Our latest Marking and Feedback Evaluation Fortnight is focussing solely on the power of verbal feedback and how this constant teacher strategy is being employed across our innovative learning community to move achievement and progress to the next level. One of the challenges of verbal feedback is how students retain the immediacy of it and then respond to it at a more convenient later date or indeed over an extended period of time. It is virtually impossible to retain all the verbal feedback they receive from their teachers in one day simply in their heads and very difficult to always respond immediately!

The first image shows notes made by a Sixth Form student after her 1:1 feedback session with a teacher in Childcare which captured the detailed verbal feedback provided.

The two images of a Key Stage 5 student’s PowerPoint in design and technology clearly show yellow text boxes where the teacher’s verbal feedback has been captured and then referred to over time as the important PowerPoint was refined and moved to the next level.

Laminated A3 orange posters are being displayed in many classrooms across the school and students are using black marker pens to write down verbal feedback given to them which that then reflect on and respond to at an appropriate moment in the learning journey.  Verbal feedback tracking sheets are also complimenting the ongoing practical work in design and technology, providing a lasting record of verbal feedback provided and responded to as the students develop their products.