Helping pupils to reflect on their learning.... or ‘self and peer assessment’ Good Practice Working Party, 28 September 2007

How can we help our pupils to reflect on their learning? WILF: opportunity to share existing good practice; agreed understanding of self and peer assessment; opportunities for our pupils to reflect on their learning.

Where are we at? Good Practice Group has focused on ‘assessment for learning’ since INSET courses in November 2006 addressed ‘Assessing KS3 pupils.’ ‘Primary secondary transition’ INSET courses in focused on the ‘Skills Framework: Plan, Develop and Reflect.’.

What are the existing good practices? ESTYN Inspection Report 2005/06: Good practice is found where schools … Understand how well pupils are doing and use that understanding to plan what pupils should do to improve their work. Transforming Schools: a discussion paper 2007: Inspection evidence shows that where teachers set tasks which require pupils to solve problems and to work with others, pupils achieve more and usually understand the work better. In these circumstances, pupils also understand how they need to improve and what they need to learn next. Currently not enough lessons regularly include these features.

Where are we at? AfL Self-evaluation: Against the key questions of the Assembly’s Thinking and AfL programme: Primary and secondary teachers are aware of the principles; Schools are developing good practice; Need to develop: reflect/self and peer assessment; classroom organisation to support the development of AfL and Thinking.

What are the existing good practices? Teachers use success criteria in lessons. Some examples of very good practice, e.g. use of completed examples, planning small stages. Some very good examples of purposeful comments with reference to success criteria and targets for improvement.

Question: What’s the next stage? Answer: Helping our pupils to reflect on their learning The Skills Framework refers to: Reviewing outcomes and success criteria; Reviewing the process/method; Evaluating own learning and thinking; Linking and lateral thinking.

How can we help our pupils to reflect on their learning WALT: reference to success criteria; providing feedback to peers; self and peer assessment strategies; WILF: frequent reference to success criteria; learners reflecting on their learning; departments willing to trial new strategies.

Task: Journey to Plas Menai WALT: describe the journey to this morning’s meeting; use adjectives, comparisons and metaphors; check spelling and punctuation; WILF: discussions that refer to success criteria; observations of the discussions; success criteria for ‘peer-assessment.’

Task: Modelling examples “The alarm was screeching like a banshee this morning as I reached for my boring suit. I zoomed along the winding lanes with the hedges clawing the dirty windows. As I saw my tired colleagues falling from their cars, it suddenly dawned on me that I had to try and keep them awake this afternoon!”

Task: Modelling examples “The alarm was screeching like a banshee this morning as I reached for my boring suit. I zoomed along the winding lanes with the hedges clawing the dirty windows. As I saw my tired colleagues falling from their cars, it suddenly dawned on me that I had to try and keep them awake this afternoon!”

Reflect: Are there lessons to learn from the experience? Try to respond to the requirements of the Skills Framework!: Reviewing outcomes and success criteria; Reviewing the process/method; Evaluating own learning and thinking; Linking and lateral thinking.

Reflecting on the task: Journey to Plas Menai WALT: describe the journey to this morning’s meeting; use adjectives, comparisons and metaphors; check spelling and punctuation; WILF: discussions that refer to success criteria; observations of the discussions; success criteria for ‘peer-assessment.’

Reflect: Are there lessons to learn from the experience? What are the main points? In your groups, jot down the three most important points on post-its.

Reflect: Are there lessons to learn from the experience? What are the main points? In your groups, jot down the three most important points on post-its. Negative Positive General Personal

Self-evaluation: How can we equip our teachers to further develop self/peer assessment? …what can stop a teacher from doing this? …main priorities for moving forward? What guidance would be useful to help your staff move forward?