to think school reports are a load of shit

[shortofbread]

My dd1 who is 5 has had her first ever report card. It doesn't have one positive statement in it.

Anything verging on positive shot down by words like 'sometimes' and 'generally'

She is 5 ffs.

The statement that really makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time is 'Little Miss Shortofbread is sometimes confused by processes but she generally works well once the process has been clearly understood'!

Is it just me?

I'm so glad I've spent about three or four hours per child (X30) writing and collating all the parts of my school reports over the last few weeks with comments like these!

I love school reports! It's the highlight of the school year for me and I've just had the last one from yr 11!

Maybe, we've got a better class of teacher in my borough , because of all the friends I know, I have never, in the 11 years of schooling that DD has done, heard of anyone complain about their childs school report. (Perhaps we all have fabulous model children too! )

DD once had an odd report from her Geography teacher, which just didn't seem to fit with the rest of her subject teachers. I questioned it and her Geography teacher apologised that he had got her mixed up. Problem solved. I understood that he had probably got many, many children to write reports for and he probably was up until midnight writing them! No harm done.

Thank you teachers - you're the best!

I think your being a bit OTT. Sounds like a lazy teacher to me. I spent hours and hours over my reports and made sure they were personel to the child (also lots of our parents read each others reports to compare their little prodigy's)

But Abigail - don't you think it's a shame you've spent 3 hours per child writing a report? Wouldn't it have been more effective to have a 20 min meeting with the parents instead?

I know legally schools have to provide a report. but they are a huge waste of teachers time.

on 21/28

roughly 1,500 words each.

someone please point me towards this program.

I teach secondary performing arts. This week I have written and proof-read 97 subject reports. Whilst I have commented individually on each students' attitude and behaviour, and finished up with a personal general comment, the majority, which necessarily has to cover progress and skills development, is done from comment banks. I wrote the comment banks myself, but it's very difficult to find lots of different ways of saying the same thing about a child's ability to work as part of a group or their vocal skills.

Reports take bloody ages- so glad to read they're a waste of time.

Couldn't agree more IndigoBell. I'd be worried if reports contained any really major surprises to parents.

A twenty minute parent evening would be fine in my eyes, but with a few conditions. The meetings would need spreading out over several weeks, as even the two in one week we currently do each term leaves me an exhausted mumbling wreck by the end of the second evening, with no energy to prepare and teach the following day's classes. And no... everyone can't have an appointment after 7pm, like most parents request! But you are totally right; face to face with the parents, with the child's work available to illustrate my comments is far preferable to hours of writing in a format prescribed by HT and governors and does not meeting what the parents want (although I've already decided different parents want different things so I'll never make everyone happy and which ever approach we use someone will always complain).

I would also add I feel the same about IEPs (I know that won't be popular). I'd rather talk to the parents more frequently and spend my time researching and preparing personalised support than filling in IEP sheets.

Couldn't agree more about IEPs.

They are such a waste of time :(

If the teacher spoke to me they'd find out much more about how to help my kids.

But instead they have to speak to the SENCO. Who does not know nearly as much as me about my kids problems :(

But of course I'm just an over anxious parent. Wheras the SENCO is a professional

I wish more parents felt like you IndigoBell! If I feel a child needs support that I can provide I'll talk to the parent and do it - with or without a piece of paper. I know that IEPs provide accountability, but some parents think just having one solves the problem and that without one nothing happens.

I'm in the midst of report-writing too and am interested to hear what the parents of MN want/don't in their DC's reports because, according to our new Head, "parents only want to hear positive things about their children, they don't want to hear about the things they are struggling with or need to improve and don't waste any time talking about the curriculum".

Previously, we've included a curriculum sheet which provides a summary of the topics covered so it's not as though the teachers will have been producing a report along the lines of, "In Y3 we have been learning about the Romans" because that information had already been provided. Apparently, parents don't want the reports to be detailed because they don't like reading them. Who are these parents? I'm one of them actually, DH is another, and we would both prefer to be given an accurate picture of the things DD needs to work on that a list of the things she can already do - we know about those.

Oh well, I'm doing my best to comply with the orders and am reducing the amount of useful information contained within my reports. It's hard though, I like the reports I write to actually reflect the child I'm writing about:(

I would say that your new Head is about to produce fairly meaningless reports!

The only thing that I would agree with is 'don't waste time talking about the curriculum' -firstly we got a curriculum news saying the topics for the term, secondly the DC talks about some of it, thirdly we have been into school and seen the books. I don't want to know that 'we have studied Romans' or covered '3Dshapes, fractions etc.

We want an accurate picture and we do like reading them! We want to know particular strengths and weaknesses, areas for improvement and how we can help-most importantly -how do they compare to the rest of the class.
The social aspect is important, how do they get on with their peers, adults etc. Do they join in, work well in groups etc.

We only want the positive if true-but we would like you to find something positive to say. (all DCs have their good points)

Above all we don't want cut and paste waffle!

Sorry-I am saying 'we' but I can't be the only one.

Do you want the reality of how your child is in class?

Joe sometimes finds it hard to engage in learning

or

Joe is unable to sit still. He constantly talks on the carpet and disrupts the rest of his group.

How would it help to know how they are doing compared to the rest of the class?

Joe is the best in the class at spelling and reading

Which then allows you to boost your ego at the school gates (Yes - I am talking about that mum in my son's class who needs to tell the whole world her daughter is on level 200000 in reading and is doing spellings for year 4)

It is really hard writing reports - you do not know how the parents will react, whether they will be upset or do anything about them

You ask if we can include things so parents can help their child - believe it or not, I struggle to get my parents to read with their children, to get them to school on time and to show any interest in their education.

Sometimes, I think I waste my time writing reports. :(

I am with flexybex, I have spent HOURS writing my classes ( 30 children) schol reports this half term. DH is about to take them swimming so I can carry on.Most have been done at night time.

I do not use a computer programme and all leteracy/numeracy/general comment are individual although I do admit to a bit of cut andf pasting with geography and history!!
These take hours of teachers time and I really hope that when they are read the parent recognises the child and they are of value.

I don't want flowery over positive language designed to make me as a parent feel better as it has no benefit to my dc what so ever.

I want truthful,comprehensive information that details exactly how much progress my dc have made and how their achievements fit in with national expectations.

I also would like reports that aren't compiled from a computerised bank of statements and which are actually tailored to my child as an individual not a best size fit.

I also like to see next steps and targets they'll be working on following on from the report.

I'd like more on the social aspects too.

OK - if you have a primary child, do you want to know about every subject and what they need to do to improve in each one?

Because I find that hard for RE :)

Hmmmm not really bothered about RE etc however my dd is crap at PE and I'm kind of glad I know iykwim.I have 1 musical child sooo like to be informed on that although the info from a class of 30 kids in music lessons probably isn't worth much to be honest.Dp works in IT so again that is important to us.

It's hard as one parents not interested subject may be for another.

Maths,reading,writing,spelling, science,social aspects are extremely important for every child imvho-maybe PE too given the impact it can have on health.

important

rockpools DS / DD struggles to perform forward rolls in a co-ordinated manner

or

rockpools DS / DD just hates PE, I don't think they're cut out for the Olympics, their forward rolls resemble a whirling mass of arms and legs

:)

I think my son's PE report would pretty much say the same thing if the teacher wrote what they really thought.

But we can't.

I'm in Australia which, regarding reports, is even sillier that the UK, i.e.. timing and content is mandated.

I put all my efforts into detailed written feedback on homework assignments, projects, which, if the parents read them during the term, they'll know how their children are getting on.

A report should contain no surprises; this is the rule at my school, and a good one. If the child is not doing OK, there should have been some communication long before the report.

I wasn't that concerned(as I was a v fit PE hater myself) but she had extra support for it in Y1so I'm guessing her forward rolls are beyond a mass of whirling legs.

Not heard anything since but as a parent I do like to know so I can give support at home which can make her happier in school when it's needed iykwim.

I prefer brutal honesty at all times however unpleasant for parent(and teacher).

Have any of you approached the school about reports?

Nothing will change if you just complain in the playground. Apologies if this is not the case.

My school had a complete overhaul of reports as they spoke to parents. Now they are short, 3 times a year and followed by a parent evening to discuss.

Nothing will change if they don't know.

We are restricted in the length of our reports which makes it harder to be useful. Another concern is the reaction of parents to negative comments. Some may for off the handle and take it out on the child. Others take a suggestion of a way forward as a major failing, and hound the child.
Most parents don't do these, but as a secondary teacher, we don't know the parents well, so this can be a concern.

As an aside, I once had the misfortune to work at a school where the reports were 12 a4 pages long, not including the front cover. We had to start writing them in the easter holidays as they were so mammoth.

Ridiculous and pointless.

Round I worked in a school like that and they were all written by hand. You were literally up until the small hours night after night.

My colleague was beyond when having written 30 of these epics the mother of the one child she was most concerned about scrunched it up and put it in the bin as she left without even reading it!!!!!