Jonathan Kay

Head of English and Math

Assessing English and maths – less work,

more value

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

About

- 2011 – 2017: Secondary English Teacher, Second in Department, Head of Department

- 2017 - Present: Head of English and Math two colleges in the NE

- 2019 – Present: Lead English Expert for AQA

Why we assess: the assessment cycle

Assessment

Assess and evaluate

Planning

Learners evidence

understanding

Feedback and teaching

Ineffective, inefficient: what to avoid

• Endless mocks;

• Marking and giving everything a score;

• ‘Traditional’ (baseline/ final) assessment;

• High pressure assessment;

• Non-specific, irregular feedback.

What assessment needs to be

• Bespoke to setting (and students)

• Regular – every lesson/ week

• Low stakes

• Short and focused

• Simply shared and analysed

• Consistency is king

• It’s about adding tools to the kit –no magic bullet, and don’t do everything!

Low stakes quizzes

COMPLETED AT THE START OF EVERY LESSON/ WEEK

5 – 10 MINUTES LONG ASSESS A RANGE OF TOPICS AND SKILLS

STUDENTS MARK AND KEEP TRACK, BUT NON-COMPETITIVE

NOTE: QUIZ NOTASSESSMENT!

Tracking/ assessment/ SoW

• Everyone teaching the same topics/ assessment objectives/

skills;

•Creation of a bank of resources (some liked this, some did

not);

•More freedom in planning during second year;

• Starter activities – low stakes quizzes and grids

1. What is an adjective used for? (1)

2. How does this sentence make you feel: ‘I panicked as I

grabbed the water, desperate for something to clutch on to.

There was nothing. No boat, just inky cold water.’ (1)

3. What is the focus in this sentence: ‘Michael was driving; a

thin, angular man, starved-faced. He seemed to occupy

almost all the seat, sprawling awkwardly’ (1)

4. Use a semi-colon in a sentence. (1)

5. Give an example of a metaphor (1)

English low stakes quiz

6. P2Q2: Summarise the difference between these two images: (2)

7. Give an example of a simile. (1)

8. Compare your viewpoints and feelings of school and college. (3)

9. Every 16 year old should be entitled to job seekers allowance – what 3 things

would you talk about in response to this statement? (3)

10. Name a structural feature. (1) /15 marks

Tracking low stakes quizzes• Tracking own progress

against own progress;

• Revision tool;

• ‘Failed’? Try again tomorrow/ next week

• Efficient, effective, aids planning

Week ScoreArea to improve

1 6 Sentence types

2 8Language features

3 3 Similes

4 5 Punctuation

5 7Language features

6

7

Feedback

The fundamentals

• High quality, regular/ timetabled;

Consistency is King

• Cut to the chase! Use the right vocabulary

Language

• Students need to be doing as much as you

Share the load

• Perceived ‘failure’ is okay – “we fail in the class so we don’t in the exam”

Class culture

• Not one approach, but a series of tools

Collaborate

English Smart marking for all staff

/\ Missing word T Tense

SP Spelling error ? Meaning unclear

P Punctuation © Capital letter

GR Grammar // New paragraph

\/ Add more detail ! Not needed

Math Smart marking for all staff

/\ Missing decimal © Double check working

SP Spelling error ? Meaning unclear

O Missing operation SW Show working

! Not needed <> Use the equipment

Smart marking

A You use a great quote

B Use speech marks (‘quote’) around your quote

C Make sure you say what language feature is in your quote

(e.g. simile, metaphor, alliteration)

D Pick a specific word or phrase and say what it means and

why it has been used

E Identify a key word and what type of word it is (e.g. verbs,

nouns, nouns, adverbs, adjectives etc.)

F Say what the quote makes the reader think and why

G Say what the quote makes the reader feel and why

H Explain why the writer chose the technique / word

I Explain what you think will happen next

J Explain what else the writer could be trying to tell the

reader

Math feedback

• Adhesive address labels;

• Pre-produced;

• Student respond to

activity;

• Regular recall of skills.

Webb, J., 2019. How To Teach English Literature: Overcoming Cultural Poverty. John Catt Educational

Webb, J., 2019. How To Teach English Literature: Overcoming Cultural Poverty. John Catt Educational

Webb, J., 2019. How To Teach English Literature: Overcoming Cultural Poverty. John Catt Educational

Whole class feedback

• No detailed comments in books

• Give students a blank sheet with:

- Strengths

- To develop

- SPaG / Errors in working

- Misconceptions

1. Read work and add common mistakes/ strengths to whole class feedback sheet

2. Give students back their work

3. Share the overall class feedback

4. Ask students to re-read work and identify their specific issues

Task: Language analysis Date: 25/07/20

Strengths

• Good use of language features

• Discussed relevant quotes and attempted to

explain their meaning

• Used relevant terminology in analysis

To develop

• Must discuss what quotes make the reader feel• Need to give more detail when saying ‘why’ the

reader feels a certain way• Not enough detail when discussing why

structural features are used

SPaG / Errors in working

• Misuse of semi colons for majority of class• Capital letters at the start of some quotations

Misconceptions

• The main character is happy that his friend has left the town

• There need to be quotes for every single pont

Simplify and focus

A great effort and you have started to explain why the writer adds a range of adjectives to make the reader understand the happiness of the main character.

Next time, try to discuss what the reader wants us to think will happen to the main character and what language or structural features he uses to accomplish this.

• Excellent effort. You explain ‘why’, find adjectives and understand the character.

• What do you think will happen next and why? What language feature makes you think this?

Feedback A Feedback B

Peer and self marking

Students give feedback to own and peer’s work

Training required (at first)

Supervision and monitoring required (at first)

Once embedded, 2/3 weeks feedback and marking free!

A feedback policyEffective feedback takes many forms. For feedback to be effective, students must know the answers to these questions:

• What skills and tasks can I successfully complete in English/ maths?

• What do I need to do to improve my application of English/ maths?

If students answer these questions accurately, in detail, they are receiving effective feedback. To support this, a range of tools have been identified within a common framework.

@jonnykayteacher

Questions?

www.thereflectiveteacher.co.uk

jonathan@thereflectiveteacher.co.uk

Assessing English and Math – less work,

more value

Jonathan Kay

Head of English and Math

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