A new classroom tool is helping English primary schools address a decline in student writing skills. The platform, called Assessable, launched commercially on September 1 after more than two years of development and testing with 40 schools. Co-founded by former teacher Lisa Gosnay, the Middlesbrough-based technology aims to reduce grading workloads and show teachers exactly where pupils struggle.
What Happened
Assessable launched during a difficult period for primary education in England. According to the Department for Education's Key Stage 2 statistics, only 73% of Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in writing, down from 78% before the pandemic. Writing remains the lowest-performing subject compared to reading, maths, and science. Experts say this group of students faced disruptions to their early education in Reception and Year 1, which damaged their basic literacy.
To address this, Assessable analyzes student text and suggests grades along with editable feedback. Teachers keep final grading authority. The tool also tracks student progress and helps schools moderate assessments. The Hartlepool-based Extol Academy Trust is working with the company to deploy the system and reduce the administrative workloads that pull teachers away from face-to-face instruction.
The Bigger Picture
Schools are turning to software to manage heavy workloads, though digital feedback in writing classrooms is still being studied. A study in the Proceedings of the Thirteenth ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale found that AI-generated feedback did not change overall writing grades compared to human-only grading, but it did increase student motivation. Because automated systems deliver advice instantly, students are more willing to revise their work. The researchers concluded that digital tools redistribute teaching effort, which lets teachers focus on complex instruction rather than basic grammar corrections.
Time constraints are a major issue in schools. Research in The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence shows that a lack of preparation time often prevents teachers from giving the daily, personalized feedback pupils need to develop writing skills.
But technological reliance raises concerns. A study in the Evaluation of Norwegian Secondary Education showed that teachers worry automated tools lack social and relational context. Students might also rely too much on automated corrections. Researchers suggest hybrid models instead. A study in Contemporary Educational Technology showed that using AI as an assistant to human judgment cuts grading time, and teachers still control final standards.
Safety and classroom utility are global concerns. As we previously reported, international organizations are building frameworks to ensure teachers test educational software before schools buy it.
What This Means for Families
With tools like Assessable, children receive faster, specific feedback on their writing. Instead of waiting days for a marked book, pupils get immediate notes on spelling and grammar while their ideas are fresh.
For teachers, the software aims to restore work-life balance. Automating repetitive grading tasks frees up time for teachers to plan lessons and help students who struggle.
What You Can Do
Parents can ask their child's school how they balance digital feedback with human marking. Use the school's feedback platform to find specific areas where your child struggles, like punctuation. Finally, encourage your child to treat early feedback as a guide for editing and rewriting rather than a final grade.