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Embedding Formative Assessment

Pedagogy Teachers are currently working on - Spring 2026

Teachers plan lessons around learning intentions—what students are expected to learn—and success criteria, which help check if progress toward long-term learning is likely. Learning intentions guide planning (e.g., “We are learning to write effective characterisation”), while success criteria show what success looks like (e.g., include personality, hobbies, and humour in writing).

Effective learning intentions focus on skills rather than narrow contexts, so students can transfer knowledge to new situations. For example, instead of “write instructions for changing a bike tyre,” the intention is “write clear instructions,” which can apply to many tasks.

Teachers might use four main approaches to success criteria:

  1. Setting clear expectations (e.g., subtracting three-digit numbers with regrouping).
  2. Applying learning in different contexts to make it useful beyond the activity.
  3. Describing quality work, for example through rubrics (marking or success guides).
  4. Providing step-by-step scaffolding, then gradually removing it so students become independent.

These strategies help ensure lessons build lasting understanding, not just short-term performance.

Why this is helpful for students

Research shows that when teachers clearly explain what students are learning (learning intentions) and what good work looks like (success criteria), students make better progress. Teachers share these goals at the start of lessons, remind students during the lesson, and use them to give helpful feedback. This helps students understand what they are aiming for and feel more confident.

Studies from the Education Endowment Foundation suggest that this approach can add about two extra months of learning in a year. When teachers also teach students how to think about their own learning—like checking their work and planning next steps—progress can increase even more, by up to eight months.

These methods make lessons clear and purposeful, show students how they are improving, and help them become more independent learners.

How Parents and Carers Can Support at Home

Teachers use learning intentions (what your child is learning) and success criteria (what good work looks like) to help them understand their goals. You can support this at home by making these ideas simple and visible.

  1. Talk about the goal – Ask your child, “What are you learning today?” If they’re unsure, check homework or exercise books. Repeat the goal in your own words, e.g., “You’re learning to write clear instructions.”
  2. Break it into steps – Help your child think about what makes good work. For example, for writing instructions:
    • Start with a title
    • Put steps in order
    • Use words like first, next, finally
    • Check spelling
  3. Use visuals – Draw simple icons or make a checklist so your child can tick off steps as they go.
  4. Celebrate effort – Praise progress toward the goal, not just the final result. Say, “You used key words—well done!”
  5. Encourage reflection – At the end, ask, “What went well? What could be even better next time?”

These small actions make learning clear, build confidence, and help your child become more independent.

What Pedagogy teachers have been working on

Providing feedback that moves learners forward

  • Make less marking, while giving students more responsibility
  • Keep records of students’ progress that help teaching and learning

This might have included strategies such as margin marking, traffic light feedback, mastery marking, asking students three key questions, and giving time to find and fix their own mistakes.”

Eliciting evidence of learning: Finding out what students are thinking

  • improve classroom questioning and discussion
  • involve all students in lessons

This might have included strategies such as, whole class vote, No hands up – except to ask a question, mini whiteboards, finger voting, exit tickets, opening up closed questions, post it notes on a continuum, waiting 3 seconds

To see what Pedagogy teachers have been working on in past terms, click one of the links below: