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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

School Reports - Chat thread

102 replies

IndigoBell · 05/07/2011 13:28

How's everyone feeling about their children's school reports?

I've just got DS2s report and it's glowing - which stupidly makes me upset because he's a very difficult child at home, and it makes me feel like it must be me that's the problem.

Apparently he's fine at school and is only a monster for me, DH, the nanny and Beavers.....

Anyway, what are your school reports like? Do they describe your child? Or someone else totally......

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laurz75 · 05/07/2011 13:36

My ds report was very accurate and honest. It showed just how well his teacher knows him. He can be difficult at home too but is an angel at school.
It is frustrating but I know that he can behave when he has to!

I am a teacher myself and can remember many a parent saying "But he's awful at home..." and I used to say "Which way round would you rather it was!?". That came back to bite me!!!

dragonmother · 05/07/2011 13:58

Great idea to have a general chat thread on this.

Ours aren't out until next week but I am cynical after last year's I'm afraid . Still, I will be chomping at the bit to read it the second Dc leaves the school door, yet will hold off until we get to the car so I don't seem obsessive (which I am).

LawrieMarlow · 05/07/2011 14:00

Think DC get theirs on Friday. I will also be chomping at the bit but will try to contain myself a little

Lizcat · 05/07/2011 14:16

Not looking forward to ours. Christmas report DD described as enthusiastic and positive girl. 6 weeks later we go into have a meeting as DD being bullied suddenly DD is negative glass half empty kind of girl and the more we have tried to get the bullying sorted the greater the reference to DD's supposed negativity.

lovecheese · 05/07/2011 14:20

DD1 - good. Very honest, especially about the usual problem.

DD2 - very good, although I am narked about one little bit that I am going to raise with her teacher.

What stands out for both of them, though, is their motivation and desire to succeed. What more could I ask for, really?

altmum · 05/07/2011 14:28

I haven't found school reports to be very informatative in the past, filled with the normal platitudes. Have changed schools now so will wait and see.

dragonmother · 05/07/2011 14:40

Same issue as altmum really - it's hard to know these days whether they say nice things about all the children. Maybe they are told to in some schools?
That said, I know dc is teacher's pet - she has made it quite clear so she will of course mean every positive word on his report .

I expect the levels to be a load of bollocks though.

I used to LOVE getting my reports home - one every term unlike dc's school where it's once a year. I can remember the anticipation still very clearly.

GooseyLoosey · 05/07/2011 14:42

They never address the real issues with the dcs (ds in particular) so I am not sure how I feel about them really.

feckwit · 05/07/2011 14:44

Same as some of the others, I find them quite wishy washy and lacking in information. Always imagine teachers C and P a whole chunk and then change a few bits here and there but maybe I am too cynical...

Goblinchild · 05/07/2011 14:48

It's hard when you have to match them to official documents and jargon, explaining what they have achieved or not. It's also tricky when you have to phrase everything in a positive light, although there should be a target to work towards, a next step to try. The euphimisms game can keep me entertained for hours as I create my reports.

lovecheese 'DD2 - very good, although I am narked about one little bit that I am going to raise with her teacher.'
See? It would have been easier for the teacher to have given you something bland that didn't nark you.

southernbelle77 · 05/07/2011 16:25

DD's report was what I expected which makes me slightly sad and disappointed. Her teacher assessment / sat results were good to average but her effort was not there at all and it is that which worries me. The first couple of sentences say...

'DD is an interesting character who I have enjoyed teaching, even though she can be frustrating at times! She is a very clever girl but it is a shame she doesn't show this consistently in her work...'

Strategies for motivating her and helping her to apply herself is what we need to find.

Elibean · 05/07/2011 16:28

I've no idea when we get ours - does everyone else get them at the end of term? In which case we have 2.5 weeks yet...

Goblinchild · 05/07/2011 16:33

Ours went out last Friday.

7Seas · 05/07/2011 16:35

ours out this week, copy and paste about 'she' when it is a 'he'

SybilBeddows · 05/07/2011 16:39

dd's reports drive me absolutely nuts. They are very individualized and give you a huge amount of information about what she can do, but I have absolutely no idea how well she is doing; she could be above or below average, there is no clue.

LindyHemming · 05/07/2011 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

treas · 05/07/2011 16:46

I'm in the same boat as southernbelle with dd who is easily "distracted and lacks focus".

Unfortunately, this is something we raised as needed being looked into with dd's teacher at the beginning of the year and still they weren't able to motivate dd.

Funnily, dh and I manage to get her motivated to produce lovely work at home!

School seem to be placing all the onus on dd - which although dd is at fault she is 8 y.o. and the teachers job is to teach, or at least I thought it was!

southernbelle77 · 05/07/2011 17:21

Treas, that is what happened with DD too. I have been talking to the teacher throughout the year about it and still they reply that she needs to motivate herself. She was 7, 2 weeks ago and needs more than self motivation. She can do lovely work and complete work much harder than she shows ( her teacher gave her some harder maths to see if she could do it and she did really well but that was the end of it and she is back down in a group where she is bored and unmotivated). At home, with gentle (it w

southernbelle77 · 05/07/2011 17:22

Oops. (wrong to kick her up the backside, yes?!), she can do lovely, neat work but at school it doesn't show!!

mankyscotslass · 05/07/2011 17:48

We won't get ours til Friday at the earliest, more probably next Monday or Tuesday.

It really annoys most of the parents, but the school won't change the system. It usually means we get a week or so to see the teacher before end of term if there are any issues raised....which isn't usually enough time.

I know that school reports should not raise any unknown issues, but that' not always the case.

treas · 05/07/2011 18:02

We're not related are we southernbelle since our dds sound like peas in a pod!

If it's any reassurance my ds had similar reports throughout the school and then on moving up to middle school became a different child entirely. He is currently YR6 and has just done his Maths SATs level 6 paper and got a 6c (the highest mark the teachers will give (even though to pass you needed 50% and he got 70%). He has also had 3 positive referrals this year as well.

So although the children are at fault I think the schools have to take responsibility as well.

munstersmum · 05/07/2011 18:11

Not got ours yet - it will be in July!

Find parents evening far more informative & not cos I have any good questions. At parents evenings they will volunteer information about how DS is doing whereas reports tend to the 'Little Johnny enjoyed our science experiments'.

Became cynical when discovered in playground last year more than 50% had 'a lovely sense of humour', 'tried hard with thier handwriting' & 'were slow to change for PE'. Hey ho new school this year

iron78 · 05/07/2011 21:27

Waiting for ours. Lasy year they were a little bland. Working below, within and above. Plus I found the comments didn't completely match level. However, still can't wait for this year.

iron78 · 05/07/2011 21:28

Also think teacher's have to be a little too positive in primary reports. It feels a bit like they can't criticise.

yellowkiwi · 05/07/2011 21:39

Very bland. The only personal comment was almost word for word what his teacher said at parents' evening last term - would have thought they could have made the effort to say something a bit different. Very disappointed with his progress this year in some subjects but DS has enjoyed the year so I suppose I can't complain.

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