What makes a good report?

School reports communicate information about pupils. Effective communication depends upon mutual understanding. Parents need to know what the school is trying to do and to recognise the knowledge, skills and attitudes which the school seeks to impart. Teachers need to be aware of parents' aspirations and concerns. A good report is one which promotes this vital communication between home and school.

The term "report" implies an account or assessment of what has been completed: and traditionally that is what school reports have been. They can and should be more than that. If the dialogue between home and school is to be fruitful, reports should also look forward, should contain agenda as well as descriptions of achievement, and should encourage discussion of how pupil and teacher will together approach what should be done next. A good report needs to summarise but should avoid unhelpful generalisation. "Good", "Poor", "Satisfactory", "Not Satisfactory" are examples of unhelpful generalisation. Without additional explanation, these terms carry insufficient information to allow parents to gauge the strengths of their children's performance that can be further developed, or the kinds of support that might usefully be given in areas where progress is slower.

Reporting effectively to parents is important; but the report should also contribute directly to the pupil's progress. However carefully thought out and presented, a report will not be a good one unless it motivates the pupil to learn. Praise is a more powerful motivator than censure and the positive aspects of performance should always be emphasised. This is not to suggest that a report should avoid the truth. Children's actual rate of progress should be identified. Comments should be made about any shortcomings in attitude or behaviour, or on poor attendance. However, it does no service to call attention to a need for improvement or development without suggesting constructively how that need might be met, either within school or by home and school in partnership.

School is more than the formal curriculum and a good report will recognise this. Aspects of personal development and activities pursued informally within the school are all germane to a well-rounded and comprehensive school report.

While the report may be regarded primarily as a basis for dialogue between home and school, this does not mean that there is no role in the process for the pupil reported on. Realistic self-assessment is now seen as important and considerable attention is given to its development in various initiatives, including Education 5-14, Standard Grade and the Record of Achievement. Obviously the level of sophistication will vary with the maturity of the pupil, but experience suggests that self-assessment can be introduced with quite young children. Some practical suggestions are offered in Section 2.2.