Make up an essay test with three different questions and let students choose which one to answer. Or create a test with 20 short answer questions and ask them to pick 10. Some teachers even let their students choose between a long multiple-choice test, a short multiple-choice test plus a brief essay, or a long essay-only test.

The idea is that children work best when setting their own goals and moving at a pace that suits them. Evidence from early pilot studies shows that pupils learn more effectively this way than with traditional teaching.

SPS students use an e-reading system called Curriculet. This lets teachers add notes and thoughts to the texts students are working through. It also feeds student progress back into a Personalised Learning Plan, an online dashboard that tracks the pupils’ entire educational life. Based on data gathered on their school performance, the dashboard tailors the lessons and content it serves to each student. For example, a student might set a goal to read the next 10 pages of an e-book this week. The system would monitor her progress, giving regular feedback, to keep her on track. If she falls behind, a teacher can step in and tweak her program.

“The most dramatic impact is in maths for children aged 7 or 8, who doubled their ranking nationally”

This makes them responsible for their own learning in a very concrete way.

This can help students recognize where they may be too hard (or too easy) on themselves and it may help you recognize attitudes in yourself that impact your grading. Average the results of the three rubrics to get a grade so students realize their self-evaluation actually matters.