Make pupil feedback count: how one SLT hears from every pupil, every year

The Marlborough Science Academy revolutionised pupil voice by introducing weekly feedback sessions across the entire school and making regular improvements in response. Here's how this SLT did it, and how you can too.

Last reviewed on 2 September 2021
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 38849
Contents
  1. What’s different about this feedback system?
  2. How does it work and what's the impact?
  3. Make it work for you
  4. Run your first feedback session 
  5. Act on what you hear

What’s different about this feedback system?

  • The senior leadership team (SLT) meets a small group of pupils from each year, every week, and asks them about their learning and wellbeing
  • Rotating between different pupils each week means that the SLT hears directly from every pupil at least once over the course of every year
  • The school uses this weekly feedback to make continuous improvements to learning and pupil wellbeing

It’ll work for you if …

  • Your SLT can spare about 35 minutes each week
  • You have enough SLT members to be able to meet pupils from every year group at the same time each week, with a ratio of up to 10 pupils per staff member
  • Your school is a large primary, or secondary (in a smaller school you're probably already hearing directly from all your pupils anyway)

How does it work and what's the impact?

The SLT at The Marlborough Science Academy in St Albans: