Guidance: creating a plan

The criteria below is designed to inform thinking, and support professional dialogue about learning teaching and assessment to support practitioners in creating high quality plans for learning, teaching and assessment

Click above to access the Es ans Os
Click above to access the Benchmarks

PLANNING

Experiences and Outcomes

Firstly select the Es and Os that you wish to bundle together for the activity

Ensure that:

  • Select Es and Os from at least two curricular areas but it is recommended no more than four

  • There is coherence across the Es and Os and that they link together in a meaningful way

  • Highlight the specific parts you are planning to highlight

Learning Intentions

Secondly develop Learning Intentions from the chosen bundle of Es and Os

  • Ensure your Learning intentions clearly state what the learner should know, understand and be able to do by the end of the learning experience.

  • Check that the language used for the Learning Intentions is linked closely with the standards and expectations set out in the Es and Os

Benchmarks and Success Criteria

Next identify the Benchmarks you will assessing and develop success criteria that represent standards within the Benchmarks

Plan how you will involve learners in developing the Success Criteria. The Success Criteria should be used by both the teacher and the learners to judge "how much" and "how well" they have learned

Learners should be involved in

  • the assessment process

  • the planning stage of developing the Success Criteria

  • the process through ongoing reflection ad dialogue about their learning

  • planning their next steps

Ensure your Success Criteria:

  • are clear, relevant and measurable

  • are based on the Learning Intentions

  • clearly outline what the learner needs to do to achieve the learning

  • are written in pupil-friendly language

  • focus on learning; referring to specific features of work that will be assessed

  • focus on learning; using words that emphasise learning and skills

  • builds on previous knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes and problem solving (in the widest sense)

THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Now plan your learning experience demonstrating the principles of curriculum design:

  • Challenge and Enjoyment

  • Breadth

  • Progression

  • Depth

  • Personalisation and Choice

  • Coherence

  • Relevance

Ensure the learning experience demonstrates high quality learning and teaching by

  • Ensuring the needs of the child or young person are being met

  • The planning is capable of wide application

PLANNED ASSESSMENT

Assessment should be an integral part of learning and teaching, helping to provide an emerging picture of a child's learning and achievement. When planning your assessment ensure the principles for curriculum design are reflected

Your planned assessment and learner evidence should:

  • offer a range of assessment approaches

  • include peer and/or self assessment

  • provide details of targeted learning (not the activity)

  • be based on the Success Criteria

  • should offer assessment questions that are of high quality and allow learners to demonstrate breadth, challenge and application

  • should reflect one of the four contexts of learning

BREADTH

This refers to the number of Es and Os encountered by learners. A learner who has achieved the standard will be able to make connections in learning within a curricular area and where relevant across areas of learning

The following examples will increase the breadth of learning

  • developing skills for learning, life and work in familiar and routine contexts

  • experiencing a range of texts (in its widest sense), performances and/or presentations

  • experiencing a range of in skills and concept development

  • Using more advanced language, formulae and equations

  • Increasing the amount of detail in the descriptions and explanations they provide

CHALLENGE AND ENJOYMENT

Challenge refers to the attributes, capabilities and skills, including higher order thinking skills, which are embedded in learning (many Es and Os include analysing, evaluating and creating). Learners must have experienced challenge in learning before an effective assessment judgement can be made.

The following examples will increase challenge:

  • learning in more complex context(s)

  • using and/or presenting increasingly complex texts in terms of length, structure, vocabulary, ideas and/or concepts

  • responding to and producing increasingly complex pieces of work, information and concepts

  • responding accurately and confidently to more complex and unfamiliar contexts

  • individuals evaluating their own and others' learning

  • increased independence in learning

APPLICATION

Application refers to how knowledge and understanding, attributes, capabilities and skills, including higher order thinking skills, are used in new and familiar contexts so they become transferable and secure

The following examples demonstrate progress in application of learning:

  • using skills and knowledge in different and sometimes unfamiliar situations

  • finding, selecting, sorting, classifying and linking information from a variety of sources

  • using information for a variety of different purposes

  • creating texts to persuade, argue and explore ideas

  • recording and presenting thinking in different ways

  • presenting, analysing and interpreting evidence to draw conclusions

  • evaluating learning and identifying possible next steps

CHECK - IS THE PLANNING MEETING THE STANDARD

When moderating you need to consider two things:

  1. Is the assessment valid?

  2. Has the learner achieved the Success Criteria

At this stage we need to check question 1 - Is the assessment valid?

  • Is there a mismatch between the Es and Os, Learning Intention and/or Success Criteria then the exemplar cannot be said ti have met the standard (i.e.the assessment tool is not valid)?

  • If there evidence of opportunities to provide breadth, challenge and application, then the exemplar cannot be said to have met the standard?

LEARNERS

It is important learners receive effective feedback is based on clear, relevant and measurable Success Criteria. Feedback helps learners to identify strengths and next steps in their learning. Ensure your feedback:

  • is focused on the agreed set of Success Criteria

  • is age and stage appropriate

  • states areas of strength and/or success

  • provides clear next steps are clear for the learner

  • includes a mix of self, peer and practitioner assessment

  • is linked to the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

UPLOADING EVIDENCE