One of the biggest promises of Fast Feedback is simple: high-quality, individualised feedback at scale — without adding to teacher workload. Last half term, we ran a small in-school trial to test whether that promise holds up in real classrooms.
The trial at a glance
- 150 pupils
- 6 subjects: History, English, Geography, Music, Art and Science
- ~900 individual quiz submissions
- 100% of responses received personalised written feedback
- Total marking time: ~30 minutes
To put that plainly: around 900 pieces of feedback, marked and generated in under half an hour.
What did pupils receive?
Every pupil received a personalised DIRT-style feedback sheet, generated directly from their quiz responses. Each sheet included:
- WWW and EBI, identified from the pupil’s actual answers
- A bespoke reteach reading task, aligned to misconceptions
- An extension task for pupils who achieved 100%
- Two targeted reteach questions to check whether gaps had been addressed
This meant feedback wasn’t generic, templated, or one-size-fits-all — it was responsive, actionable, and personalised.
How teachers used it
Feedback sheets were:
- Printed and used directly in lessons
- Completed by pupils during dedicated feedback time
- Stuck into exercise books as clear evidence of marking and feedback
Alongside this, teachers were given a class-level slide deck showing:
- Common WWWs and EBIs across the class
- Prompts for whole-class explanation or mini-reteach
- Clear guidance for pupils on how to complete their feedback tasks
This allowed teachers to combine individual feedback with efficient whole-class instruction — without duplicating effort.
What about pupils who didn’t complete the quiz?
Even here, workload stayed low. Pupils who hadn’t completed the quiz were given an anonymised feedback sheet from another pupil, allowing them to:
- Practise responding to feedback
- Complete reteach and reflection tasks
- Still engage meaningfully in the lesson
No wasted time. No extra marking.
Why this matters
In a traditional model, producing this level of feedback would likely take many hours across multiple teachers — often late evenings or weekends.
Instead, the trial showed that it’s possible to:
- Maintain high expectations for feedback quality
- Give every pupil individualised next steps
- Support reteach and mastery
- Dramatically reduce marking time
This isn’t about replacing teacher judgement. It’s about freeing teachers to spend their time where it has the greatest impact: planning great lessons, responding in the moment, and working with pupils.
What’s next?
This half term focused on six subjects. Further subjects will be added next half term as the trial continues, alongside:
- More curriculum coverage
- Refinement of feedback prompts
- Ongoing evaluation of impact on teaching time and pupil learning
We’ll keep sharing what we learn — honestly, transparently, and grounded in classroom reality.
If you’d like to find out more about Fast Feedback or take part in a future trial, get in touch.