Mary Astell Academy Completes EEF Embedding Formative Assessment Programme

Mary Astell Academy has completed the EEF Project with SSAT: strengthening classroom practice and pupil learning. They have successfully completed the two-year Embedding Formative Assessment (EFA) programme, delivered in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and SSAT, and are one of the few non-mainstream schools in the country to take part in this. The project has supported improvements in teaching and learning through the consistent use of formative assessment strategies across the school.

Over the course of the programme, staff worked collaboratively to refine how feedback is used in lessons, how pupils engage with their own progress, and how teaching is adapted to meet pupils' needs. This has led to:

• Greater pupil involvement in learning, with pupils regularly using peer and self-assessment to reflect on their progress
• More responsive teaching, where staff use real-time feedback to adjust instruction and better support individual pupils
• Consistency in classroom practice helping to ensure all pupils benefit from high-quality teaching

Teachers have reported that the programme has helped them focus more sharply on what pupils are learning and how they know it. Pupils are now more confident in discussing their learning and identifying next steps.