I've only been moderated once before and found it helpful to talk to other educators about their experience so hopefully this will give you some insight into the whole process and what to expect!

A Tale of Two Moderators

The letter arrived, a stark reminder of the impending writing moderation. It had been years since our school had faced such scrutiny, and I confess, a wave of anxiety washed over me. Questions swirled in my mind: Had I done enough? What does independent writing really mean? And what horrors would the moderation day bring?

Unlike the traditional model where a moderator descends upon the school, we received a list of selected children 24 hours in advance. While this certainly eased some of the pressure, it also introduced a new challenge: two moderators, rather than one.

As the moderation day dawned, a mix of anticipation and dread filled the air. We'd prepared meticulously, but uncertainty still lingered. Would our children's hard work be recognized? Would their unique voices shine through? Only time would tell

Pre moderation

A week before, we had to complete our teacher judgement list. We were given an excel spreadsheet to fill in with the initials of the child, our judgement of them (WTS, EXS, GD) and whether they had any specific weaknesses. From there, they sent the spreadsheet back to us (24 hours before they were due in) with 6 names highlighted. 1 WTS, 3 EXS and 1 GD. I didn't know this but they will always moderate your greater depth children. Knowing which children they were going to moderate meant I had the whole day beforehand to select some pieces of independent work that I felt showcased my judgement of them. 

The big day

Our two moderators arrived promptly, greeted us with warm smiles, and settled into the quiet room we’d prepared. As we offered them refreshments, I couldn’t help but silently panic but I kept reassuring myself that I'd done enough. 

The moderators wasted no time in diving into the heart of the matter. They scrutinized our judgment spreadsheet, questioning our decisions and probing for evidence to support our claims. We explained our rigorous moderation process, highlighting the training we’d undergone and the collaborative approach we’d taken.

We began by showcasing the work of our Working Towards children, highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement. Then, we moved on to the expected pieces, emphasizing the children’s skills in language, structure, and creativity. These went really well and I was confident at where they were on the expected spectrum. At one point I was asked 'can you tell me why this child isn't greater depth yet?' It threw me off slightly, so watch out for those curve ball questions. 

Finally, we showcased our Greater Depth child which I was really looking forward to. However, there was a slight hiccup. The lead moderator felt that a few of our Greater Depth pieces lacked a certain level of flair. She kindly suggested that we revisit the pieces with the child and encourage them to add more depth and creativity. Luckily, this was enough to secure the grade. 

The moderators seemed impressed with our approach, noting that we hadn't rushed to show off our top performers. Instead, we had presented a balanced view of our students’ abilities.

Overall, the moderation process was a valuable experience. It allowed us to reflect on our practice, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate our students’ achievements.

Top tips

1. Complete the moderation in a nice quiet room and provide some snacks (it can be a long day!)

2. Have at least 6 pieces of work to demonstrate the pupil can statements

3. Moderate with other schools! It's a great way to get some writing ideas and to hear what others have to say. 

4. Select pieces of work from March onwards 

5. Familiarise yourself with what 'independent writing' is. You can find all the info on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-teacher-assessment-guidance/key-stage-2-teacher-assessment-guidance 

6. Have some spare pieces of writing ready from other subjects as they may want to look at more than just your English book :)