Peer Review Letters

Overview

Year group: 2
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 30 students
Unit: Exploring Habitats and Conservation (Lesson 12 of 20)
Lesson Title: Peer Review: Letters to the Head Teacher
Curriculum focus: Spoken Language and Writing (English)

---

National Curriculum Links

English – Writing:

• Year 2
  • Write narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional).
  • Write for different purposes, including informal letters.
  • Plan, draft, and evaluate writing.
  • Assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggest improvements.

English – Spoken Language:

• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.
• Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers.

---

Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Provide constructive feedback on a peer’s letter, identifying strengths and areas to improve.

---

Success Criteria

• I can read my peer’s letter carefully.
• I can give at least one positive comment about the letter.
• I can suggest one way to improve the letter kindly.
• I can use a feedback checklist to help me.
• (Extension) I can revise my letter based on the feedback I receive.

---

Resources

• Draft letters to the Head Teacher (from previous lessons)
• Peer review feedback checklist (differentiated versions)
• Pencils, rubber, coloured pens for marking/revising
• Visual prompts for giving positive comments and suggestions (e.g., “What I liked...” / “One way to make it better...”)
• Display poster: “How to Give Kind and Helpful Feedback”
• Assessment sheets (teacher use)

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Activity: Class discussion on what makes feedback helpful.

• Teacher leads discussion prompt: “Why is it important to give kind, helpful feedback?”
• Discuss the difference between positive comments and suggestions for improvement.
• Introduce the “How to Give Kind and Helpful Feedback” poster with sentence starters.
• Model giving positive and constructive feedback on a sample letter on the board.

Differentiation:

• Visual sentence starters support mixed abilities.
• Use simplified vocabulary for those working towards.
• Challenge greater depth learners to suggest more detailed improvements.

---

2. Main Activity (35 minutes)

Activity: Peer Review in Pairs

• Pupils exchange their draft letters to the Head Teacher about habitats and conservation.
• Children use the feedback checklist to guide their comments:
  Positive comment: something they liked about the letter (e.g., clear reason, polite language).
  Suggestion: one thing to improve (e.g., spelling, adding more detail, punctuation).
• Teacher circulates and supports giving appropriate feedback, especially for pupils with additional learning needs.

Differentiation:

• Feedback checklist in three versions:
  • Support version: Simple sentence starters, tick-boxes for positive and improvement areas.
  • Standard version: Checklist with room for writing comments.
  • Challenge version: Checklist plus prompts to suggest examples or rephrase sentences.
• Paired strategically so pupils can support each other. Some pupils may receive adult scaffolded feedback support.

---

3. Plenary (15 minutes)

Activity: Reflect and Revise

• Pupils return to their own letter with feedback received.
• They begin to revise their letters using coloured pens to make the changes visible.
• Teacher invites a few volunteers to share their improved sentences or feedback experiences with the class.
• Recap the importance of constructive feedback and how it helps make our writing better.

Extension:

• Greater depth learners fully revise their letter incorporating multiple feedback points and improve vocabulary or sentence variety.

---

Assessment

Formative:

• Observe children's ability to listen, give positive and constructive feedback during peer-review pairs.
• Collect feedback checklists to monitor understanding and engagement.
• Review revised letters to assess application of feedback.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• Differentiated written feedback checklists with sentence starters and visual aids.
• Mixed ability pairing for peer support.
• Use of adult/TA support with pupils needing extra scaffolding.
• Sentence prompt cards for pupils who struggle with oral language.
• Extension task for advanced learners focusing on vocabulary enrichment and sentence complexity in revision.

---

Teacher Notes & Tips

• Reinforce a growth mindset about learning from mistakes and using feedback positively.
• Encourage pupils to use kind and specific language rather than just “good” or “bad”.
• Use positive reinforcement when children successfully give constructive feedback.
• Have extra time or support planned for pupils with EAL or SEND.
• Keep the atmosphere supportive and focussed on improving work, not criticism.

---

By adopting this plan, you promote English writing skills alongside critical thinking and social-emotional skills necessary for collaboration—key competencies as per the National Curriculum and for lifelong learning.