Chawson First School Marking Guidelines
Marking is the formal and informal communication with children which is both verbal and written. The marking of children’s work is an important part of the learning process and will be carried out with care.
Applying these guidelines ensures consistency in the way children’s work is marked across the school.
The aims of our marking are:
· To improve the quality of work and raise standards.
· To indicate to children what they need to do in order to improve.
· To celebrate and value the children’s achievements.
· To motivate children to further effort and giving them the confidence to progress.
· To show children and parents what is valued and to reinforce expectations.
· To inform children about their progress.
· To contribute towards the teacher making continuous assessments on child attainment.
· To inform future planning.
Key Principles of Marking
Marking will be against the success criteria and/or individual/group targets and children will be aware of the focus before completing their activity.
Additionally:
· Marking will be regular and frequent.
· Children are encouraged to evaluate their own work
· Children will often contribute to marking: when commenting on other children’s learning they will be expected to be a critical friend using the ‘3 stars and a wish’ ethos.
· Every piece of learning will receive a response. This may be verbal or recorded.
· It will be responsive to individual children’s needs and abilities.
· It will be positive and constructive.
· Wherever possible marking will take place alongside the child and when this is not possible because of the length of the work, or the timescale for its completion then after it is marked time will be planned for the children to revisit and reflect on the marking of this activity and act upon the feedback from the teacher.
· Written responses may be based on symbols (Appendices A, B and C) and/or a short pertinent written comment. The comment may take the form of a question.
· Any comments will be made in a way that can be understood by a child. Where appropriate teachers will help a child read the comments.
· Marking will be clear, legible and comments will be written in the school’s handwriting style.
· There will be a shared understanding between children, staff in school and parents of how and why marking of children’s learning is completed.
Across the school a child that completes work that is particularly good for them may take it to the Head Teacher for a sticker and show their work in Celebration Assembly.
Strategies for Marking
It can be a time consuming task. To make it effective and manageable, staff will consider:
· Marking selectively eg marking in depth for only one group or marking for the key success criteria.
· Marking ‘against’ a checklist.
· Using self and peer marking by the children.
Foundation Stage Marking (Appendix A Marking Chart Year R)
Focused activity work is marked with the children by providing oral comments and smiley faces. Stickers are given for good achievement and/or effort. They are put on the child’s sticker chart. When the chart is full, the child will get a certificate.
Independent work is generally reviewed with the child and ticked.
Occasionally, written comments are added to work for the teacher’s information rather than the child’s at this stage.
KS1
Year 1 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
All work is ticked to indicate that it has been seen and as often as possible written learning is marked with the children and oral feedback given. When checklists around success criteria are used these, they will form the basis of the discussion. Teachers will use symbols known to the children to identify their next learning target.
Occasionally, other comments are made for teacher information.
In maths a tick is given for correct answers and a dot for those that need to be checked. Generally these answers will be corrected by the child and ticked or orally agreed with an adult.
Smiley faces and reward stickers are given for good work/effort (and behavior) and these are collected on a star card, children receiving a certificate in Celebration Assembly when it is full.
Year 2 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
Marking will be as in Year 1, although written comments will become increasingly important in helping a child to identify their success in meeting the success criteria and their next step. Children will be given time, in all curriculum areas, to read and take account of these.
Smiley faces and reward stickers will be used as in Year 1, children receiving a certificate in Celebration Assembly when the card is full.
KS2
Year 3 and 4 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
Marking continues to be focused on the success criteria and be responsive to the children’s needs and abilities and follows the same format as Year 2.
In maths as in KS1, dots are put next to incorrect answers and children are supported to get the correct answer.
Stickers are given for good learning (achievement and effort). A child receives
· bronze certificate for 25 stickers
· silver certificate for 50 stickers
· gold certificated for 100 stickers.
Home learning: Each child receives a certificate which includes space for the teacher to comment on the strengths of the project.
Guidelines written and agreed December 2011
Reviewed January 2013
To be reviewed Autumn 2014
Applying these guidelines ensures consistency in the way children’s work is marked across the school.
The aims of our marking are:
· To improve the quality of work and raise standards.
· To indicate to children what they need to do in order to improve.
· To celebrate and value the children’s achievements.
· To motivate children to further effort and giving them the confidence to progress.
· To show children and parents what is valued and to reinforce expectations.
· To inform children about their progress.
· To contribute towards the teacher making continuous assessments on child attainment.
· To inform future planning.
Key Principles of Marking
Marking will be against the success criteria and/or individual/group targets and children will be aware of the focus before completing their activity.
Additionally:
· Marking will be regular and frequent.
· Children are encouraged to evaluate their own work
· Children will often contribute to marking: when commenting on other children’s learning they will be expected to be a critical friend using the ‘3 stars and a wish’ ethos.
· Every piece of learning will receive a response. This may be verbal or recorded.
· It will be responsive to individual children’s needs and abilities.
· It will be positive and constructive.
· Wherever possible marking will take place alongside the child and when this is not possible because of the length of the work, or the timescale for its completion then after it is marked time will be planned for the children to revisit and reflect on the marking of this activity and act upon the feedback from the teacher.
· Written responses may be based on symbols (Appendices A, B and C) and/or a short pertinent written comment. The comment may take the form of a question.
· Any comments will be made in a way that can be understood by a child. Where appropriate teachers will help a child read the comments.
· Marking will be clear, legible and comments will be written in the school’s handwriting style.
· There will be a shared understanding between children, staff in school and parents of how and why marking of children’s learning is completed.
Across the school a child that completes work that is particularly good for them may take it to the Head Teacher for a sticker and show their work in Celebration Assembly.
Strategies for Marking
It can be a time consuming task. To make it effective and manageable, staff will consider:
· Marking selectively eg marking in depth for only one group or marking for the key success criteria.
· Marking ‘against’ a checklist.
· Using self and peer marking by the children.
Foundation Stage Marking (Appendix A Marking Chart Year R)
Focused activity work is marked with the children by providing oral comments and smiley faces. Stickers are given for good achievement and/or effort. They are put on the child’s sticker chart. When the chart is full, the child will get a certificate.
Independent work is generally reviewed with the child and ticked.
Occasionally, written comments are added to work for the teacher’s information rather than the child’s at this stage.
KS1
Year 1 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
All work is ticked to indicate that it has been seen and as often as possible written learning is marked with the children and oral feedback given. When checklists around success criteria are used these, they will form the basis of the discussion. Teachers will use symbols known to the children to identify their next learning target.
Occasionally, other comments are made for teacher information.
In maths a tick is given for correct answers and a dot for those that need to be checked. Generally these answers will be corrected by the child and ticked or orally agreed with an adult.
Smiley faces and reward stickers are given for good work/effort (and behavior) and these are collected on a star card, children receiving a certificate in Celebration Assembly when it is full.
Year 2 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
Marking will be as in Year 1, although written comments will become increasingly important in helping a child to identify their success in meeting the success criteria and their next step. Children will be given time, in all curriculum areas, to read and take account of these.
Smiley faces and reward stickers will be used as in Year 1, children receiving a certificate in Celebration Assembly when the card is full.
KS2
Year 3 and 4 (Appendix B: Marking Chart Year 1_2_3_4)
Marking continues to be focused on the success criteria and be responsive to the children’s needs and abilities and follows the same format as Year 2.
In maths as in KS1, dots are put next to incorrect answers and children are supported to get the correct answer.
Stickers are given for good learning (achievement and effort). A child receives
· bronze certificate for 25 stickers
· silver certificate for 50 stickers
· gold certificated for 100 stickers.
Home learning: Each child receives a certificate which includes space for the teacher to comment on the strengths of the project.
Guidelines written and agreed December 2011
Reviewed January 2013
To be reviewed Autumn 2014
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