Assessment for Learning (AFL) strategies use informal assessments so that as teachers, we can effectively gauge students’ understanding and adjust our teaching methods accordingly. These strategies help us to be more responsive in our teaching and help to create a more effective learning environment.
Common misconceptions about AFL strategies
AFL is not just about testing
Assessment for learning is an ongoing process integrated into daily teaching and learning and not about setting tests and summative assessments. There are a range of different strategies we can use, some of which we share below.
AFL doesn't require additional workload
It's about working smarter, not harder. There are many ways we can assess students’ understanding and progress without time-consuming planning or stacks of marking, involving students in the process.
AFL isn't just for core subjects
It can be applied across all curriculum areas. The strategies we share below are flexible and adaptable to be used in any subject, not just English and maths.
AFL isn't only for older students
Assessment for learning strategies is not just for key stage 2 or secondary teachers. These strategies can easily be adapted for all age groups, including self assessment and peer assessment. By involving students in this assessment style from a young age, they can grow into more confident and capable learners.
Benefits of assessment for learning
When implemented effectively, AFL strategies can offer a number of advantages, including:
- Improved student engagement and motivation
- Better understanding of learning objectives
- Increased student ownership of learning
- More effective feedback mechanisms
- Enhanced teaching responsiveness
Types of AFL strategies explained
There are three main approaches to assessment for learning:
Teacher assessment
Teacher assessment involves systematic observation and evaluation of student progress by educators. This includes formative assessments, questioning techniques and monitoring of learning outcomes.
Self assessment
Self assessment enables students to evaluate their own work and progress. This develops metacognition skills and helps students understand their learning journey better.
Peer assessment
Peer assessment involves students providing feedback on each other's work. This develops critical thinking skills and helps students understand assessment criteria more deeply.
10 AFL strategies for primary classrooms
- Traffic light self-assessment. Use traffic light cards for a quick way to assess children's confidence in their own understanding.
- Thumbs up/down for quick feedback. A very simple strategy that requires no prep or printing! Have children feedback in response to success criteria to help them assess their own understanding.
- Two stars and a wish. Another feedback method that encourages self-assessment and makes a great plenary activity.
- Learning ladders. Include visual progress markers to help children understand what their progress should look like. This method is especially useful for younger children who may struggle with traditional success criteria.
- Talk partners. This offers a great opportunity for peer discussion and feedback. Learn more about using talk partners in the classroom.
- Success criteria checklists with child-friendly language. Making sure that success criteria are accessible helps children understand learning expectations and allows them to assess themselves and each other more effectively. Create success criteria posters or individual labels with these handy success criteria templates.
- Peer assessment prompts. Provide peer assessment cards with prompts and sentence starters to equip children with the language they need to offer effective peer feedback. This is particularly effective with KS2 children.
- Steps to success. This steps to success template is another great way to break down success criteria and support children’s understanding by showing how to progress to the overall learning outcome(s).
- Post-it notes. Post-its can be used in hundreds of ways to help assess children’s learning. At the start of the lesson, children can share what they already know, and at the end of the lesson they can share what they have learned. Children can answer specific questions, or pose their own questions about the learning.
- Mini-whiteboards. Another versatile AFL tool, mini-whiteboards can be used for quick quizzes, answering questions, sharing self-assessment feedback, and much more.
10 AFL strategies for secondary classrooms
- Exit tickets. A useful way to get a quick snapshot of students’ understanding at the end of the lesson. Entry and exit tickets are also great for monitoring progress from the beginning of the lesson.
- Topic review. This student topic progress tracker template is a useful self-assessment tool for teachers to learn how students feel about their knowledge and understanding throughout a topic or unit of learning with opportunities to reflect at the beginning, middle and end of a topic.
- Peer marking workshops. Students assess each other's work using detailed mark schemes, developing assessment literacy and understanding of success criteria.
- Digital polling tools. Use tools like Google Forms or Poll Everywhere for real-time assessment of class understanding.
- Student-led plenary sessions. Let students take the lead for plenaries, taking turns explaining key concepts to the class, and demonstrating their grasp of the material.
- DIRT time. Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time is an opportunity for students to actively respond to feedback and make corrections allowing your feedback to be more effective and impactful.
- Exemplar analysis. Encourage students to examine and critique model answers to understand assessment criteria and quality standards. Explore this guide to WAGOLL (‘What a Good One Looks Like’) for some useful examples for your classroom.
- Collaborative success criteria. Work with students to develop marking criteria, enhancing their understanding of assessment standards.
- Mini-whiteboards. Use for quick assessment of understanding through written responses, calculations or diagrams visible to the teacher.
- Hinge questions. These are carefully designed multiple-choice questions that reveal common misconceptions and guide subsequent teaching to provide additional support where required. Try using digital tools like Google Forms or mini-whiteboards to collect student responses.
Implementing AFL strategies effectively
Our 5 top tips for maximising the impact of AFL strategies:
- Start small and build gradually
- Ensure consistent implementation across lessons
- Train students in giving and receiving feedback
- Use a variety of techniques to maintain engagement
- Regular review and adjustment of strategies
Measuring the success of AFL strategies
As with any teaching strategy you’re looking to implement in the classroom, it’s important to know what success looks like. Effective AFL strategies will often lead to improved student engagement levels, better quality of student work and increased student confidence. Many of these strategies also encourage more effective classroom discussions and students to become more independent in their learning.
Read more like this
For additional assessment strategies and teaching ideas, explore these articles:
- Formative assessment examples: Quick and effective strategies for teachers
- 20 ideas for effective questioning
- Monitoring students' progress
Or explore our CPD articles for more ideas and support for teaching and learning.
