Al Salam Private School

Dubai, UAE

Assessment for Learning and Feedback Policy

Rationale of the Policy

It is a student’s right to receive regular, accurate and detailed feedback on their work.  

It is a teacher’s duty to:

• Provide work regularly, legibly and using language that is accessible for the student.
• Correct work to students in relation to the learning objectives/learning outcomes.
• Provide oral and written feedback which is accurate and constructive-identify what the student has done well and what still needs improvement.
• If digital learning, provide digital feedback where applicable for students.
• Discuss with students their work and allocate time in lessons to enable students to reflect on targets.  This will allow students to identify their ‘next steps’ in learning and enable them to then act on their reflection.
• Maintain records of students’ progress, using Classroom Monitor where applicable.
• Adhere to the School’s tracking and reporting systems and enter data and assessments as required.

Definition of assessment for learning

Assessment for Learning, often abbreviate to AfL, refers to assessment that is integrated and in the everyday learning process. AfL describes the interactions between students and teachers that identify where a student is in their learning journey and help determine the next steps into driving a student’s learning forward. AfL also refers to a student’s self-assessment (where students assess their own learning against set criteria and determine their own targets for progression) and peer assessment (where students assess each other’s learning against set criteria and determine each other’s targets for progression).

Key Terms and Definitions

The following are types of assessment a student can expect to receive during a typical school year:

Summative Assessment: This is where all students are assessed to determine how much learning and progress has been achieved at the end of a unit/module/course/term/year.  This could be in the form of a written or oral examination or a portfolio of work.

Internal Formal Assessment: This is where examinations and Controlled Tests take place within the School in a formal setting and under examination conditions.

External Formal Assessment: This is where examinations take place within the School but an external Examination body assesses the work of students such as with the Cambridge Checkpoints, GL Progress tests and IGCSEs.

Formative Assessment: This is where progress and attainment is assessed during a module/unit and feedback may be given by the teacher on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. The feedback could be written comments on a piece of work or oral feedback during a lesson.

Reason for assessment for learning

At Al Salam School, we believe that through effective teaching and learning, every student will feel special and will therefore achieve their potential as both learners and citizens.  By ensuring teaching and learning is the priority of the school, we aim to provide all students with a relevant and enjoyable educational experience, where every student matters and no student is left behind.

Teachers at Al Salam School believe in ‘putting the student first in all that we do’ and consequently, in order to ensure all students achieve their potential, assessment procedures are at the heart of our teaching and learning strategies.

Assessment in its broadest form, relates to virtually all aspects of teaching and learning and school management and tracking systems.

We believe that regular, accurate and relevant assessment is crucial to success.  We view assessment as a strategy that can be used to enhance a student’s experience of education and a method in which to encourage them to succeed.

Assessment is both formative and summative; pointing both the student’s way forward in his or her learning process as well recording the final target grade achieved in a curriculum or subject area.

Significant emphasis is placed on the power and importance of AfL in driving students’ learning forward and ensuring teaching and learning is of a high standard.

Aim of the policy

Having this policy facilitates the importance of assessment for learning, but also provides a framework for consistency for all staff and students in their teaching and learning respectively.  This will foster a productive and supportive climate for learning.  

This policy applies to all teachers, management, students and parents of Al Salam school.

Our commitment

We expect all teaching staff to regularly engage in AfL in every lesson and learning experience for all the students.  Teachers will be supported in their development of their skills to ensure students are assessed as accurately as possible to provide a true and fair understanding of their learning needs.

Guidance for Feedback - Refer to marking and feedback policy.

feedback forms a key aspect of AfL. Based on the different tasks and assignments, different levels of feedback may be applied.

Additional codes and nomenclature may exist in curriculum specific areas such as Lower Primary, GCSE English etc.

1. Acknowledgement (light) feedback

Light feedback is expected to be regular and its purpose is primarily to acknowledge student completed work. It will usually be applied to closed tasks, class notes or exercises and identified through ticks or short markings from the teacher.

     2.  Dialogue/Commentary (deep) feedback

Deep feedback is where students get more detailed commentary, targets and feedback on specific pieces of work.

Students can expect their work to be marked at the end of an assignment/project within the month or whichever is sooner.  Feedback may not always be led by the teacher, but will be facilitated by the teacher in some instances to enable self or peer assessment.  

If the task is ongoing in nature, feedback may be given rather than physical marking at that moment.

  3.  Digital feedback

As the school is a Google for Education Reference School, we want recognise learning does not take place solely in books.  Therefore evidence can be captured digitally and due recognition provided.  

Feedback can be provided using digital tools such within Google Classroom or an evaluation provided using the uploaded resources.

If the task is an online task, then digital feedback would take place instead of with physical pens.

1. Student requirements for Assessment for Learning (AfL)

It is an expectation in Al Salam School that students should (when using books):

• Write the date, title (and learning objectives where applicable) in their books and underlined with a ruler.
• Use a black or blue pen when writing (or pencil in Primary school).
• Green pen when self or peer assessing (unless there is an SEND exemption).
• Draw diagrams and graphs with a pencil (unless directed by a teacher) and a ruler.
• Aim to keep writing on lines and be as neat with handwriting as possible.
• Use highlighters or underlining, to identify key words/phrases/concepts that are fundamental in ensuring students secure learning in a subject.

1. Teacher requirements for Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Teachers should:

• Mark in red pen.  LSAs to mark in purple.
• Mark students’ books as appropriate to the requirements of the subject and for specific purposes i.e. this may not be all of the contents of the students’ books
• Focus specifically on the first two/three paragraphs when correcting Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation errors
• Circle repeated spelling and grammar errors
• Mark specific pieces of work for the students’ portfolios each half term in detail and demonstrating impact of marking related to targets and the Literacy foci (deep marking)
• Write a comment about what the student has done well (deep marking)
• Determine 2 areas for improvement and offer examples (deep marking)
• Ensure other expectations within specific subjects are adhered to and deadlines for assessment data are met.  This policy will run in conjunction with Al Salam School Assessment policy.

General feedback procedures for Primary and Secondary schools

In addition, there may be additional marking codes for the relevant to the Year Group or Subject.

Assessment for Learning (AfL) guidelines

Departments should give high priority to Assessment for Learning and ensure that:

• Schemes of work and lesson plans include regular and varied opportunities for developing Assessment for Learning.
• Designated feedback time is planned for and allocated in lessons so that students are fully aware of where they are in terms of their learning and how they are going to progress to achieve their goals.
• Teachers and students have access to, discuss and examine portfolios and exemplars of work from other students and examination boards.
• Teachers moderate and monitor each other’s marking for consistency in standards.

Student recording their own progress

For effective AfL, it is essential that students record their progression and express their viewpoints, in a variety of ways such as:

• Written comments
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• Progression ladders/arrows
• Mind maps/Thought webs

Other successful AFL strategies

• AFL display boards: areas on corridors/in classrooms should be dedicated to AfL and the progression of specific classes/groups.  This could be a formal board or an AFL board linked to the subject such as in Physical Education.

• Student Voice: the purpose of Student Voice is to determine what a range of students view is of teaching and learning in a subject area. This is effective in that it provides teachers with feedback on strengths and areas for development in teaching and learning which can then be addressed.

Management of the Policy

Recording of AfL is good practice.  This can be evidenced in ‘Learning Walks’ as well as documentation for teacher appraisal.  Displaying of student work further supports the positive climate for learning.

The Senior Leadership Team will oversee the policy, ensure its implementation and review its content on an annual basis.

The Principal will report on assessment and progress within the school to the Board of Governors annually.