Schools and colleges across Europe and beyond are increasingly rethinking their approach to Formative Assessment and many are turning towards the rapidly growing Formative Action model.
Led by internationally recognised educator and trainer Valentina Devid, this highly practical workshop explores one of the most exciting developments currently shaping teaching, learning and curriculum design in schools and colleges. A regular speaker at the Festival of Education and a much in-demand trainer across the Netherlands, Valentina has worked with teachers, middle leaders and senior leadership teams internationally to help organisations build more coherent, curriculum-led approaches to learning. Her work is attracting significant attention because it responds directly to challenges many schools and colleges are currently facing: overloaded curricula, disconnected assessment practices, inconsistent feedback systems and growing pressure to improve learner outcomes in meaningful, sustainable ways.
Formative Action aligns closely with the WalkThrus approach to instructional coaching and professional learning. Valentina collaborates with WalkThrus on the design and delivery of sessions exploring how Formative Action and WalkThrus can work together effectively within classrooms, departments and whole-organisation improvement strategies.
From data to decisions. From activities to action. From assessment to pedagogy rooted in curriculum.
Many schools and colleges have invested heavily in formative assessment strategies: mini whiteboards, exit tickets, low-stakes quizzes, retrieval tasks and feedback protocols. In many organisations these approaches have become embedded within teaching and learning policies and quality assurance frameworks. Yet despite this investment, a common challenge remains, the curriculum itself often stays untouched.
Why? Because techniques alone rarely transform learning.
Too often, Formative Assessment becomes a collection exercise rather than a driver of instructional decision-making. Information is gathered, but teaching doesn’t meaningfully adapt in response. Departments continue through schemes of work regardless of whether learners are genuinely secure in their understanding.
Formative Action offers a different approach.
Rather than starting with activities or assessment tools, it starts with curriculum intent and pedagogical purpose. It asks:
- What do learners need to master by the end of this unit, topic or programme?
- Where are they now, really?
- What is the most meaningful next step and how should teaching respond?
This shift is about much more than changing terminology. It is about helping schools and colleges create greater alignment between curriculum, teaching, assessment and feedback.
When these elements work together coherently, teachers and leaders can move away from reactive teaching towards a model built on foresight, responsiveness and purposeful curriculum delivery.
Why are schools and colleges moving from Formative Assessment to Formative Action?
For many educators, the term “Formative Assessment” has become increasingly diluted. It is often interpreted as informal testing, feedback without grades, or simply completing a “formative activity” before a summative assessment. While these practices may have value, they do not always influence what happens next in the learning process.
Formative Action reframes the process entirely.
It is not another initiative, checklist or standalone strategy. It is a pedagogical design principle, a short-cycle process where teachers and learners co-regulate learning through purposeful evidence gathering within a carefully sequenced curriculum framework.
This means:
- No more feedback for the sake of feedback
- No more assessment activities disconnected from curriculum goals
- No more “formative” tasks that fail to influence future teaching
- Greater consistency between departments and teaching teams
- More meaningful conversations around learner progress and curriculum planning
It is this clarity and coherence that has made Formative Action both rigorous and sustainable, and why it is rapidly gaining traction in schools and colleges internationally.
Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for professionals working across schools, sixth forms and colleges, including:
- Teachers and classroom practitioners
- Curriculum and subject leaders
- Heads of department and faculty leads
- Instructional coaches and teaching & learning leads
- SEND and learning support teams
- Assistant principals, deputy heads and senior leaders
- Assessment and quality improvement leads
Whether your organisation is reviewing assessment practice, strengthening curriculum design, developing instructional coaching, or seeking greater consistency in teaching and learning, this workshop will provide practical frameworks and immediately applicable strategies.
What you will take away
By attending this session, you will:
- Gain a clear and practical understanding of the three strategies of Formative Action and when to use each purposefully
- Explore templates and examples grounded in real curriculum sequences from schools and colleges
- Learn how to align teaching, feedback and curriculum, even in content-heavy and exam-focused subjects
- Strengthen pedagogical decision-making across teams and departments
- Understand how Formative Action can work alongside instructional coaching models such as WalkThrus
- Develop approaches that support sustainable school and college improvement
- Have dedicated time to bring your own curriculum challenges and implementation questions
- Receive ongoing support through a dedicated Formative Action space within EduScape CPD, the professional learning community from EducationScape
This is far more than another workshop on Formative Assessment techniques. It is an opportunity for schools and colleges to engage with a model that is quickly reshaping conversations around curriculum, pedagogy and responsive teaching internationally.
Book your place before the end of May to receive a 15% early booking discount. Group bookings for schools, trusts and colleges are available. Contact the team via email to discuss organisational packages and team attendance.