Strategy 01
Success criteria learners can actually use
How to write learning intentions and success criteria learners understand, with examples for early years, primary and secondary classrooms.
Why they matter
A learning intention says what learners are learning; success criteria say how they will know they have got there. Without them, feedback has nothing to refer to and self-assessment becomes guesswork.
How to write them
- Start from the curriculum goal, not the activity ("we are learning to compare fractions", not "we are doing worksheet 4").
- Describe observable behaviour: "I can explain…", "I can use…", "My text includes…".
- Keep it to three or four criteria per task.
- Co-construct them with learners by analysing a good and a weak example.
Examples by age
Early years
- I can put on my coat by myself.
- I can count five objects and say how many.
Primary
- My paragraph starts with a topic sentence.
- I can round numbers to the nearest ten and explain why.
Secondary
- My argument uses at least two pieces of evidence from the source.
- I can identify the independent and dependent variables in an experiment.
Common mistakes
- Criteria that only list task instructions ("use a red pen").
- Vague words like "good" or "neat" with no description of what that looks like.
- Criteria that are shared but never used again for feedback.
Keep success criteria visible in Amosia GRID
Use your observable criteria as goals in the classroom grid. Record where each learner stands against each goal and add a brief note of what they did. The same criteria then anchor your feedback and the next lesson — rather than disappearing into a worksheet.
Try Amosia GRID App FreeWeb app for teachers & schools · Free trial until Jan 2027 · No credit card required
Key research
- Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (1998). Assessment and Classroom Learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice.
- Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability.
- OECD (2005). Formative Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms. OECD Publishing.