Written marking takes hours… but does it really change learning?

In this episode of The Leadership Lens, I share how our school moved away from time-consuming marking towards feedback that actually transforms learning.

I created The Leadership Lens to cut through the noise of leadership. With so many frameworks, Ofsted updates, and research papers to keep up with, leading schools can feel overwhelming. This podcast is where I do the heavy lifting — exploring the evidence, trying things out across our Trust, and sharing what works in practice.

This week’s episode unpacks: Why heavy written marking drained hours and didn’t shift misconceptions. The research evidence (EEF, DfE Workload Review, Dylan Wiliam, Claire Hill, Teacher Tapp).

What we did differently: verbal, whole-class feedback, quick “feedback notebooks,” and structured sessions.

How Ofsted responded (with direct quotes from Sean Harford and our own inspection report).

The real impact: 20+ hours of teacher workload saved each week, pupils more confident, and a culture where mistakes mean learning. You’ll leave with practical strategies you can adapt in your own school — and reassurance that Ofsted supports effective, not excessive, approaches.

Premium Exclusive Premium members get:

📄 A PDF of today’s key leadership takeaways (ready to share with SLT/governors). 📊 A PowerPoint you can use to deliver CPD on feedback and no-marking marking in your own school.

🎧 Free: listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts → https://tinyurl.com/muf8cx2s

⭐ Premium: get a PDF summary & ready-to-use PowerPoint for staff training → https://tinyurl.com/3pp3x67s