5 Myths around Marking and Assessment
Here are five myths that educators often hold about marking assessment, and how Balance formative assessment tool can help to reduce teacher workload, improve pupil learning and more…
Myth 1:
Ofsted expect to see regular and extensive marking in pupils’ books
“Marking has proved to be one of the hardest myths to bust”
— Sean Hartford, HMI National Director of Education
“Ofsted do not expect to see a particular frequency or quantity of work in children’s books…”
— Ofsted inspections: myths, 2016
Ofsted are looking for marking to be in line with the school’s assessment policy, meaning you do not require extensive collections of marked pupil’s work for your inspection.
Myth 2:
Detailed & in-depth marking is REQUIRED by teachers
Moving away from this is a culture change for many schools and teachers, who are used to using techniques like ‘triple marking’ to help provide evidence to OFSTED (of the quality of feedback they provide to pupils).
“There is remarkably little high quality… evidence to suggest that detailed or extensive marking has any significant impact on pupils’ learning”
— Sean Hartford, HMI National Director of Education
“Marking practice that does not have the desired impact on pupil outcomes is a huge time-wasting burden… and has to stop”
— Dawn Copping, Chair of the Marking Review Group
Myth 3:
We cannot reduce the unnecessary workload on teachers
It’s a known fact that teacher workload is an issue. The Workload Challenge Survey found that 53% of respondents felt that “the excessive nature, depth and frequency” of marking is burdensome.
Many schools using Balance have seen their staff workload reduce significantly.
By using the system to support in-classroom formative assessment and replacing excessive marking with verbal feedback. Using the system formatively means that all of your preparation for progress meetings and assessment weeks is readily available.
Myth 4:
Schools should use assessment tools summatively
There is more and more research coming out to support the need for formative assessment as this helps to: identify gaps in learning, see small steps of progress, and plan lessons and interventions.
The Final Report of the Commission on Assessment without Levels (2015) agrees that formative assessment has multiple benefits, including “improving the quality of teaching, contributing to raised standards and reinforcing schools’ freedom to deliver education in the ways that best suit the needs of their pupils…”
Myth 5:
Statutory assessment is what OFSTED are most interested in
Ofsted’s 2015/16 Annual Report recognised an issue with the curriculum being narrowed, which led to limited opportunity to develop learning at greater depth.
The 2017 NAHT Redressing the Balance Report argues that the use of data from national assessments can have a negative impact of pupil performance. The NAHT are now promoting that “Statutory assessment should be separated from ongoing assessment that happens in the classroom.”
Balance is providing schools with a means of reporting learning journeys through use of formative assessment, which takes place in the classroom whilst the learning is happening.
Find out more!
If you are interested in how Balance helps: reduce teacher workload; support in-classroom formative assessment; monitor pupils’ learning journeys and provides clear, easy to understand analysis, we are running free online demonstrations for school leaders, as well as school visits to give you a chance to see Balance “live” in action!
Contact balance@angelsolutions.co.uk or call 0151 331 5420
Book your free demo
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