How to Write School Reports
15 May 2023 • 4 min read
Writing school reports can be a daunting and time-consuming task. But great school reports put a smile on parents’ faces, support student learning and growth, and may be treasured for years to come.
What makes a report great?
From a parent’s perspective, the hallmark of a great report is its authenticity - it captures the essence of their child. This personal touch shows that you truly know and value their child. On the contrary, a generic report that could apply to any student in the class will lack impact and leave parents feeling unsatisfied.
For students, a report becomes meaningful when it's accurate and individual. It's not uncommon for students to compare their reports with peers, and they will quickly pick up on duplicated content or overlooked personal achievements.
What to include?
Think about the recurring questions that pop up during parents’ evenings - these are a reliable indicator of what parents wish to know. Typical queries include:
- How does my child behave in class?
- Do they work hard?
- Are they progressing as expected?
- Are they enjoying their studies?
- What can they do to improve?
- Has [a specific issue] improved since we last spoke?
In your report, include specific examples to illustrate strengths and areas for improvement. This adds weight to your comments, making the report more personal and impactful. Here’s an example:
Year 10 Geography Report for Marta:
Marta demonstrates an impressive ability to absorb and recall detailed geographical facts. Her recent presentation on the River Nile was a testament to this, as she explained key river processes with clarity and depth.
However, Marta sometimes struggles when connecting facts to wider global issues. For instance, during our climate change topic, she accurately described the greenhouse effect but could have expanded more on its global socio-economic impacts. Her analytical skills are something we can focus on next term.
In terms of behaviour, Marta is both respectful and attentive. She displays a positive attitude towards learning and clearly enjoys the subject, particularly the physical geography elements. Her motivation is evident in the effort she puts into her classwork and homework.
However, Marta could benefit from increased engagement with her peers during group tasks. Collaborative work is crucial not only for understanding geography but also for developing interpersonal skills.
Overall, Marta is making very good progress. I look forward to seeing her continued growth and development next term.
How to save time
Real Fast Reports allows you to compose reports in succinct bullet points, which our AI then transforms into fully written reports at the click of a button. Combine this powerful tool with the following strategies to transform your report writing process:
- Avoid last-minute stress by gradually building up comments in the weeks and months before the report deadline. Real Fast Reports makes it easy to add bullet point comments every now and then, e.g. when a student excels in a piece of work or masters a new skill.
- Engage your students by encouraging them to reflect on their strengths and areas for development. Use a printed form or an online survey to gather their insights, which can then directly inform their report.
- Multi-task during lessons - assign an independent task to your students while you jot down observations about each of them. Writing precise, insightful comments becomes much easier when you're observing a student at work.
Experience the difference
Try Real Fast Reports for free and join the report writing revolution.
This summer, we're also offering complimentary school packages. Share this page with your school leaders and extend the benefits of Real Fast Reports to your entire teaching team. Transform the way you handle report writing and enhance the value of your school reports for students and parents alike.