Lesson 4 of 6 · 5 min · 8-card deck

Self and peer assessment that works

When pupils marking work helps, and when it doesn't.

Self and peer assessment can be powerful — pupils think hardest about success criteria when they apply them to work — but they fail badly when the criteria are vague, the expectations are not modelled, or the activity is treated as a marking shortcut for the teacher.

Make success criteria concrete and visible. 'A clear topic sentence' is too vague; 'A topic sentence that states the writer's argument and previews two reasons' is usable. Pupils need this level of specificity to give meaningful feedback to themselves or each other.

Active recall flashcards

Work through every card. Try to answer in your head before flipping — the act of retrieving is what builds durable memory.

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Practice scenario

Before peer-assessing essay introductions, the teacher displays one anonymised introduction and the class works through the success criteria together — agreeing what's strong, what's missing, and what specific improvement they would suggest. Only then do pairs assess each other.

Try this in your classroom

Make success criteria concrete and specific.
Model the assessment process with an exemplar first.
Always pair assessment with revision time.
Don't use peer assessment to replace teacher feedback on key pieces.