Powerful feedback

At Dixons Trinity Chapeltown, we believe that feedback is a gift. We harness the power of feedback to increase student learning, by ensuring that feedback causes cognitive rather than an emotional reaction.

Our whole culture is built on feedback. In Primary, teachers receive feedback in at least 2 subject areas, weekly. Students know that they act on feedback within lessons, and use green pens to edit their own work.

In Secondary, at every Morning Meeting, after every Family Dining, at Afternoon Meeting and at every line-up we reflect back on how the day has gone and the key highlights in learning.

Our lessons are responsive to feedback gained through highly effective formative assessment such as targeted questioning; low-stakes quizzing and analysing student work which happens at key moments in all lessons. In addition, teachers will read student work and deploy strategies such as Show Call, (using the visualiser) and Messy Marking to move learning forward either through global or individual next steps.

After students have received feedback, they are expected to act on their next steps by practising, re-drafting or extending their work in green pen. The use of green pen demonstrates the intelligently sequenced cycle of instruction, assessment and practice which underpins teaching at Trinity.

Everything, including feedback, is rooted in our three core values. Our teachers are fair and have real respect for their learners as people with ideas of their own. Their expertise earns the trust of learners; they are extremely hard-working, flexible and take every opportunity to maximise learning. Students learn that it is ok to make mistakes, and they have the confidence to be honest about their learning.