Marking, Presentation and Handwriting Policy
Marking, Presentation and Handwriting Policy
Rationale
The teaching and learning in our school is planned with a view to enable each child to seek the highest level of personal achievement, to ensure that this happens there must be a consistency in what is expected from the children’s work in school.
We are aware of the children’s differing needs and capabilities and with this in mind we have formulated a policy that enables us to maintain a consistent approach in the way we mark work and the way we expect work to be presented.
Aims
• To encourage children’s sense of pride in their recording and so form a positive attitude towards all their work through promoting excellent presentation.
• To ensure that children acquire a clear, fluent, joined, legible and individual style of handwriting.
• To promote consistency of handwriting and presentation across the school and in all areas of the curriculum.
• To teach children the importance of clear and neat presentation in order to communicate their meaning effectively.
1. Marking
- Use pink and green pens for marking; ‘Tickled Pink’ and ‘Growing Green’ is used for marking work throughout the school. (see ‘2. Comments’ below)
- Mark with a tick if correct.
- Mark with a dot for incorrect answers. (Pupil does not rub out incorrect answer)
- Mark according to the learning objective/intention or ‘Focus’, and the success criteria set for the pupils.
- All work will be marked, with a different focus group’s work marked in detail daily and next steps marking included.
- Quality feedback time should be incorporated into lessons in order that pupils are able to respond to the feed forward marking comments.
- Pupils from Y2-Y6 will edit using a purple pencil.
- Self and peer assessment where appropriate.
- In the Foundation Phase comments will also be written on the Focused Task Observation Sheets where appropriate.
- ‘Sp’ will be written by incorrect spellings. The correct spellings will be written in the margin (NB. Correction of spelling will be selective).
- Extended pieces of writing will be marked in detail using pink and green highlighters, and relating to the success criteria. (from Y2 – Y6)
- ICT work will be marked online, and a record of location kept in the pupils’ books.
- Marking keys will be displayed in every classroom and used by all staff.
- Supply teachers will be asked to initial and date any work they mark. They should mark using a red pen
2. Comments
We recognise that the self esteem of the individual must be taken into consideration when making comments, and to that end comments should be positive (‘Tickled Pink’); remarks should be constructive and point the way forward to improve the standard of work and develop skills (‘Growing Green’). Teachers should indicate either in a written form or orally the steps that need to be taken to complete the work to the best standard possible.
Marking is an important method of formative assessment; the information can be used for the child’s reference, for the teacher’s reference for planning, and also for parental information.
3. Presentation of Work
- At Llwydcoed Primary School we expect the very best from each child, whatever their personal best may be. Therefore at each stage of the learning process positive remarks and encouragement are given in order that the child may achieve their personal goals.
- The children, at all times, will be expected to produce neat and accurate work, and they will be reminded of this expectation at the start of each new piece of work. They will be reminded at the earliest age:
to use their best handwriting,
to maintain spaces between each word and to take reasonable time in completing work.
At a more advanced level the children will also be reminded to join their writing and work towards achieving a ‘Pen Licence’.
- All work should be dated. Key Stage 2 pupils should follow ‘DUMFUS’:
Date
Underline
Miss a line
Focus
Underline
Start
- Mathematical work should be numbered, neat and well spaced. A ruler must be used when underlining or drawing straight lines.
Teachers will ensure;
That children are encouraged to take a pride in the presentation of their work.
That children have the appropriate materials to achieve their best presentation.
That they provide a variety of opportunities for children to share their work with different audiences.
That children look after their work, label all their books neatly and keep them clean and tidy.
4. Handwriting
Formal Handwriting is taught using the Nelson Handwriting scheme from year 2 to Y6. This scheme is built upon careful progression from prewriting patterns to the development of an individual style. The structured programme includes letter formation, basic joins, printing, penmanship, speed writing and sloping.
In Foundation phase children will be taught to use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters most of which are correctly formed. Children will be taught to write letters with exit strokes in preparation for joining letters when ready.
In Foundation Phase children will be taught:
- How to hold a pencil/pen/writing implement using an appropriate amount of control and pressure
- To write from left to right and top to bottom of a page
- To form letters of regular size and shape
- To write letters on lines as soon as developmentally ready
- To put regular spaces between letters and words
- How to form lower and upper case letters
- To write letters with entry and exit strokes at teacher’s discretion in years 1&2.
In KS2 children will be taught:
- To write using a pen as soon as a ‘pen licence’ is awarded
- To write legibly in both joined and printed styles, with increasing fluency and speed
- To use different forms of handwriting for different purposes e.g. print for labelling maps and diagrams, a clear, neat hand for finished work, a faster script for notes
This policy will be reviewed regularly and at least once every 2 years
Andrew Wilkinson (Head Teacher)
Signed Chair of Governors:
Andrea Hosgood
Date: 9th November 2017
Review: December 2019