Involving pupils in their learning in Kirkwall Grammar School, Orkney

Project summary

The English Department’s initial aim was to develop the use of formative assessment with S2 and S4 classes. However, as it became clear that the strategies were very successful, they began to use them across other year groups, particularly with National Qualifications classes.  

A lot of work was carried out developing the sharing of learning intentions and success criteria with classes. Exemplars were produced to model outcomes and to prompt classroom discussion of what success would look like. This was done for a variety of purposes such as critical evaluations, individual talk, imaginative responses to literature, personal/expressive writing and discursive writing. These exemplars at different levels were available on the school’s ICT network so they could be accessed in every classroom and shared using data projectors. Pupils were invited to analyse these and to identify where success criteria were being met before attempting tasks themselves.  

For close reading, various answers were modelled and classes assessed their relative merits using traffic lights: this had a positive impact on the way in which candidates dealt with specific questions in the prelim examinations. Pupils also used traffic lighting to reflect on their own prelim answers, and were given time to work on identified areas for improvement.  

Peer assessment was used in various areas including talk, writing and critical essays. The project allowed pupils to participate more actively in the assessment of their own work and pupil motivation increased noticeably as a result. Staff found that they were able to give pupils feedback in a more focused and specific way because of the greater emphasis on learning intentions and success criteria.

Case study extract

Peer marking exercise for Higher English class – critical essay

The class had read Sunset Song and were approaching their prelim. They needed to sit a practice critical essay under timed conditions. 

First we looked over official SQA marking instructions for the critical essay, making sure that everyone was clear about what these meant. Broadly, then, our learning intentions for the unit were to : 

• show detailed knowledge of the text and demonstrate understanding of  key concerns
• provide an evaluative personal response to the text
• include close analysis of relevant key section(s) with quotation and appropriate literary terminology
• develop a clear line of argument and structure in response to the question.  

A  question was issued and discussed. The class spent 45 minutes writing their essays. During this time the pupils had access to a printout of the marking instructions. 

Once the essays were written, the class were informed that they were to mark one another’s essays. They were paired with drafting partners (as opposed to friends) and asked to approach the task with great care and seriousness, marking sensitively and judiciously. They were asked to point out at least two strengths in the essay they were assessing and only one point for improvement. All points were to be drawn from the criteria we had already discussed and it was stressed that the point for improvement had to be very carefully identified as the most significant weakness in the essay. It was explained to the class that the process of marking an essay written by a peer would help them to internalise the success criteria, and at the same time allow them to pick up ideas on how to fulfil the success criteria. As the exercise went ahead it became apparent from the pupils’ body language that they were working in a focused and constructive way: heads were together; they were pointing at particular sections of the work; there were some smiles. 

All pupils were required to record and consider their next step for improvement before the imminent prelim. Targets were discussed around the class. 

Pupils’ comments on peer marking

S4 Class marking first drafts of critical evaluations: 

‘I know what needs to be added to my essay and what is good about it.’ 

‘I think it was very useful and I got some good advice.’ 

‘Very useful towards changes needed in my essay.’ 

‘Reading someone else’s essay gave me a few ideas for my own essay, and a few points I had not realised needed work.’ 

‘You get shown things you might not pick up yourself.’ 

‘You see things they have done wrong or things they have done well, it reminds you of what you have to do.’

Contact details

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