Effective Feedback & Responsive Teaching
Understanding Learning, Responding to Needs and Helping Every Child Succeed
At Eaves Primary School, we believe that effective feedback and responsive teaching are essential to ensuring that every child makes progress, develops confidence and experiences success.
We recognise that children learn in different ways and at different rates. Through careful assessment, purposeful questioning, constructive feedback and responsive teaching, we identify what pupils know, understand and can do, and use this information to plan their next steps.
Our approach is embedded within our whole-school GROWTH Framework, ensuring that assessment and feedback are an integral part of everyday teaching and learning.
We believe that feedback should not simply tell children how well they have done, but help them understand how to improve and develop greater independence as learners.
What Is Effective Feedback?
Effective feedback provides children with clear, meaningful information about their learning and helps them understand how to make further progress.
Feedback may be verbal, written, visual or provided through discussion and modelling. It can take place during a lesson, immediately after an activity or as part of a planned opportunity to revisit learning.
At Eaves, feedback focuses on helping pupils understand:
What they are learning and what success looks like.
What they have understood or achieved.
Where misconceptions or gaps in understanding remain.
What they need to do next.
How they can use feedback to improve their learning.
We recognise that feedback is most effective when children have opportunities to understand, respond to and act upon it.
Feedback & Responsive Teaching Through Our GROWTH Framework
Our GROWTH Framework provides opportunities for teachers to assess understanding, provide feedback and respond to pupils' needs throughout the learning process.
G – Gather Prior Knowledge
Teachers identify what children already know and understand through retrieval activities, questioning, discussion and observation.
This helps teachers recognise gaps in prior knowledge, address misconceptions and make informed decisions about new learning.
R – Receive New Learning
As new knowledge is introduced, teachers use questioning, discussion and observation to check understanding.
Clear explanations, modelling and immediate feedback help pupils develop accurate understanding and confidence.
O – Over to the Class
During guided practice, teachers monitor how children are applying new knowledge and skills.
Through targeted questioning, prompts and feedback, teachers identify misconceptions and provide additional modelling or support where needed.
W – We Can Do This
As children apply their learning with increasing independence, teachers continue to assess progress and respond to individual needs.
Some pupils may benefit from additional guidance or scaffolding, while others may be ready for further challenge.
T – Tell Me How It Went
Children are encouraged to reflect on their learning, explain their thinking and recognise their achievements.
Teachers use feedback, discussion and assessment to help pupils identify their next steps and develop a greater understanding of how they learn.
H – How Do We Connect Our Learning?
Teachers provide opportunities for children to revisit, connect and apply knowledge in different contexts.
Assessment and feedback help identify whether learning has been remembered, understood and transferred successfully.
Through our GROWTH Framework, feedback becomes an ongoing conversation that supports learning, builds confidence and informs responsive teaching.
What Does Effective Feedback Look Like at Eaves?
Verbal Feedback
Teachers provide immediate explanations, encouragement, prompts and guidance during learning.
This enables children to address misconceptions and make improvements while learning is taking place.
Live Feedback
Teachers check pupils' work during lessons and provide timely guidance.
This may involve identifying an error, asking a question, modelling a strategy or encouraging a pupil to explain their thinking.
Questioning and Discussion
Purposeful questioning helps teachers understand children's thinking and identify where further support or challenge is needed.
Children are encouraged to explain their reasoning, ask questions and participate in discussion.
Written Feedback
Where appropriate, written comments, annotations or prompts help pupils recognise achievements and understand how to improve.
Feedback is matched to the learning task and the needs of the child.
Self-Assessment and Reflection
Children are supported to reflect on their learning, recognise their successes and consider their next steps.
Teachers help pupils develop the skills to review their work and make improvements with increasing independence.
Peer Discussion and Feedback
Through carefully structured opportunities, children learn to discuss ideas, explain their thinking and provide constructive feedback to others.
Responsive Teaching – Adapting to What Children Need
Responsive teaching means using information about pupils' understanding to make informed decisions about what happens next.
At Eaves, teachers continually assess learning and adapt their approach to ensure that children receive appropriate support and challenge.
This may include:
Revisiting or explaining a concept in a different way.
Providing further teacher modelling or worked examples.
Breaking learning into smaller steps.
Using visual prompts or practical resources.
Providing additional guided practice.
Addressing misconceptions with individuals or groups.
Adjusting the pace of learning.
Providing opportunities for greater depth and challenge.
Responsive teaching does not mean creating a different lesson for every child. It means using professional judgement to adapt teaching so that all pupils can access ambitious learning.
How Do Feedback and Responsive Teaching Support Inclusion?
Effective feedback and responsive teaching help remove barriers to learning by:
Identifying gaps in knowledge and understanding early.
Providing timely and appropriate support.
Making learning expectations and next steps clear.
Supporting pupils who require repetition, additional processing time or alternative explanations.
Reducing the risk of misconceptions becoming embedded.
Building confidence through encouragement and successful learning experiences.
Helping children understand and take ownership of their progress.
Ensuring that support and challenge remain responsive to individual needs.
For pupils with SEND, feedback may need to be adapted through verbal explanations, visual prompts, simplified instructions, additional time or supported opportunities to respond.
We recognise that feedback should be accessible, meaningful and manageable for every learner.
Our aim is to ensure that every child receives the feedback and teaching they need to make progress, without lowering expectations.
Feedback Across Our School
Early Years
Adults use observation, interaction, modelling and purposeful conversation to respond to children's learning during play and exploration.
Feedback often takes place through immediate encouragement, questioning and extending children's ideas.
Reading and Phonics
Teachers provide immediate feedback on decoding, blending, fluency and comprehension, helping children recognise errors, practise strategies and develop confidence.
Writing
Teachers use modelling, discussion, verbal feedback and opportunities to edit and improve writing.
Children are supported to reflect on vocabulary choices, sentence construction and the effectiveness of their writing.
Mathematics
Teachers use questioning, mini-whiteboards, worked examples and discussion to identify misconceptions and strengthen mathematical understanding.
Children are encouraged to explain their reasoning, evaluate strategies and learn from mistakes.
Across the Wider Curriculum
Feedback helps pupils develop subject knowledge, use appropriate vocabulary, improve practical skills and make connections between learning experiences.
Our Commitment to Inclusive Teaching
At Eaves Primary School, we recognise that effective teaching involves continually understanding and responding to children's learning.
Through our GROWTH Framework, purposeful assessment, constructive feedback and responsive teaching, we aim to ensure that every child receives the guidance, support and challenge they need to succeed.
We believe that feedback should encourage, empower and enable children to become confident, reflective and increasingly independent learners.
Understanding Learning. Responding to Needs. Celebrating Progress.