Whole-class feedback
Whole-class feedback is the practice of reading a set of work, recording the patterns across it, and addressing those patterns with the class together instead of writing individual comments on every piece.
What is whole-class feedback?
Whole-class feedback is a marking approach where the teacher reads a set of work and notes the patterns - common errors, strong examples, misconceptions - then addresses them with the class as a whole. Individual written comments are replaced by a shared feedback lesson, usually supported by a single summary sheet.
Whole-class feedback grew out of a simple observation: most of what a teacher writes on individual books is the same comment repeated thirty times, and much of it is never read. Reading the full set and recording the patterns takes a fraction of the time, and the resulting feedback lesson reaches every student with the point that matters most.
What it looks like in practice
The teacher reads the set with a proforma to hand, noting recurring errors, misconceptions worth reteaching, strong examples worth showing, and any students needing individual attention. The next lesson is built around that sheet: model the misconception, show the exemplars, set targeted redrafting. Students act on the feedback in the lesson rather than reading a comment and moving on.
What it trades away
The trade is real and worth naming. Whole-class feedback is efficient precisely because it is not individualised, so students with unusual difficulties can be missed unless the proforma captures them deliberately. Most departments using it keep some individual feedback for the work where personal response matters most, and use whole-class feedback for the routine set in between.
Key takeaways
- Whole-class feedback replaces repeated individual comments with a shared feedback lesson.
- The teacher reads the full set and records patterns: errors, misconceptions, strong examples.
- Students act on the feedback in lesson time rather than reading a comment after the fact.
- It is efficient because it is not individualised - which is also its main limitation.
Frequently asked questions
Does whole-class feedback meet marking policy requirements?
That depends entirely on the school's policy, and many have been rewritten in recent years specifically to permit it. Policies requiring individual written comments on every piece are incompatible with it; policies specifying that students receive and act on feedback usually are not. Check before adopting it across a department.
How do you track individual progress without individual comments?
Through the record the teacher keeps while reading. A whole-class feedback proforma normally includes a space for named students needing follow-up, so individuals are still tracked - the change is that routine points are addressed once to everyone rather than thirty times in thirty books.
Related terms
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is assessment used during learning to find out what students can and cannot yet do, so that teaching can be adjusted in response.
Assessment for learning
Assessment for learning is the practice of using evidence of what students currently understand to decide what to teach next, and to help students see what they need to do to improve.
Question level analysis
Question level analysis is the practice of breaking assessment results down question by question, rather than looking only at totals, to see exactly where marks were gained and lost.
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