Sarah Donarski - Head of Department and Author - Chester

The Leading, Language and Literature Podcast

In this episode I’m speaking with Sarah Donarski. Sarah is a Head Of English Department, PGCE & NQT mentor, speaker, blogger, researcher and author of The researchED Guide to Assessment. I recently relistened to an episode of Craig Barton’s Tips for Teachers with Sarah and immediately jotted down a number of questions and I had about assessment in English, which she has been kind enough to come on and answer.

We discuss:

1. What final or summative assessments should look like in a KS3 department

2. Whether teachers should ever give grades and if so, when and why?

3. What should feedback look like at KS3?

4. How should students follow up on feedback?

5. The 'novice / rote / inflexible / flexible' spectrum of knowledge

6. And finally, Sarah’s favorite things about having studied in Australia and formerly working in an IB school.

Thanks again to Sarah for not only contributing to the online discussions around assessment but also evidence informed professional development more broadly.

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Links:

Sarah’s book, edited for ResearchED