The new student report is designed to be a plain English report that all parents can understand easily, and that describes what students have achieved against NSW BoS syllabus standards and where they need further development.

Evidence Based

Reports of judgements made about student achievement must be based on quality evidence of what each student has actually achieved against syllabus standards. The evidence that leads to the overall judgement of the achievement level provides the detail for the written comments about areas of strength and areas for further development.

Focus on Key Aspects
It is not possible to include comments on all aspects of the learning program in every report, so it is important to identify those aspects of achievement that are the most important. Evaluate the range of aspects of the student’s achievement and improvements required in order to select the most important matters for the report. Avoid filling the report with less important details and attempting to report too comprehensively about achievements and needs.  Ensure the content of each section relates exclusively to that section and not to matters that would best be reported in a different section. The content of the report comment should make links between the areas of achievement specific to that KLA, student strengths and areas for further development.\

Comment Structure
The comment will identify areas of strength and areas for further development in each key learning area/subject. The comment in this section should focus specifically on achievement against syllabus standards. It is important to avoid comments that only relate to a student’s task completion or other issues unrelated to achievement. Information included in the areas for further development should provide a clear picture of necessary next steps for the student. This advice should be manageable and realistic. It is not helpful to write long lists of areas for further development. Prioritise and select those areas that are most needed to assist further progression.

General Comment
Report comments should be written in a positive tone. There is always something positive to say about a student. Too many negatives may be counter-productive and cause the student to “turn off” from his/her learning. Use the information from the Other School Activities, Commitment to Learning, and Social Development grids to elaborate on and construct the general comment.

Report Writing Checklist