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We’re approaching the end of yet another academic year, and your child’s end of year school report will soon be on its way to you. And if you’re wondering how you’re supposed to make sense of it, you’re not alone. More than 40% of our students’ parents expressed confusion about such reports, expressing various concerns from vagueness to comment automation and more. This guide breaks down each part of the school report, helping you to understand your child’s progress throughout the year more fully while alleviating any concerns you may have.
End of year school reports are supposed to summarise your child’s performance at school for the academic year. In it, you’ll typically find a short paragraph explaining their abilities in each subject, but they’re often surface-level comments with no insight into anything specific. There’s also a short section on behaviour and a goal for the year ahead.
The Department for Education requires schools to deliver these reports as an official mode of communication between teachers and parents at least once a year. Each report should highlight the following:
– Brief particulars of achievements in all subjects and activities forming part of the school curriculum.
– Comments on general progress.
– Details of how parents can arrange a discussion about the report with their child’s teacher.
While this sounds like a good idea, some parents question the usefulness of their child’s end of year school report. Often, parents will compare reports and notice that comments are often similar, leading some to suggest that reports are automated. Moreover, some teachers have admitted that they have access to report writing tools to support them in their endeavour, leading to many having no choice but to work overtime.
Many parents are quick to brand this generic and unfair ; however, you should note that not all teachers will use these style reports, and many will willingly delve deep into your child’s progress and overall performance. If in doubt, remember that you have the right to ask.
Teachers measure progress differently depending on the age of their students. Each Year group and, on a broader level, key stages have specific requirements that students are expected to fulfil. For example, by the end of Year 4 maths, children are expected to know all 12 times tables. And so, teachers will refer to such milestones to measure a student’s progress.
This year, the Department for Education has decided to remove the requirement to report definitive outcomes for key stage 1 and 2 tests and teacher assessments. Therefore, if this information is missing from the end of year school report, you should not be concerned.
Schools at this stage usually issue school reports for EYFS pupils, but the guidance is not as established as primary school reports. With that, even if your child is in Reception, schools will need to complete an EYFS profile for your child. It’ll help the school assess pupils’ overall progress and support teachers in the next stage (KS1) to understand a student’s overall ability.
This profile will include a summary of your child’s attainment and will state the Early Learning Goals (ELG’s) :
At the end of the academic year, the school will include an end of year school report that will explain:
Your child’s attainment against the ELG’s with summaries included.
Progress made during the year. This consists of the three characteristics of effective learning (playing and exploring, active learning and creative thinking critically.)
During the academic year that does not consist of a national exam, i.e. year 1,3,4 and 5, there are no specific formats that schools have to follow.
However, guidelines set by the DfE state that “reports should be specific to the child, be concise and informative and help identify appropriate next steps for development”.
Year 2 marks the end of Key Stage 1 assessments, and your child will have taken the national curriculum tests (SAT’s). The school reports at this stage will differ from others as they will include both statutory teacher assessment judgments for reading, writing, maths and science, and the results of these tests.
However, not all schools will include the Key Stage 1 test results and instead consider Year 1 and 2 performance. The teacher will then decide how to analyse a student’s progress best.
Those schools who choose to add the results will report them through a scaled score, as explained below:
• A scaled score of 100 – The pupil is working at the expected standard.
• A scaled score below 100 – The pupil may need more support to work at the expected standard.
• A scaled score above 100 – The pupil is working above the expected standard.
Please note that at KS1, teachers will try to ensure all pupils score between 100-115, and at KS2, this score extends to 120.
Additionally, parents should be aware that from 2023 the KS1 SATs are being replaced by the Reception Baseline Assessment.
By Year 6 (under normal circumstances), students will have completed the KS2 SATs and finished their time at primary school. Preparing to progress to Year 7, they will make the transition to secondary school. Unlike the KS1 SATs, schools send KS2 SATs papers to external examiners for marking.
These results will help the teacher write the Year 6 end of year school report and include statutory teacher assessment judgments for reading, writing, maths, and science. You should expect to receive a breakdown of these reports with some interpretation by the teacher to help you understand better. It’ll also provide some recommendations for you to help your child make even more progress in the future.
But how about your little one? They may come skipping out from class across the playground, gladly waving their end of year school report, blissfully unaware of the criticism that may lay within. Many of our students’ parents are unsure how to communicate the report’s content with their child for various reasons. Some are concerned they’re just too young to understand (or care), others don’t want to knock their child’s confidence, and so here are some tips for approaching for the conversation.
Before having a chat with your child, ensure you fully understand the report. If you don’t understand, that’s ok! Email or call the teacher, perhaps schedule a chat so that you can delve into the report’s content deeper.
If there’s positive feedback in the report, absolutely acknowledge it! This is great for your child’s confidence and motivation for learning in the future.
Don’t just lecture your child; treat them as an equal participant in the conversation. If there are comments about bad behaviour, shouting or venting frustration (even if they are a bit of a rascal) won’t help the situation in the long term. Try asking how they feel the year went, keep the conversation age-appropriate, and explore why they think the teacher made specific comments.
For example, if the comments are about behaviour. Ask why Miss so and so may have said that, and continue from there. If it’s about a subject, let’s say maths, ask if they find it difficult. It will help you understand if they feel less confident using numbers or don’t like maths. Both are ok, and you can come up with a plan of action to help solve this.
Children love planning; they feel comfortable when they know what is to come. It is crucial to come up with a plan for how best you can support them.
Beginning and ending the conversation on a positive note will help your child to feel motivated, whatever their age.
There are various ways you can help your child if they are not meeting the expected level of achievement. The best way to deal with any issues that may arise is to find the root cause of the problem. For example, if they’re having trouble with maths, perhaps they got an answer wrong, and their peers laughed. This may not mean they struggle but instead have a confidence issue.
But if you’re struggling to figure out how to solve problems such as this, you may find the tips below helpful.
Parents underestimate how much a teacher can help in this; they’ll be able to give a plan to work on to help. If you feel that your child’s teacher is not helping, you can always contact the school.
Communication with the teacher doesn’t end with the report; it’s essential to communicate further where necessary. They can support you with a plan to help your child improve, and remember, if you’re not satisfied with their assistance, in some cases, you can contact the headteacher or subject head.
Some children respond better to fun activities, such as maths quizzes and games. If it’s the case that your child responds better to this type of mental stimulation, do not shy away from it. For example, try these free virtual maths escape rooms for Key Stage 2 students.
Online tuition is in no way similar to having a private tutor, whereby your child is expected to turn up at their house and study for an hour alone. Using online courses makes the most of the latest technologies that help students learn in an interactive environment and are becoming popular worldwide, even in the UK. Check out these videos to see how young maths tutors are helping primary school students get ahead in mathematics!
