The dreaded school report. How some of us used to hate taking them home to the parents!
But they're a vital first-stop way of keeping you in touch with how your child is getting on at school.
You will receive at least one written report about your child during each school year. It should contain a minimum of information about your child's progress. It is up to the head teacher whether the report will contain more than this minimum. The head teacher also decides when to issue reports (as long as parents receive the information before the end of the summer term). If your child is 18 or over, the report will be sent directly to him or her, not to you.
What should your child's report tell you?
By law, the annual pupil report must give you a minimum of information about your child's progress:
- general progress during the year
- progress in the National Curriculum subjects studied
- progress in all other subjects and activities including religious education
- record of attendance.
The report must also include arrangements for you to discuss the report with the teachers. This is an opportunity that should not be missed.
What happens at the end of each Key Stage?
Reports at the end of Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 are required to include additional information about the results of the national tests. Where your child has taken the national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 or 3 their report must include:
- their test results
- a summary of the results for all the children in the same age group at the school, so you can compare your child's results with the overall picture
- a summary of the previous year's national results for you to compare with.
It's all gobbledegook!
Teachers aren't immune from using jargon! They shouldn't use it - so if there is anything in your child's report that you don't understand, make a point of asking the teacher during the parents evening. You'll find that any unfamiliar terms you may come across aren't half as complicated as they first appear.
