Highly respected international research shows that the biggest impact teachers and teaching assistants can have on improving student progress is in the key area of providing high quality marking and feedback. A whole 8 months of additional progress can be added to a year of learning if the feedback and marking is of this quality, with students responding as expected with Purple Pen in DIRT time (Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time) in lessons.

Each year at BMS we have three Marking and Feedback Fortnights where we capture best practice from a whole range of lessons and variety of different practitioners across the school and showcase this to all staff as we continue our journey of improvement. Over the last two Staff Briefings we have been privileged to hear from Assistant Headteacher Mr Searle (who oversees the teaching and learning agenda at the school) and Lead Practitioner Danielle Bowe who have both shared some superb advice with all staff.

As parents and carers do make sure that your children have a full pencil case with a purple pen and that your children’s work:

1. 1s neatly presented in their books.
2. With titles and dates underlined in colour.
3. Work sheets stuck or stapled in.
4. Diagrams labelled and coloured in appropriately.
5. All light blue self-assessment stickers have been completed and actioned upon.
6. All green pen marking has been responded to in purple pen.