All school leaders understand the importance of providing meaningful feedback. Done well, it supports pupil progress, building learning, addressing misunderstandings, and thereby closing the gap between where a pupil is and where the teacher wants them to be.

However, not all feedback has positive effects. Done badly, feedback can even harm progress. Nor is feedback ​‘free’. Large amounts of time are spent providing pupils with feedback, perhaps not always productively.

Historically, much consideration has been given to the methods by which feedback is delivered. Specifically, should feedback be written, or should it be verbal? This guidance report aims to move beyond this and focus on what really matters: the principles of good feedback rather than the written or verbal methods of feedback delivery.

The guidance report is based on the best available international evidence, in addition to a review of current practice, and refined through consultation with teachers and other experts.