Tips for understanding your child’s report.
With Junior School reports going home today it is timely to reflect on how to interpret the report and how to talk about the contents with your child in a helpful way. The reports are written as a formal document reflecting their academic progress at one point in time. It is measured against the expectations of learning outlined in the curriculum for their age. All children are on a learning journey and are making their way through a continuum of learning, making progress from year to year. Your child may be at different points on the continuum for each subject because everyone has varying areas of strength and areas for further development.
We are all unique and bring a different set of skills, passions and areas of interest into the world. I encourage you to celebrate your child’s areas of strength and to recognise where you child has made good progress or has demonstrated good effort towards learning. You build up your child’s self-esteem through their strengths, rather than emphasising their areas for further development.
One area that can cause confusion is the A to E scale of overall achievement. The A to E scale represents achievement in line with the curriculum expectations for your child’s year group. The C grade is a good outcome. That means you child is meeting the expectations for learning in that subject area. Since every child is on their own learning journey, it is normal for students to have different areas in which they are working towards, at or above the expected level. No two people in the world are exactly the same!
As you read through the report here are some helpful tips and points to keep in mind:
A grade - Extensive
B grade – Thorough understanding
C grade – Sound understanding
D grade – Basic
E grade – Elementary
- The student portfolios contain a collection of student work which will be helpful in understanding and interpreting the report.
- Take note of your child’s strengths and celebrate them together.
- Look at the areas of development and for any specific comments regarding next steps.
- Focus on and reward the effort- this is an important part of the report that tells you if they are working to their potential.
- Be realistic of what your child will achieve.
- Avoid linking rewards to academic progress. This could set them up to fail. We want intrinsic – not learning for prize.
- Avoid comparisons in the family or across the grade. Learning is a continuum and children do make progress year after year.
- Remember at the same age different children can be at different places on the learning journey.
- Avoid jumping to conclusions. Use the portfolio for evidence and if in doubt ask to meet with teacher.
Sandy Wheeler
Deputy Head of Junior School - People & Practice