Feedback on academic performance is of critical importance to students' learning, and in their perception of the quality of instruction they receive. Here we report the outcomes of a study comparing the views and expectations of first year biological science undergraduate students and academic staff regarding feedback provision and utilisation. The results indicate that while students and staff are generally satisfied with the feedback process, there are some tensions generated by perceived differences in desired academic outcomes. In particular, these tensions focus on perceptions of inconsistency in the feedback processes and in the use made of feedback to inform future practice. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)