Teachers told to stop marking schoolwork as it hits pupils’ confidence

Teachers at a secondary school in Bristol have been forbidden from marking students’ work as it could damage their confidence. Gary Schlick, the headmaster at Bedminster Down School in Bristol, said written grades and comments could be too negative for young minds. He claims it does not do enough to encourage children to improve, and could instead undermine their self-confidence. Instead, he wants teachers to replace traditional marking with new techniques that would boost attainment. He told the

Telegraph: “Much of the marking that teachers do is unnecessary, burdensome and does not help students progress.” One of the techniques proposed at the school is “live marking”. A teacher sits with a student while they work and explains how to improve along the way. “Sitting down with someone and talking through their work in detail – this way, children feel as though someone giving them more individual time, it boosts their confidence. READ MORE