Features

  • Exemplar material and/or success criteria are used to model the expected standards
  • Knowledge builders and/or skills ladders are used as appropriate for elaborative interrogation
  • Regular progress checks happen within the lesson for the group that assesses progress of all individuals and especially for DS
  • Strategies used to identify gaps in students’ knowledge
  • Feedback strategies are employed that promote student response and further progress –whether it is using whiteboards, peer assessment, whole class plenary-style questioning, acting on HTIs from marking in MAD time and so on….
  • MAD time is used to improve work in lessons not just for homework or assessments. It is used as a tool for metacognition and self-regulating
  • Students are encouraged to reflect on and evaluate their learning and can act on their own initiative
  • Hinge questions are used to check understanding and direct learning
  • Plenary activities can be used to inform planning for the next lesson as it gives the teacher a clear view of the progress of individuals
  • Written feedback is specific to individuals
  • Verbal feedback is used to move the learning on and helps students to reflect on their own learning
  • Revision homework is being used well to embed knowledge and skills
  • Interleaving and spaced retrieval practice are features of a knowledge-engaged lesson
  • Misconceptions are identified and addressed for all learners

Examples for students

  • Students regularly reflect on their own learning accurately and can explain what they need to improve and how they have done so in MAD time
  • Students give clear feedback on their individual progress to the teacher
  • Students use knowledge builders and/or skills ladders to self-assess progress with life-long learning
  • Students recognise the importance of revisiting learning to embed knowledge and skills
  • Students are able to self and peer mark accurately and give each other suggested improvements that are learning focussed
  • Students respond well in MAD time and use the time to improve their work acting on HTI comments
  • Student response in green is seen in books. This response shows improvement over time
  • Students recognise the importance of responding to feedback in both oral and written form
  • Students understand at the end of the lesson where they are in relation to the learning objectives for the lesson
  • Students respond well to retrieval homework and recognise the most effective ways to revise

Examples for the teacher

  • Planned progress checks are built in to the lesson
  • Teacher using questioning well including hinge questions to gauge understanding with the whole class and individuals throughout the lesson
  • Teacher plans regular opportunities over a series of lessons to revisit past knowledge and skills e.g. using knowledge builders/skills ladders
  • Teacher plans activities/starter that checks prior learning
  • Teacher uses the start of the lesson to inform the use of other activities planned for the lesson and adapts their approach if needed
  • Teacher uses formal assessment as an opportunity to reflect on students’ knowledge and skills and to plug gaps in subsequent lessons
  • Teacher plans for regular interleaving and spaced retrieval practice
  • Teacher marks homework /books/ folders in line with school and faculty policy, uses marking codes and gives specific HTI comments to aid students’ progress
  • Teacher plans MAD time to enable students to respond to HTI comments from homework and checks that this is being done emphasising the importance of this metacognitive strategy
  • MAD time is used as a phrase to encourage general improvements to student work in lessons following discussion or Q and A or peer work etc
  • Teacher uses opportunities to discuss work with DS in particular