MARKING AND HOMEWORK
POLICY

2026-2027

•	This document has been approved for operation for - Islamiyah Girls High School
•	Last Reviewed – June 2026
•	Next review – June 2027
•	Review Period – 1 Year
•	Owner – Islamiyah Girls High School
•	Approved By – Governing Body

MARKING POLICY AND HOMEWORK
AIM
To establish a broad, consistent approach to the way learner’s work is marked, so that pupils feel valued and have a clear understanding of how well they are doing. Marking will help pupils to improve their work and will inform teacher planning and monitoring.

OBJECTIVES 

To achieve this aim, there must be a uniform approach across the school. 
Pupil should all be aware of: 
•	Their level for the section of work; 
•	Their successes with the section of work; 
•	How pupils can further improve their work 
HOW SHOULD WE MARK PUPIL' WORK?
POSITIVELY
We all learn better when our efforts are recognized and praised.
With increasing knowledge of what counts as good learning for individual pupil, their prior attainment (data tracking 
HOW THE BOOKS SHOULD BE MARKED 

Strengths + Targets + Next Steps + pupil reflection 

At the end of each section of work that is marked, teachers need to give: 
1. A level or grade. At Key Stage 3, wherever possible, this should be in the form of a sub-level. 
2. Strengths of the piece of work. 
3. Next steps – strategies for progress 
4. References to targets 
SPELLING, PUNCTUATION AND GRAMMAR
Throughout the section of work that is marked, (See marking code)use the following notation in the margin to highlight Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar. 
Focus on general spelling and punctuation in the FIRST TWO paragraphs and then point out any errors of subject-specific key words. Avoid more than 5 corrections per page. The teacher will decide if it is appropriate to make corrections beyond this. 
Rewards for good work and in particular for the following: 
• If pupil meet or exceed their target level. 
• If a pupil gets  the top effort grade for homework. 
• If a pupil produce a piece of work that is exceptional for their ability
FREQUENCY OF BOOK MARKING 
Not all marking can or should be marked in detail. Within each unit of work departments will identify a finite number of key pieces of work for more in depth, quality marking.
•	A minimum of six such pieces will be identified by foundation subjects over the course of a year, though core subjects would probably need to identify additional opportunities for quality marking to take place.
•	These pieces of work will focus on the assessment of progress in relation to specific learning objectives or if required curricular target/s.
•	Success criteria will be shared with pupils and at the end of the marking process it should be clear to the pupil “what they have done well” and “what they need to do to improve”.
•	Comments will be positive and subject specific. Linking words such as BUT are best avoided. “Even better if…” (EBI)  may be a more helpful way of focusing teacher and pupil feedback.

Pupil work should be marked within a short period of it being handed in, feedback which is delayed loses its impact. Where ever, possible marking should be done within two weeks of work being handed in

Pupil should be given appropriate opportunities to self or peer-assess.

INVOLVING PUPILS IN SELF AND PEER ASSESSMENT 

Peer and self assessment are much more than students simply marking their own and other’s work.  In order to improve learning, it must be an activity that engages students with the quality of their work and in reflecting on how to improve it.  Peer assessment, when done effectively, provides students with valuable feedback enabling them to learn from and support each other.  It adds a valuable dimension to learning: the opportunity to talk, discuss, explain and challenge enables pupils to achieve more than they can unaided.  Furthermore both peer and self-assessment promote independent learning, helping students to take responsibility for their own progress.

EFFECTIVE PEER AND SELF ASSESSMENT:
 
 Takes time, planning and commitment.  At the beginning students will require the process to be modelled for them. 
 Takes place when students clearly understand the Success Criteria for the piece of work – making standards explicit is key to unlocking understanding. 
 Students need to be taught structures of language they can use.  Prompt sheets are useful as a starting point. 
 Ensure that sufficient time is planned into the lesson to allow for discussion and subsequent action. 
 All peer assessment work must be labelled as such
 
5. PROVIDING FEEDBACK WHICH MOVES LEARNERS FORWARD-PUPIL SELF- REFLECTION

We recognise the importance of constructive, informative and subject specific oral and written feedback and how much this is valued by students.  Feedback should allow students to respond to targets through planned opportunities.  
There should be an opportunity for pupils to respond to the feedback and the targets that the teacher has set. It should allow them to engage in a dialogue about their work rather than allow them to make comparisons with other pupils
in marking, feedback that moves students forward will:
 
 Use only comments for the majority of feedback
 Be closely connected to learning objectives and success criteria
 Will be based upon the learning rather than the effort.
 Confirms that pupils are on the right track and supports students’ next 
steps.

HOMEWORK

Responsibility for the setting of sufficient and appropriate homework and for ensuing sanctions and rewards lies within the departments. The department will ensure a consistent approach within its team of teachers and must be clearly labelled as HW in books. Classwork must be labelled as CW.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 
Teacher 
•	Mark work regularly. 
•	Award pupil a level for the piece of work in their books or folders – class and homework combined. 
•	Advise pupil on how to improve the level for the section of work in their books or folders where allowed. 
•	Ensure that pupil have the target level clearly on display on or near the front inside cover of their exercise book. 
•	Date marking 
•	To share good practice with marking in meetings. 
Subject leaders to check marking of books 3 times per year through work sampling. 
6 formal assessments each year (1 per half term) 
•	Recognise and reward effort and progress 
•	Keep a record of verbal feedback given. 

LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANTS

•	To read through the comments written by teachers in order to guide any SEN pupil in the class. 
•	To use the notation consistently and in accordance with the whole school approach referred to above. 
STUDENT 

•	Read comments written by teachers. 
•	Respond positively to comments written by teachers. 
•	When advised, self-assess work using criteria. 
•	Peer assesses work fairly and responsibly, giving strengths and next steps. 
•	Put the best effort into book work. 
•	Catch up on work after absence. 
•	Keep standards of presentation of work high. 
•	Do not graffiti on the cover of the exercise book or folder. It should only show name and class details. 
•	Responsibility to ensure that work from lost or missing books is copied up. 

PARENT 
•	To read through the comments written by teachers regularly 
•	To support the school in checking that pupil are organising their book work. 
•	To check that pupil are packing the correct books and equipment for each day of the week. 
•	To support the school in providing a bag that can accommodate books comfortably. 
•	Check and use the planner each week. 
LEADERSHIP TEAM 

•	SLT to check on the marking of books 3 times per year.
•	To monitor the implementation of the new policy in its first year to see how effective it is. 
•	To research ways of speeding up the marking system without losing its formative nature. 

SET TARGETS 
Set between two to three targets which must be used by pupil to improve their work during the interim marking period. Targets must be achievable, clearly indicating how improvement can be achieved in the timescale given.
RECORDING
Teachers should keep detailed records of assignments undertaken by pupil and their levels of performance and areas for development, extension and revisiting. These records should be monitoring by heads of department as part of their routine monitoring of teaching and learning.
There should also be a record in teacher’s planner of how often pupil’ books are being marked
EFFORT  
Pupils of all ages and abilities say they like to see effort acknowledged.
Effort though crucial for learning success, is distinct from attainment levels and is
 personal to the individual. Effort should be acknowledged by the awarding of an
effort grade in line with whole school policy.

An effort grade
E-	Excellent
VG-	Very Good
G-	Good
S-	Satisfactory

TRACKING PUPIL PROGRESS 
Departments will retain centrally the levels/grades awarded to milestones pieces and in end of unit assessments. This may initially be kept as paper record but ultimately must feed into KSM our whole school on-line record keeping system. Results should be traffic lighted in order to highlight pupils progressing below/in line/or above expectation. Consideration should then be given to the reasons for these variations . Action should be taken to formally recognise pupil success and share related good classroom practice, as well as to support underachievers and address areas of concern.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENTS
Those subjects that include controlled assessment components should work to the principles out lined below.
Initial drafts of controlled assessments delivery should be subject to deadlines which are explicit
Failure of pupil to deliver controlled assessments on specified deadlines should be followed up immediately by the individual teacher
Work should be assessed as it comes in and given back to pupil with guidelines for improvement within an agreed timescale (negotiated by head of departments, ensuring that pupil have time to respond to advice from teachers in time to improve before the final deadline). Final delivery deadline should be agreed between heads of Departments and tutor to ensure meeting of deadlines wherever possible.
All staff should keep a record of the date controlled assessments are submitted by pupil and pupil must be asked to sign at the time of submission.
GRADING
A National Curriculum level/sub-level. As a general guide, pupil should be working within the following levels: 
Years 7 to 9 -Levels 4-8 
Years 9-11 -GCSE gades 1-9
In addition to each level, progress within that level must be shown as A, B or C:
c = beginning to work at this level 
b = working competently at this level 
a = showing signs of attaining the top of the level and being near to the next highest level 
Work should be criterion referenced grade. The grade must be consistent with our assessment policy. The grades will reflect pupil attainment over the period of time and may well cover a range of grades.
Grades should not be awarded for effort alone; this can be rewarded in other ways- merit/positives.
PRESENTATION OF WORK
Pupil should be encouraged to present work neatly, dates should be written in the margin. All titles and dates must be underlined.  Written work should be completed in blue/black pen and diagrams should be completed in pencil. Pupil should be encouraged to write the LO of each lesson at the beginning of their work.
TARGET LEVEL
All exercise books should have the target level clearly written on the front inside cover.
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW 

•	Heads of Departments and SLT to complete a book-marking review 3 times per year. 
•	SLT to informally look at books on learning walks. 
•	HT to monitor the impact of this policy on staff with very heavy marking loads. 
•	Student, parental and teacher surveys 
•	Student Council to discuss how the new approach has improved their learning. 

Symbol or abbreviation	Explanation	
	Well written section-apt and clear
	
	Striking or imaginative writing
	
Sp	Spelling Error
	
P
	Punctuation Error or omission
The correction may be given	
?	Meaning unclear	
N	Negative	
Po	Positive	
	Word(s) missing out	
//	New paragraph
	
*	Refer to note at end of work	
SA	Self-assessed	
PA	Peer Assessed	

EBI Example of Targets: targets have to be very specific and something students are able to respond to independently – they can be statements or questions – if questions, they can be differentiated.

Maths
     Show your calculation for this sum.
     Write the definition of a prime number.
     Explain the difference between cubed and squared.
     Write the formulas for area and volume and explain the difference between them.
     Find an alternative way of getting the same answer
ENGLISH
     Use a wider range of causal connectives.
     Write a variety of sentence types including those with a semi colon within them.
     Rewrite two of these sentences using commas.
     Find a quotation that supports this idea.
     Explain why you think the writer did this. 
SCIENCE
     Produce a small flow chart to outline the process of...
     Comment on how accurate this result may have been.
     Add further detail to what could happen if…
     Evaluate the success of this stage of the practical.
     Draw the...
     Answer the question what would happen if...
 LANGUAGES
     Write the different verb forms of the word...
     Correct the spellings of...
     Use the circled words in a sentence of your own.
     Translate the following.
     Rewrite the sentence paying attention to word order. 
HISTORY
     Why do you think this happened?
     Was there an alternative?
     Can you think of a case study to show this?
     What do you think had the biggest impact?
     What would have happened if...?
     Taking all of the evidence, what do you think most important event was?
     Draw a diagram to represent...
     Use connectives to rewrite your summary of...
     Consider how you can use a subordinate clause to add extra detail to this sentence.
PRACTICAL SUBJECTS
     Use when writing has occurred i.e. students may be asked to write an evaluation / method of a task.
Consider using for Literacy / Numeracy targets where appropriate.
    Use for coursework drafts.
 	Based on a practical session (performance) students may receive Verbal Feedback - they can write this in and the following lesson they can refer to this when starting the task and in the plenary write an explanation of how they responded