This visual system helps students quickly identify strengths and areas for development, promoting self-awareness and ownership of learning.