Introduction

St Thomas More’s Catholic School introduced Online Feedback practices in 2023, following the direction of Catholic Education Tasmania. This model strengthens communication between students, teachers, and families by giving parents and carers timely, meaningful insight into classroom learning.

Online Feedback is now an embedded part of our teaching and learning framework and aligns with CET’s Assessment Policy, particularly the expectations that feedback be timely, accessible, and supportive of student learning (see Assessment Policy, Section 3.1 and 3.2). 

This page provides clear answers to common questions about how Online Feedback works at St Thomas More's Catholic School.

What is online feedback?

Online feedback occurs when a piece of learning evidence is uploaded to a digital platform, SeeSaw, and assessed by the classroom teacher. The teacher then provides feedback directly within the platform.

Parents and carers can view:

• the task
• the learning intention and success criteria
• the student’s work
• the teacher’s feedback

This creates a transparent and collaborative learning process between home and school.

Does this mean all feedback on student learning will be online?

No. Not all feedback becomes digital.

Teachers provide ongoing verbal, written, and instructional feedback throughout everyday classroom learning. Online Feedback is simply a way of documenting a representative sample of learning progress so that parents and carers can engage more deeply in timely, relevant conversations about learning.

How does online feedback support and benefit student learning?

Online Feedback helps to:

• encourage meaningful conversations between teachers, students, and families
• strengthen early, proactive intervention
• clarify learning goals
• support students in assessing their progress
• guide next steps in learning

This aligns with CET’s expectation that assessment provides diagnostic feedback, supports student learning, and offers timely feedback accessible to both students and parents (Assessment Policy, Section 3.2.2 & 3.2.5).

What digital platform does the school use?

All teachers use SeeSaw for Online Feedback.
Staff have engaged in professional learning focused on:

• using SeeSaw effectively
• designing quality assessment tasks
• delivering high-quality, specific feedback

How often will my child receive online feedback?

From Prep to Grade 6, each child will receive:

Each Semester

at least one Online Feedback task for:

• English
• Mathematics
• Religious Education

Each Year

• at least one Online Feedback task for all other subjects studied

This ensures a balanced, meaningful snapshot of learning throughout the year.

What forms can online feedback take?

Depending on the task, year level, and learning intention, online feedback may include:

• written feedback
• annotations on student work
• voice recordings
• screencasts
• group feedback
• recorded student conferences
• student self-reflection tasks

This flexibility ensures feedback remains developmentally appropriate and purposeful.

How will I view my child’s feedback on SeeSaw?

All Online Feedback tasks are published directly to SeeSaw. Parents and carers will be able to view:

• student work
• teacher feedback
• assessment descriptors or indicators
• learning intentions and success criteria

Did this change the traditional School Report model?

Yes. The introduction of Online Feedback has streamlined aspects of formal reporting.

Students from Prep to Grade 6 now receive:

• one General Comment on their school report
• subject-specific information including:
  • an overall grade (A-E or equivalent 5-point scale, as required under national reporting standards)
  • achievement against specific learning areas
  • feedback on application and attitude to learning

These requirements are consistent with CET’s Reporting Policy, which mandates clear, accurate, twice-yearly reports and explicit communication regarding student progress and achievement (Sections 3.2.1-3.2.9).

Our approach to Online Feedback, assessment and reporting is shaped directly by Catholic Education Tasmania’s governing documents:

Assessment Policy (2023) - outlining principles of quality assessment, effective feedback, and accessibility for students and parents. 

Reporting Policy (2025) - detailing expectations for formal reporting, grading, learning progress communication, and clarity for families. 

Both documents can be accessed via the Policies & Protocols page of our school website.