Markers look for writing that makes a process clear to a reader new to it, with precise, organised thinking and language that informs without talking down.
Ideas & Content
Content focused on what the reader actually needs to know.
What peer assessment is, how it works, why it's useful.
Real purpose and process — not just a dictionary definition.
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Relevance: details should explain the real process and purpose of peer assessment.
Task in one sentence
Write an informative piece explaining what peer assessment is, how it works, what is difficult about it and what is genuinely useful.
Ideas & Content
Strong writing this week explains the real process — the steps you follow, your role, what is genuinely hard, what is genuinely useful. The ideas should be specific to peer assessment, not general statements about feedback. The reader should see real understanding.
What markers scan for
- A clear explanation of the process and the writer's role.
- Honest challenges that are specific, not generic.
- Real benefits — not vague claims about feedback.
Score Bands
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Basic
Ideas are vague or general; the piece lacks specific experience or examples.
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Strong
Clear explanation of process and role; specific challenges and benefits mentioned.
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Excellent
Detailed, careful explanation showing real understanding of peer assessment's value.
Structure & Cohesion
Strong writing this week is organised logically — perhaps what peer assessment is, then how it works, then your role, then the difficulties, then the benefits. Transitions guide the reader through. Weak structure jumps about or repeats itself, leaving the reader without a complete picture.
What markers scan for
- A logical order the reader can follow from start to finish.
- Ideas that build on each other through the piece.
- No repeats or sudden jumps between topics.
Score Bands
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Basic
Ideas jump around; structure is unclear; the explanation is hard to follow.
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Strong
Clear logical organisation; ideas build; transitions guide the reader through.
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Excellent
Smooth organisation; each idea supports the one before; the reader is guided through the explanation.
Student sample for assessment
Written by a Year 7 student in Neutral Bay, NSW, Australia.
Peer assessment is when you read someone else's work and write feedback about it. You are expected to comment on their writing and help them see what they did well and what they could improve. It is different from how teachers mark work because you are marking it as another student, not as the person in charge. When we do peer assessment at school, it usually happens like this. First, everyone writes their work. Then the teacher collects it and gives it to someone else. You sit down and read through the work carefully. You are looking for the things the writer did well and the things that need work. You write comments on the paper. You might say things like "This paragraph is really clear because..." or "This part is confusing because I did not understand what you meant." The teacher tells us to look for certain things. Sometimes you have to mark using a rubric that has criteria on it. You check if the writing meets the criteria. Then you write your feedback based on what you found. At the end, you hand back the work with your feedback on it. The writer reads your comments and can use them to make their writing better. Peer assessment is harder than it sounds. It is difficult to know what to say when something is bad. You do not want to hurt someone's feelings but you also need to be honest. Sometimes you are not sure if your feedback is right. What if you give feedback and the person does not understand it? I have found that peer assessment is useful because it helps you think about writing in a different way. When you have to explain what is good or bad about someone else's work, you start noticing things in your own writing that you did not see before. It teaches you how to spot problems and think about solutions. I used to not pay attention to structure much, but reading other people's work made me understand why structure matters. I think peer assessment is valuable even though it is hard.
