The Pobble blog

Assessment is hard. Anyone who has ever tried to decide whether a student is “working at the expected standard” knows that. It’s complex, nuanced, and deeply human work.

In a world filled with AI tools promising quick fixes and instant data, it’s tempting to believe that assessment can be automated too.

So, do we finally have a magic wand that makes it all easy?

Not quite.

Actually, we do. It’s you, the teacher. 🪄

The real magic in assessment
Teachers are the magic wand of assessment. They bring the knowledge, insight, and professional judgement that no algorithm can replicate. They know their pupils, they know their curriculum, and most importantly, they continue to know their pupils long after the assessment point has passed.

Because writing assessment is not just about how well a pupil replicates one piece of writing or how they perform in a test. It is about recognising how well a pupil can apply skills independently, across a range of purposes and contexts, and over time.

Teachers understand that learning is not static. They see growth, the gradual strengthening of sentence control, the maturing of voice, and the increasing fluency in choosing vocabulary or structuring an argument. That is not something an AI model can measure.

AI can support, but it cannot interpret learning
AI tools are powerful. Some are very powerful indeed. They can flag grammatical errors, detect patterns, and even compare texts quickly and consistently. They can help leaders spot curriculum gaps or identify cohorts needing support.

But what they cannot do is interpret the development of a skill. They do not understand how a writer transfers learning from a modelled piece to an independent one. They cannot see how a pupil revisits an idea weeks later and improves it.

AI operates through probability. Teachers operate through professional insight. That is the difference between recognising a pattern and recognising progress.

Why moderation matters now more than ever
Moderation is where professional understanding of learning deepens. It is not a meeting about pieces of work; it is a discussion, rooted in evidence, considering learning over time. It is where teachers look at a range of writing and consider how well skills have been taught, secured, and independently applied.

In a world where AI can generate data and feedback in seconds, moderation remains the process that brings context, meaning, and shared standards. It is where teachers test interpretations, build consensus, and refine their understanding of what “secure” really looks like.

Moderation keeps assessment connected to the curriculum, not detached from it. It ensures judgments are grounded in the application of skills, not just their appearance on one page.

Moderation facilitators: the keepers of the craft
Within and across trusts, moderation facilitators play a vital role in keeping assessment authentic. They lead professional discussions that go beyond marking and into learning, asking questions like:

• How independently can this pupil apply what they have been taught?

• How well do they transfer skills across different writing purposes?

• What does the progression in this evidence tell us about teaching and our curriculum design?

Facilitators nurture the kind of professional dialogue that strengthens consistency, confidence, and collective expertise. They remind us that moderation is not a tick-box process. It is professional development in action.

Why getting it right matters
At key transition points, whether that be between year groups, key stages, or schools, assessment judgements are not just labels. They are signals about what a pupil can do, what they need next, and how we should continue to support them.

That makes accuracy critical. And the only way to achieve that is by keeping the teacher, the true magic wand, at the heart of the process.

Leading assessment in an AI-enabled world
As leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure every teacher has regular, purposeful opportunities to engage in moderation. AI tools can support assessment, but they cannot replace the professional conversations that build understanding, confidence, and accuracy.

Moderation helps teachers interpret what technology shows them through the lens of curriculum and child development. That is how we keep assessment meaningful. Because while AI can process information, only teachers can truly understand learning.

And that is what makes teachers the real magic wand of assessment.

Want to strengthen your school's moderation practice?
Explore Pobble’s moderation support and tools to make sure assessment in your school remains accurate, collaborative and rooted in professional judgement.