Transforming Assessment and Feedback at Endon High School

Before Showbie, feedback at Endon High School followed a familiar pattern. Pupils finished work, books were collected, and marking happened later. While structured, this created a delay — by the time misconceptions were identified, the class had often moved on.

Leaders were determined not to simply replicate paper-based systems in digital form. As Shaun Mitchell, Associate Assistant Head for Digital Technologies, explains: "When we introduced Showbie, rather than just taking a piece of paper and making it digital, how could we transform that learning, make it more interactive?"

The focus shifted from recording learning to actively shaping it.

With Showbie embedded across classrooms, the school has moved towards what staff describe as a largely non-marking model — not because feedback has reduced, but because it has moved into the lesson itself.

Andrew Skelding explains: "We're now largely a non-marking school. Teachers are responding to pupils' work in real time, live marking in class."

Pupils upload work during lessons, teachers review responses straight away, and misconceptions are addressed before they take hold.

Art and Technology teacher, Mollie Dalton, reflects: "Teaching with Showbie allows me to be constantly checking their work and constantly giving them feedback in the moment, making sure that every pupil is having quality, independent, and individualised feedback."

Beyond written comments, Showbie has opened up new ways to deliver feedback and present learning. Staff can break content down into more manageable steps, embed audio or video feedback directly into pupils' work, annotate submissions with written or verbal comments, and share resources in any file format — transforming not just how feedback is given, but how pupils can engage with learning in the first place.

Feedback is immediate and actionable, not delayed. Instead of writing long comments in books after school, teachers provide targeted verbal or written guidance while learning is still in progress.

Assessment is now just as immediate. Teachers use quick checks — short in-lesson tasks or questions submitted through Showbie — to gauge understanding across the whole class at once. Unlike mini whiteboards or verbal responses, every answer is visible to the teacher in real time and stays on record. Head of Maths, Claire Plant, explains: "We will have already been able to drop in scaffolding, support, and additional materials ready if we need them."

This responsiveness strengthens adaptive teaching. Pupils who require further support receive it discreetly, while those ready to move on are able to do so. Resources are clearly organised by subject, so pupils can focus on learning rather than searching for materials.

Shaun Mitchell explains: “There’s a clear structure in every subject area, the cognitive load of kids trying to find lessons, they can clearly and easily find the information that they’re after.”

The approach also strengthens pupil autonomy. Rather than waiting to be told what they need, pupils know where support materials are and can access them independently. April Reardon-Davies, Associate Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning/Staff Development, says Showbie helps "improve autonomy of learners so they know that the support is there if they want to access it."

As pupils move through Key Stage 4 and prepare for GCSEs, continuity of learning becomes increasingly important — and this is where Endon's digital approach makes a particular difference.

Materials, explanations and feedback remain accessible long after a lesson ends. For Year 11 pupils, this is especially valuable: work completed in Year 10 stays within reach, allowing them to revisit earlier topics, review feedback and identify gaps as they prepare for mocks and final examinations. Rather than relying on handwritten notes that may be incomplete or hard to find, pupils have a chronological record of their learning, organised by subject and topic.

April Reardon-Davies captures the broader impact: "They're able to keep a record of their own learning so they can really grow their pride in their achievements." For teachers, this continuity also makes targeted intervention easier — patterns of misunderstanding can be tracked over time and scaffolding added where needed.

One of the most striking outcomes at Endon is how deeply Showbie is embedded across the school. Shaun Mitchell explains: "There isn't an area in the school that does not use Showbie. Every class that's going on right now will be embedded in using Showbie."

Consistency across subjects sets clear expectations for staff and pupils. Folders are organised, materials are stored logically, and feedback routines are shared across departments. Teachers can see where each pupil is in a lesson and track progress without having to carry books home.

This shared approach means every pupil, in every subject, experiences the same structured lessons, resources and feedback. But it also means that learning does not stop when a pupil is absent.

Head of Maths, Claire Plant, states: "The students go away with an equality of provision — whether or not they've been in the lesson, the lesson is there for them." For pupils who miss school through illness or other circumstances, this is significant. Materials, explanations, and feedback remain accessible, so a missed day does not mean missed learning. Pupils can return to class without having fallen behind in ways that are hard to recover from.

The operational clarity supports wellbeing, but it also reinforces academic standards. With systems streamlined, teachers can focus their expertise on instruction rather than on administration. As Andrew Skelding explains: "We've found that Showbie is a really good fit for excellent teaching and learning." Technology enhances professional judgement rather than replacing it.

With Showbie embedded across all subject areas, the school continues to refine its approach to real-time assessment and adaptive teaching. The focus remains on sustaining academic rigour, strengthening pupil autonomy and ensuring that feedback continues to drive measurable progress.

At Endon High School, digital learning does not replace traditional practice. It gives teachers greater visibility, builds responsiveness and ensures every pupil benefits from clear, consistent teaching.