At this time of year parents tell me they become
anxious about what might be contained within the school report, so I thought it
useful to write a blog outlining what the school creates these reports for:
First of all they are a summary of progress
throughout the year. Schools and teachers are encouraged by professional
bodies, such as IAPS, to give this information as factually as possible, so
that the written report is a completed round-up of what has been done (not what
needs to be discussed; that should take place at other times in the year). That
is why so many school reports include tick boxes. Secondly they may, and most do, include a
short passage written by the teachers to help to clarify any points that may
not be absolutely clear in the facts given, such as the efforts your children
have made, and any circumstances or learning behaviours worth commenting on. In
some, as in ours, there is a chart outlining learning behaviour, because it is
far more relevant to know how well your child listens in class, or can follow instructions, than what she can remember later, or can currently achieve in tests. Learning
behaviour is an area which I consider to be the most essential, as truly great
teaching can only go so far in raising attainment of pupils who cannot listen,
settle, work together (or alone) or use their own common sense (for example to
write the date and turn the page as they are expected to do every day).
Most schools will now include targets on their
reports, and these are usually chosen in line with a weakness or an area that
needs to be developed, and can be worked on at home too – most have an element
of learning behaviour in them that spills over into home life, such as
insecurity and subsequent over-checking, or not being expected to organise her
own things. Constructive criticism is important for improvement, so it is not
necessary to feel defensive or over-protective (which is entirely natural) but
to think about how the target can be realistically met. Teachers try to be
helpful to you and your child, so if they think that your child needs to take
more responsibility for her work, or to try harder, then they say so to enable
you to help make this happen. If you feel this needs the teacher’s support, or
you are not sure what is meant in the report, then follow it up with the new
teacher in September, but do wait for the settling in period to be over so that
the new teacher has started to build a good personal relationship with your
child first.
Test results will be included in many reports
too, and these should always be read in conjunction with the rest of the
report, because they cannot stand or fall on their own. It should also be remembered
that tests tend to be independent working, in a silent room, without help
deciphering the questions or encouraging the answers, so children who need this
regular support or reassurance will struggle. The good news is that with
familiarisation this tends to improve, and practice does help – although too
much practice, under forced conditions can also create pressure and anxiety,
which are the enemies of success. It is also true to say that with Prep age
children a good day or a bad day can make all the difference, so exam results
should only be used to help create a pattern over years, not in the short term,
and it is helpful to take a longer term view before having a panic about a few
marks either way. It is worth remembering that no two tests will ever be
entirely the same too, even if they are standardised, and that is why there is
a reasonable margin of a few points up or down that is not considered
significant.
Reports are written by teachers, checked across
year groups, results and scores moderated and verified, then forwarded to the
senior leadership team for checking, reading and signing. This takes the
average teacher most of the Summer term, including the half term break, and then many evenings until the
end of term, because they cannot be written in the normal course of their
school and teaching duties. These written records are precious. They give as
accurate as possible a snapshot of your child as can be written by a group of
professionals working together over many hours of careful consideration.
If you feel the report does not entirely describe
to you the child you know and love, that may be a good sign, because it means
they have an independent persona from the child-to-parent one you see at home,
which is just what they will need to develop in order to become fully and successfully themselves.
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