Rethinking feedback | A conversation with Ross McGill

10 snips

Mar 18, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Ross McGill, a globally recognized educator known as Teacher Toolkit, shares his innovative perspectives on feedback in education. He challenges outdated marking practices by presenting a framework involving nine feedback approaches that prioritize student trust and actionable insights. Ross emphasizes the importance of communication and relationships in effective feedback. He also explores strategies to reduce teacher workload while advocating for systemic changes to enhance mental health and teaching effectiveness in today’s landscape.

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INSIGHT

Feedback, Feed Up, Feed Forward

Feedback focuses on reflecting on past progress.
Feed up references current grades and targets, while feed forward explains the next steps.

ANECDOTE

Negative Ofsted Inspection

Ross McGill had a negative Ofsted inspection experience.
Inspectors criticized marking consistency and judged teaching and learning poorly based on that.

ANECDOTE

Verbal Feedback Research

Ross McGill conducted research with UCL on verbal feedback in disadvantaged schools.
The study involved control and sample classes, with one group receiving no written marking.

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Shane welcomes globally renowned educator Ross McGill, known worldwide as Teacher Toolkit. Ross shares his groundbreaking approach to feedback and assessment, challenging traditional marking practices and offering practical alternatives that can transform how schools approach feedback while reducing teacher workload.

Ross introduces a comprehensive framework of nine different feedback approaches (feedback, feed up, feed forward × written, verbal, nonverbal) that enriches assessment practices beyond simply marking books. He shows that what matters most is whether students trust the feedback they receive and know how to act on it, not just what form the feedback takes.

You can find the full video of this conversation inside the Education Leaders Community.

Links Mentioned

Teacher Toolkit website
The Teacher Toolkit Guide to Feedback (Ross's latest book)
Verbal Feedback Research Project (UCL research mentioned)

Episode Partners

The International Curriculum Association's Global.Learn.Connect Netherlands: Learn more

The University of Warwick's International Programmes | Learn more at warwick.ac.uk

Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on LinkedIn and Bluesky. My website is shaneleaning.com and email address is shane@shaneleaning.com.

About the host

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chat-topping school leadership podcast, Education Leaders. Previously, he worked as Regional Head of Teaching Development for Nord Anglia Education. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com.

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com

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