Feedback

What a book! Whether you're an ECT or a veteran of 20 years, this is a fantastic resource packed full of ideas to help you improve pupil progress... and reduce your workload! Kate has crafted a welcoming, accessible companion that is perfect for understanding the research behind workload-saving, effective approaches you can use straight away. The case studies are a wonderful bonus, framing the advice given and showing exactly how it can be applied in a real classroom, by real teachers, across all phases of education. If you are serious about providing effective feedback to your pupils in a sustainable manner, this is a must-have on your bookshelf. It will certainly be a mainstay of our school's CPD library! * Dr Daniel Rosen, Head of School – Secondary at St. George’s The British International School Dusseldorf * Without a doubt, Kate Jones has established herself as one of the foremost experts on effective feedback strategies. Her book is a masterful guide that addresses the multi-faceted nature of feedback to help move learners forward in the classroom. It is comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and immensely practical, offering a treasure trove of evidence-informed ideas for educators seeking to fine-tune their feedback and improve learning outcomes for all pupils. I'm confident this book will be invaluable to everyone in the teaching profession. * Jamie Clark, author of Teaching One-Pagers and Team Leader of Learning and Innovation at a K–12 school * Kate's book takes a deep dive into the crucial role that feedback plays in our students' learning. This book is highly research-informed, emphasising how the timing, content and delivery of feedback can significantly impact a student for better or worse. Kate discusses how research can only guide us up to a point; ultimately, the final say comes down to a teacher's professional experience and smart adaptations. What I love most about the book is its practicality. Jones translates research into resources and strategies that can easily be used in any classroom. Not only are her strategies research-informed, they also prioritise well-being. Furthermore, her book explores how technology could lighten the load if used to supplement, not replace, real feedback between teachers and students. This aspect is particularly appealing as the effective use of technology in administering feedback is not discussed enough. Overall, Kate's book is a goldmine of practical strategies. Her balanced look at the complexities of feedback, along with her focus on supporting teachers and students, makes this a must-read for anyone wanting to boost learning in their classroom. As a result, I will be updating my department handbook to incorporate her strategies for administering feedback. * Emily Folorunsho, History teacher and author * There are several things I love about Kate Jones' new book, Feedback. It's worth reading for the introduction alone, which gives a comprehensive overview of what the evidence says about the impact of feedback to pupils on their learning. Each subsequent chapter gives genuine examples of how to give pupils feedback in a range of forms. Any teacher who reads this book will be able to choose a small number of feedback practices which will maximise pupils' learning and minimise teacher effort. If I'd read this book 35 years ago, my pupils would have learned more and I would have saved myself from fruitless marking, Sunday after Sunday after Sunday! * John Tomsett, educational writer, blogger and consultant, erstwhile headteacher of Huntington Research School, York * Kate Jones has done it again with her latest book on feedback - a smashing success that seamlessly blends practicality with academic rigour. In this invaluable resource, Jones provides a treasure trove of practical examples on what to do and what not to do when it comes to giving and receiving feedback, all backed by solid research. Her hands-on approach ensures that readers can immediately apply the strategies, while her thorough grounding in academic principles ensures a deep understanding of the underlying concepts. Jones's background as a teacher shines through, as she focuses on improving education and fostering/encouraging growth. This book is an essential guide for teachers and educators, managers, and anyone keen on mastering the art of feedback. With clarity and precision, Jones has crafted a work that is both highly practical and deeply insightful. It's a must-read for anyone committed to personal and professional development in education. * Eva Hartell, educator and Head of Research in Haninge, Sweden * Kate Jones' Feedback articulates the principles that drive students forward to make meaningful improvements. The age of endless marking and low student engagement has ended; these innovative and sensible tactics give teachers the tools to develop our thinking and classroom practice. Feedback has been reconceptualised in education; this book is the guide for advancing beyond the red pen. Blending pedagogy and practice, each page is full of examples that show how we can best direct students, and empower them to make changes moving forward. Kate underlines the importance of student engagement in the ongoing dialogue between pupil and teacher. From self-assessment to questioning, from selective marking to moderation, the value of feedback is made abundantly evident, and the ease with which we can deliver feedback is a revelation. * Morgan Whitfield, author of Gifted? The Shift to Enrichment, Challenge and Equity * A must-read for teachers and school leaders at all levels, particularly those establishing effective feedback policy and practice in schools and multi-academy trusts. Drawing upon the best available evidence and emphasising teachers' lived experience in the classroom, Kate Jones explores the undeniable importance of actionable feedback to pupils' learning, and the importance of sustainability in terms of workload. She offers a wide range of workload-friendly strategies and practical resources to help teachers provide efficient feedback that has a positive effect on pupil progress. We will certainly be drawing upon this highly accessible book as part of our initial teacher training curriculum design and delivery. * Jo Twiby, Executive Director, The Exchange Partnership at Delta Academies Trust * Feedback is one of the most complex and thorny issues which exists in schools. In this new book, Kate Jones guides us through all the main forms of feedback, distilling the research and differing viewpoints. She provides workload-friendly strategies to ensure 'the juice is worth the squeeze' with feedback. The book is rooted in evidence but also classroom experience, and the case studies exemplify how the strategies can be applied meaningfully in the classroom. A must-read for anyone looking to develop their understanding and application of excellent feedback. * Rachel Ball, Coaching Development Lead at StepLab * Kate Jones's Feedback is an invaluable resource for anyone who has felt swamped by the deluge of marking that often comes with being a teacher. If you've ever been told to use a verbal feedback stamp, you need to read this. If you've ever been directed to write lengthy 'What Went Well' comments and 'Even Better If' targets, you need to read this. Jones, with expert precision, challenges poor proxies of feedback and learning, while simultaneously offering solutions, ideas and evidence-informed approaches that can be used for progress and impact. As an English teacher who has often felt defeated by the job ahead of me when it comes to feeding back to students, Jones's manual is an enlightening and reassuring read: the unachievable suddenly seems doable. This carefully approached and balanced account of assessment and feedback helps to clarify the intricacies of a challenging process. I expect Feedback to reignite the conversation around assessment and feedback, forcing teachers not only to think about what we're assessing but, more importantly, why we're assessing and what we hope to achieve by providing the feedback we do. The problems with feedback and assessment are perpetually encountered by teachers. Feedback is a must-read, helping time-constrained teachers, regardless of phase or subject specialism, to face these issues head on. * Stuart Pryke, Assistant Principal and author * Rigorously researched and always relevant to the classroom, Feedback is essential reading for all teachers and leaders. Written with classroom teachers firmly in mind, this book has the power to change practice and redress the work-life balance crisis at the heart of teacher attrition. I wish I had had this book at the start of my career. * Kieran Mackle, Primary Mathematics Specialist and host of the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast * An excellent practical guide to enhance pupils' and our own effectiveness. * Anthony Seldon, Head, Epsom College * Kate Jones cleverly highlights the importance of feedback, providing an insightful focus on when and how it should be given while also not shying away from its many limitations and misconceptions. This book offers honest and thoughtful approaches to effective feedback in the classroom and how to monitor it. Using key examples from real teachers, this is a must-read for all aiming to have an impact on their students' progress, while also considering teacher workload and well-being. * Cat Chowdhary, author and Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning * Although feedback is often cited as one of the biggest tools in our armoury, as a profession we've struggled to get to grips with how to make it effective, while also making it manageable in terms of workload. This book is the perfect guide to demonstrate how you can ensure that feedback can be one of your superpowers, together with easy to implement and workload-friendly strategies, without compromising on quality. * Jon Tait, Director of Education, speaker and author * In a time where teacher workload is often the topic of discussion, Kate has produced a timely text that goes a long way to support teachers in this area of their practice. Not only does Kate link back to the extensive research in this area, but she has used it to produce a selection of time-effective and practical strategies that will support teachers and children in both the primary and secondary sectors. These strategies can be seamlessly integrated into classroom practice with a focus on what forms of feedback have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes, whether it be verbal, written or whole classroom feedback, as well as the importance of self and peer assessment in the evaluation of these outcomes. With the support of this book, not only will the range of strategies improve pupil outcomes but it will be done by reducing the need for teachers to write extensive written outcomes in order for children to realise that they have been successful and where they can look to improve going forward. * Adam Woodward, Assistant Headteacher in a primary school in Kent * Another incredibly useful book for teachers of all levels of experience from Kate. Feedback blends research and practical ideas in a way that means you can dip in and out on a classroom, departmental or whole-school level and come out with great solutions, while also ensuring you avoid common pitfalls when it comes to feedback. I will absolutely be using this to review our school's feedback policies. * Kyle Graham, Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning *