Core framework · Years 1–13 · Any subject · Field-Based STEM · Tony Jones
If a student's first written position only appears after research, discussion, or a tool has already shaped their thinking, that position was never theirs to begin with.
Phase 1
Position Locked
Phase 2
Research and Consultation
Phase 3
Final Work Submitted
Phase 4
Position Comparison
The Strategy
Before any research, consultation, or tool use begins, students write their initial position on the task question in two or three sentences.
The teacher collects or timestamps this position so it cannot be edited once the task continues.
Students proceed with research, discussion, or assisted drafting as the task requires.
At submission, students complete a Position Comparison stating what changed, what stayed the same, and what made the difference.
The Position Comparison is assessed alongside the finished work, not collected as a bonus extra.
In Practice
Years 1–4
Students draw or say their first answer before the class reads, watches, or discusses anything. A teacher records one sentence of their reasoning.
Years 5–8
Students write a short paragraph position before any group discussion or source reading. At submission they note one thing that shifted and why.
Years 9–13
Students lock a position statement before any tool, source, or peer consultation. The Position Comparison is submitted as a formal component alongside the assessed task.
Implementation Notes
Decision Checkpoint
Lock the position before any tool, search, or discussion opens. A position written even five minutes late is no longer a baseline.
Teacher Judgement Note
A position that does not change at all across the task is not automatically a problem. It only becomes one if the student cannot explain why it held.
