How much marking is everyone doing?

[Ridingthestorm]

Just that really! OFSTED sent out their 'dispelling the myths' document which said they do not expect i depth dialogue between teacher and student on every piece of work but does not clarify what is considered 'in depth' and gives no guidelines or insight into how much correcting, mistake-highlighting and extension task we should be giving.

Particularly interested to hear about experiences in primary school from Y1 up to Y6 and those who have recently been inspected and given feedback on marking.

In our school, we make a 'star' comment and a 'wish' comment. All spelling and grammar mistakes are corrected, age related of course, or highlighted for children to change. The wish comment is usually an extension or challenge activity that children, even at Y1 are expected to respond to. But though we are told not every piece of work needs this in depth marking, our book analysis always comes back as 'not enough' and 'chances missed'.

We find this very subjective and all depends on who is doing the book analysis. It can be enough for one member of SLT but not an other. Consequently, everyone is now doing it on all pieces of work, which makes the workload immense. The SLT team don't ever tell us we are doing too much!!!!

We also find that because ALL children are then expected to respond, it can become incredibly time consuming, especially with little ones, and I have found at key stage one, that children are still not finished responding after fifteen minutes, which eats into the next lesson, and this is them only correcting spelling and grammar mistakes! I would also like to add, that we are expected to mark their corrections and extension/challenge activity on top of the next work to be marked.

So, what is everyone else doing? My friend is a secondary head teacher and though their policy states not every work needs marking, she is STILL pulled up on book analysis that she hasn't marked work!!

What?! So Ofsted said recently that they wouldn't grade lessons any more, yes? But you're saying not only did they grade them, but they told SLT but not the actual teachers?!!

If so, that's crap. I bet unscrupulous SMT will use that against teachers. Mine would probably imply to you that you'd got a RI even if you hadn't, just to put you in your place.

Sort of not surprised by OFSTED grading lessons. apparently they haven't done in years yet when we were done eighteens on'the go, everyone was told their grade.
It makes it a lie. I have the document printed that states they do not so in my next observed lesson with OFSTED I will be firstly saying that I want a discussion about my strengths and areas of improvement but no grade.
Our SLT told us that they would 'know' which lessons went well and which didn't. I think it is dangerous because some unscrupulous SLT would, like said above, say your lesson was RI when it wasn't, especially if they had a personal vendetta against you.
I don't think OFSTED were saying that dialogue shouldn't happen, just not on every book/work for every lesson. I had a system in pace in which one group a session would have in depth marking and by the end of the week, every child had had opportunities to respond. Sometimes I did two groups, depending on the the work and even though one group were planned to have the in depth marking, if others presented work that needed it, I would do it. Marking a set of key stage one literacy books (extended writing) takes me 90 minutes. I try to ensure little or no work is done in other books that day to keep marking to a minimum but sometimes it is unavoidable. We do big writing every week. Year six teachers HAVE to level every week whereas in other year groups it is (I think) up to the teacher. I levelled two groups a week (12 children) so all children had an assessed piece of writing every three weeks. To level an entire class, mark it and ask them to respond (spellings and grammar errors) takes a good three hours. I don't know how year six teachers do it in my school.
I think it is easy for SLT to insist on unreasonable marking when they aren't doing it (head certainly doesn't teach on a regular basis and can't ever remember her doing big write and markings class full of writing at my school). The deputy recently went back into class. She threw a hissy fit (apparently) and said she wasn't doing all the marking at 'her age'!

I am SLT. I mark. I am not unscrupulous.

The lessons were identifiable in the SLT feedback. The teachers weren't named, but they didn't see that many lessons, and it was easy to tell. We also did a lot of joint observations of course.

I'm only a part timer (0.4), but I earmark between 4 and 6 hours of marking time at home, on top of my two 11 hour days. I still end up behind. Our marking policy is not as prescriptive as others, but it's outdated and wouldn't/won't pass muster with Ofsted. I'm not required to put in next steps, or challenges, but I do because I'm aware of the current climate and don't want to be a weak link for my colleagues. I always correct, or highlight, all spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
Marking is one of the main reasons I'd like to get out of teaching. I'm not fast enough at it, partly because I find it intensely boring, partly because I'm scared I'll make a mistake if I don't go through every piece with a fine tooth comb. I've also moved from Y3 to Y6 this year (not through choice) and I fret a lot about whether my pitch and expectations are right, which slows me down again.

I'd mainly like to get out of teaching because I'm still sitting here now with a pile of mock exam papers, marking and it's 1.30am.
Also, had a look earlier today at Ofsted reports for my region, going back to the beginning of this academic year. Every school (bar two) was deemed Inadequate or RI. We're due imminently but what hope have we got.
The crisis will emerge soon in the press and by then, it will be too late. Chucking money at graduates to entice them isn't the answer.

The crisis will emerge soon in the press and by then, it will be too late. Chucking money at graduates to entice them isn't the answer

I wonder what will happen? There is not a great deal of support or sympathy for teachers in the press or with the general public really.

They've tried ex-army, fast-tracking graduates in 6 weeks, what next..?!

What they need to do is scrap Ofsted, unnecessary paperwork, PMR, being back pay scales removing the power of crap corrupt heads to sack people who are too old or whose face doesn't fit, then they won't have a problem any more as all the wonderful experienced teachers who have walked out in the last 3 years might come back! No training required!

There is a complete lack of public awareness, people think primary teaching is spending lovely days with sweet kids who say cute things. And I have to admit that when my DC were little I did assume primary teaching was a cushy number leaving at 3.30 every day - ha!, and even when I was training as a secondary teacher. It is only now when I have been pressganged persuaded by my supply agency to spend days teaching in primary that I see what it really entails - and I have not even had to do the break-time duties, parents' evenings etc, but I have told the agency I will not do any more primary (as I am not trained for it all is clear how desperate they are and how they simply cannot get people to do it) because it is vastly more work than secondary for not more pay. The children are indeed lovely, say wonderful sweet things, but there is no time to enjoy them.

DontGo - I had some thoughts about retraining from secondary to primary. I cannot take being sworn at, abused, pushed past and lied to every day anymore.
But primary colleagues have put me off, same brutal workload, different challenges.
Wouldn't recommend teaching to anyone at all. They could double the salary and I'd still be looking to get out. I am seeking a non-teaching job at the moment.