Formative Action: From Assessment to Action

Discover why schools worldwide are moving away from traditional assessment in favour of the Dutch 'Formative Action' model.

Formative Action aligns closely with the Teaching WalkThrus approach to instructional coaching and professional learning. Valentina collaborates with WalkThrus on the design and delivery of sessions that explore how formative action and WalkThrus can be meaningfully combined in classroom practice and school-wide improvement.

From data to decisions. From activities to action. From assessment to pedagogy — rooted in curriculum.

Many schools have tried formative assessment techniques — mini whiteboards, exit tickets, low-stakes quizzes, feedback protocols. Some have even embedded them into school policies. But despite these efforts, a familiar problem remains: the curriculum stays untouched.

That’s because techniques alone can’t drive deep learning.

Formative assessment often turns into a moment: a task, a question, a data point. Information is collected, but nothing changes. The curriculum marches on.

Formative Action is a different approach — one that starts with curriculum design.

It asks:

• What do students need to master by the end of this unit or course?

• Where are they now, really?

• What is the most meaningful next step — and how should teaching respond?

This shift is about more than replacing one term with another. It’s about putting curriculum goals at the centre of pedagogical decisions. When curriculum, instruction, and feedback are aligned, teachers no longer work reactively — they teach with foresight, purpose, and flexibility.

Why move from formative assessment to formative action?

The term formative assessment has created confusion. It’s often misunderstood as informal testing, giving feedback without grades, or doing “a formative thing” before a test. These practices rarely impact what comes next.

Formative action reframes the whole process.

It’s not a tool or activity — it’s a pedagogical design principle. A short-cycle process where teachers and students co-regulate learning, based on purposeful evidence, within a coherent curriculum framework.

This means:

• No more feedback for the sake of feedback.

• No more teaching disconnected from long-term goals.

• No more “formative” tasks without real consequences.

It’s what has made the Dutch model of formative action both rigorous and sustainable — and why it’s now being adopted in schools across Europe and beyond .

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for teachers, curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, learning support teams, and senior leaders (e.g. heads of department, deputy heads, assessment leads) — anyone who shapes teaching, learning, or curriculum development.

What you will takeaway

• A clear, practical understanding of the three strategies of formative action — when to use each, and how to design them purposefully.

• Templates and examples grounded in real curriculum sequences.

• Tools to align teaching, feedback, and curriculum — even in content-heavy subjects.

• A stronger foundation for pedagogical decision-making.

• Ongoing support via a dedicated Formative Action space within EduScape, the community app for educators from EducationScape.

• Dedicated time to bring your questions.

Book now to secure your place.

Book your place before 20 Febraury 2026 to benefit from a 15% discount.

Info: From Formative Assessment to Formative Action: Why the shift and what does it entail?
Explore why “formative action” is more than just “formative assessment without grades”.

Info: Developing a Shared Sense of Quality & Designing Effective Feedback Processes.

Info: Constructive Curriculum & Lesson Design with Formative Action at the Core.

Info: A brief wrap-up to reflect on the day’s learning and consider next steps in your own teaching practice.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher EducationScape Training & Events