The first lesson with a new class creates a genuine problem for teachers.
You need to find out what pupils know.
You need to understand what they have forgotten, what they misunderstand, how confidently they can explain ideas and how independently they can work.
But you probably do not want the first hour of the year to feel like an examination.
A formal test can produce useful information in some situations, but it can also tell you surprisingly little. Pupils may be nervous, rusty after a long break, unfamiliar with your routines or simply trying to work out what kind of teacher you are.
The result may reflect first-day anxiety as much as prior knowledge.
Fortunately, assessment does not have to look like assessment.
A carefully designed discussion, short writing task, sorting activity, worked example or problem-solving exercise can reveal a great deal while still feeling like an ordinary lesson.
The aim is not to collect a score for every pupil on day one. It is to gather enough evidence to make better decisions about what to teach next.
This guide looks at practical first-day activities that reveal what pupils know without making the lesson feel like a test.
Decide what you actually need to find out
Before choosing an activity, be clear about the information you need.
“Finding out their level” is too broad to be useful.
You may actually need to know:
- whether pupils remember particular prerequisite knowledge;
- whether they can explain a key concept in their own words;
- whether they can apply knowledge rather than simply recall it;
- which common misconceptions are present;
- how confidently they read or write;
- whether they can follow multi-step instructions;
- how independently they begin a task;
- how they communicate during paired discussion;
- which pupils may need additional support.
Different questions require different activities.
A ten-question recall quiz may tell you whether pupils remember vocabulary. It will not necessarily tell you whether they can explain a concept, construct an argument or solve an unfamiliar problem.
Start with the teaching decision you expect to make afterwards.
If the evidence will not change what you teach, you probably do not need to collect it.
Use a short “What do you remember?” retrieval task
One of the simplest first-day activities is a brief retrieval task based on essential prior learning.
This does not need to be presented as a test.
You might simply put five or six prompts on the board and say:
“Have a go from memory. This helps me see what we need to revisit together.”
Use questions that diagnose, not just questions that are easy to mark
Instead of twenty isolated facts, choose a smaller number of high-value questions.
For example:
- What is a fraction?
- Name two features of a persuasive text.
- What happens during photosynthesis?
- What do we mean by democracy?
- What is the difference between weather and climate?
The wording will obviously depend on age and subject.
The important point is that the questions reveal something useful about pupils' understanding.
Include an “I’m not sure” option
Do not force pupils to guess.
Allowing them to write:
“I remember this partly”
or:
“I’m not sure yet”
can produce more honest information.
It also signals that forgetting is expected after a break and that the purpose is to work out what needs revisiting.
Review answers together
The activity becomes more useful when you discuss the answers immediately.
Listen for:
- confident correct answers;
- common misconceptions;
- half-remembered ideas;
- pupils who know the answer but struggle to explain it;
- pupils who change their answer after hearing another explanation.
This provides much richer information than simply collecting scores.
Ask pupils to explain something familiar in their own words
Explanation is one of the best ways to expose the difference between recognition and genuine understanding.
A pupil may recognise the correct answer when they see it but struggle to explain why it is correct.
Choose one important concept
For example:
- Explain what evaporation is to someone younger than you.
- Explain why multiplying by ten changes the place value of digits.
- Explain what a metaphor does.
- Explain why the Romans built roads.
- Explain what a food chain shows.
The task can be oral, written or completed in pairs.
Listen to the language pupils use
You are not only checking whether the final answer is correct.
Notice:
- whether they use subject vocabulary accurately;
- whether they can connect ideas;
- whether they rely on memorised phrases;
- whether an important part of the concept is missing;
- whether they include a misconception confidently.
A short explanation may tell you more about understanding than several multiple-choice questions.
The AllSchools guide to the science of explanation explores why pupils can sometimes appear to understand an idea before their mental model is actually secure.
Use sorting and classification activities
Sorting tasks are particularly useful because they require pupils to make decisions without feeling heavily assessed.
Give pupils:
- words;
- images;
- examples;
- statements;
- equations;
- historical events;
- scientific processes;
and ask them to group them according to a rule.
Sometimes provide the categories
For example:
Living / non-living
Renewable / non-renewable
Fact / opinion
Prime / not prime
Primary source / secondary source
This reveals whether pupils recognise the underlying distinction.
Sometimes let pupils invent the categories
This can reveal even more.
Ask:
“Sort these into groups that make sense to you. Be ready to explain your rule.”
You may discover connections pupils can already make without prompting.
Pay attention to the discussion
The most useful evidence may come from hearing:
“I think this belongs here because…”
or:
“No, that one is different because…”
The reasoning reveals more than the final arrangement.
Show examples and ask pupils what they notice
A well-chosen example can reveal prior knowledge without asking pupils to produce something from scratch.
You might show:
- a strong paragraph;
- a worked maths solution;
- a historical source;
- a graph;
- a scientific diagram;
- a piece of artwork;
- a musical score;
- a map.
Then ask:
“What do you notice?”
Keep the first question broad
Broad noticing questions let pupils reveal what they naturally attend to.
One pupil may notice vocabulary. Another may notice structure. Another may identify an error.
That is useful information.
Then make the questions more specific
You can follow with:
- What has the writer done effectively?
- Which step matters most?
- What could be improved?
- What evidence supports that interpretation?
- Where might somebody make a mistake?
This allows you to increase the diagnostic value gradually without turning the activity into a formal assessment.
Use deliberate mistakes and ask pupils to find them
Incorrect examples can be extremely revealing.
Rather than asking pupils to solve a problem immediately, show them somebody else's incorrect attempt.
For example:
“A pupil says 3/8 is bigger than 1/2 because 3 is bigger than 1. Do you agree?”
Or:
“This sentence has been punctuated like this. What would you change?”
Choose mistakes that reflect common misconceptions
The purpose is not to trick pupils.
Use errors that help you discover whether pupils hold a misunderstanding you are likely to encounter later.
Ask pupils to explain the correction
Finding the error is only the first step.
Ask:
“Why is that wrong?”
and:
“What should happen instead?”
A pupil who can correct an answer but cannot explain the reasoning may still have insecure understanding.
Notice pupils who confidently defend the misconception
This is valuable diagnostic evidence.
It tells you that the misconception is not simply a careless mistake—it may be part of the pupil's current understanding.
Use a short piece of independent writing
Writing can reveal much more than handwriting and spelling.
It can show:
- what pupils remember;
- how they organise ideas;
- how confidently they begin;
- how much they can produce independently;
- how they use vocabulary;
- whether they reread and edit;
- what support they may need.
Keep the task meaningful
Avoid:
“Write a page about your summer holiday.”
unless that genuinely serves a learning purpose.
Not every pupil wants to share personal holiday experiences, and the task may produce little subject-specific information.
Instead, use something linked to the curriculum.
Examples might include:
- Explain everything you remember about habitats.
- Write a short argument for or against a school rule.
- Describe what makes an effective story opening.
- Explain what you remember about the Industrial Revolution.
- Write instructions for solving a familiar type of problem.
Do not over-support the first attempt
If your purpose is to see what pupils can currently do independently, avoid providing so much scaffolding that the evidence disappears.
You can support pupils who genuinely require adjustments while still giving them an opportunity to show what they know.
For pupils who find writing particularly difficult, the AllSchools guide to supporting pupils who struggle with writing provides practical classroom strategies.
Ask pupils to rank how confident they feel—and compare it with what they can do
Confidence is not the same as knowledge.
That is exactly why it can be useful to ask about both.
Give a small number of statements
For example:
How confident do you feel with:
- fractions;
- writing explanations;
- reading graphs;
- using evidence;
- working independently?
Pupils might respond with:
- confident;
- partly confident;
- not confident yet.
Do not treat confidence ratings as attainment data
Some pupils underestimate themselves.
Others are extremely confident while being wrong.
The value comes from comparing self-perception with classroom evidence.
A pupil who says “I’m terrible at maths” but successfully completes several problems may need confidence-building more than extensive reteaching.
A pupil who feels very confident but repeatedly uses an incorrect method may need help recognising the misconception.
Use paired discussion to reveal understanding you might not see in writing
Some pupils can explain ideas orally long before they can express them confidently on paper.
A short paired task can uncover this.
Give a question with more than a one-word answer
For example:
- Which of these solutions is better and why?
- Which factor was most important?
- Which character made the strongest decision?
- Which material would be most suitable?
- What do you predict will happen?
Listen rather than trying to hear everyone
You do not need to record every conversation.
Move around and listen for patterns.
You may hear:
- accurate vocabulary;
- misconceptions;
- strong reasoning;
- dependence on a partner;
- hesitation;
- unexpected prior knowledge.
Watch the partnership as well as the answer
The activity can also reveal:
- who dominates;
- who waits for someone else;
- who listens;
- who changes their mind after hearing evidence;
- who needs more structured turn-taking.
This can be useful when refining a seating plan during the first weeks of term.
See the AllSchools guide to making seating plans that can change as you learn more for a fuller approach.
Use one rich problem instead of a page of questions
A carefully selected problem can reveal knowledge, strategy and persistence at the same time.
Choose something with several possible entry points
A good diagnostic problem allows different pupils to begin in different ways.
In maths, this might be a problem with several possible methods.
In science, it might involve predicting and explaining an outcome.
In geography, pupils might interpret a map or data set.
In English, they might compare two short extracts.
Observe the process
Notice:
- who starts immediately;
- who rereads the task;
- who looks for a familiar method;
- who gives up quickly;
- who checks their answer;
- who can explain their reasoning.
You are learning about learning behaviour as well as subject knowledge.
Avoid choosing something so difficult that everybody struggles
A diagnostic task should distinguish between different levels of understanding.
If almost nobody can enter the problem, it tells you very little beyond the fact that the task was too demanding.
Use “agree or disagree” statements
This is a simple activity that can work across subjects.
Present a statement and ask pupils whether they agree, disagree or are unsure.
Examples:
- All metals are magnetic.
- A bigger denominator means a bigger fraction.
- Every sentence needs a comma.
- The most powerful historical figure always causes the biggest change.
- Exercise always makes your heart rate increase by the same amount.
Ask for reasons before revealing the answer
The diagnostic value comes from the reasoning.
A pupil might choose the correct response for the wrong reason.
Another might initially choose the wrong response but demonstrate useful thinking when explaining it.
Use uncertainty positively
Allow pupils to say:
“I’m not sure because…”
This is often more valuable than forcing an answer.
It gives pupils permission to think rather than perform certainty.
Ask pupils to create questions
Question generation can reveal what pupils think matters within a topic.
Ask:
“If you were testing somebody on what they should remember from last year, what three questions would you ask?”
Look at the level of the questions
Do pupils create:
- simple factual recall questions;
- application questions;
- comparison questions;
- questions requiring explanation;
- questions containing misconceptions?
The questions themselves can reveal how pupils understand the subject.
Let pupils answer one another's questions
This turns the activity into useful retrieval practice and gives you additional information about what the class remembers.
The AllSchools article on teaching pupils to ask better questions explores how question quality can be developed over time.
Use first-day evidence to plan, not label
The most important part comes after the activity.
Diagnostic information is only useful if it changes teaching.
Look for class-wide patterns first
You might discover:
- most pupils have forgotten a prerequisite concept;
- vocabulary is weaker than expected;
- pupils remember facts but struggle to explain them;
- a misconception is widespread;
- the class is stronger than anticipated in a particular area.
These findings may affect your next lesson immediately.
Then notice pupils who need something different
Individual evidence may suggest that a pupil needs:
- additional explanation;
- more challenge;
- a different scaffold;
- better visual access;
- support with reading;
- support with writing;
- a conversation with the SENCO or previous teacher.
But avoid making strong conclusions from a single activity.
The pupil who produces very little on the first morning may be anxious, tired, unfamiliar with the task or worried about making mistakes.
Collect evidence over several lessons
Your picture should become clearer as you observe pupils:
- answering questions;
- reading;
- writing;
- working independently;
- talking with peers;
- solving problems;
- responding to feedback.
This is more reliable than treating a single first-day task as a definitive baseline.
The AllSchools guide to beginning-of-year baseline assessment without exhausting pupils explains how to build a fuller picture through ordinary teaching rather than excessive testing.
Frequently asked questions
Should pupils be tested on the first day back?
Usually there is no need for a large formal test simply because it is the first day. Teachers can gather useful diagnostic evidence through retrieval, discussion, writing, problem solving and other normal classroom activities. Formal assessments may still be appropriate where they serve a clear purpose.
What is the best first-day assessment activity?
There is no single best activity. Choose the task according to what you need to find out. A short retrieval task is useful for checking essential knowledge, while explanation, sorting or problem-solving may reveal deeper understanding.
How long should a first-day diagnostic activity take?
Often 10–20 minutes is enough. The purpose is to gather useful evidence while still teaching a purposeful lesson, not to spend the entire first session collecting data.
Should the activity be marked?
It does not always need formal marking. Teachers can gather a great deal through circulating, listening, sampling responses and reviewing common patterns. Where written work contains useful evidence, brief notes may be more valuable than detailed marking.
Should pupils know they are being assessed?
There is no need to hide the purpose. You can explain that the task helps you understand what the class remembers and what needs revisiting. The important thing is to avoid creating unnecessary pressure.
What if pupils have forgotten a lot over the holidays?
That is normal. Forgetting does not automatically mean previous teaching failed. Use the evidence to identify what needs reactivation and revisit prerequisite knowledge before moving on.
What if one pupil knows much more than everyone else?
Record the evidence and consider how future tasks can provide appropriate challenge. Avoid assuming that one strong first-day response means the pupil will need different work in every lesson.
What if a pupil completes almost nothing?
Do not draw conclusions immediately. Check whether the issue was knowledge, literacy, confidence, anxiety, attention, task understanding or an additional need. Look for evidence across several lessons.
Should teachers record scores from first-day activities?
Only if the scores are genuinely useful. A score without a clear teaching purpose creates data rather than insight. Short notes about misconceptions, gaps and strengths may be more helpful.
Can first-day activities also help establish routines?
Yes. A well-planned learning activity lets you teach routines for entering the room, listening, discussing, working independently, asking for help and finishing a task while also gathering useful academic information.
How can I stop pupils feeling judged?
Use low-stakes language. Explain that forgetting is normal and that the activity helps you decide what the class needs next. Avoid public scores, rankings or comments that suggest pupils are being permanently categorised.
What should I do with the information afterwards?
Use it to adapt teaching. Revisit forgotten knowledge, address misconceptions, adjust explanations, provide appropriate support and gather further evidence where something is unclear.
The first day does not need to tell you everything about a class.
It should simply make you better informed than you were before the pupils walked through the door.
A short retrieval task may reveal forgotten knowledge. A discussion may expose a misconception. A piece of writing may show that a pupil understands far more than they can express confidently. A sorting task may uncover connections you did not expect.
None of those activities needs to feel like a test.
The most useful first-day assessment often looks remarkably similar to good teaching: pupils thinking, explaining, discussing, solving problems and showing what they currently understand.
Gather the evidence, keep your conclusions provisional and allow the picture to become clearer over the lessons that follow.
