Reports rant. Completely and utterly pointless.

[Asleeponasunbeam]

Reports in our school, written twice a year, are completely and utterly meaningless. They are sent back to us for rewriting if there's the slightest hint of anything less than perfectly positive. Colleagues have written the most utter tosh about children because of this. Despite the reports taking forever to write and put together, they have no meaning whatsoever. Still, 'levels' (sub-levels actually, from ancient and out of date 'optional SATS') are reported, along with colour coding of progress or lack thereof.

I am so pissed off at the time wasting pointlessness of it all. I actually like writing reports - if they are allowed to be honest.

I do feel your pain. I was "asked" to re-write a report last year after a parent massively kicked off as I'd dared to say something less than perfect. I changed it, but my second draft could have definitely been interpreted in two ways. I agree it'd all frustratingly pointless. Are you Primary? Twice a year for reports seems a ballache.

I'm not a teacher but a parent and I completely agree with you. If you aren't allowed to be honest I'd rather that you didn't have to waste your time. There's absolutely no point in me hearing anything other than the truth about my dc's from school otherwise how can I help them improve and know what they're really behaving like in school? I really feel your pain OP and I can't imagine how much of a ball ache it must be to have to sugar coat everything.

Primary, yes. Parents evenings 3x a year too!

There is just no point to them! I'm sure we'll have more parents complaining that they don't have anything useful in them. Or about why the progress is all 'red' but we've said how delightful and hard working the child is.

Uggggh. Know what you mean, progress-wise. This year suddenly two levels progress is not enough, and three levels is expected. So all those lovely year sixes I have who have nicely progressed through juniors from their 2c to 4c are now massively behind... and don't even get me started on the ones who came in at year three on 3b but couldn't string a fucking sentence together or recognise the minus sign
IT SUCKS!

My sons school sent home his reports (yr3) before half term. A mixed bag of views from the subject teachers, some goodish, some average, some not so good.

Went in today for the 'meet the subject teachers' parents evening. 5 mins per teacher. None of them had any suggestions at all on what we/the School could do to help him improve, where a less-than-average report had been given. Subject clubs? None available. Lunchtime or after school extra support? No. TBH 5 out of the 6 teachers seemed so bored about me even asking that I was surprised they hadn't slumped out of their chairs onto the floor. Both the school head, and the head of year are leaving at the end of the year so seems little point in trying to take it further.

Feeling totally dispirited now.
So I guess parents find reports as pointless and depressing as teachers do

That sounds pretty bad, nameless. Is it a state school? I'll have many suggestions for helping all my pupils improve (or help themselves to improve), should any parents ask. But I'm not allowed to mention them in the report! Or suggest that they need to improve...despite poor progress!

Asleep that's absolutely ridiculous

Yup. It is.

No, god help me I pay £10k a year for this mediocrity. Funnily enough, DH and I did talk this evening about whether we should look again at the local state schools, which might consider themselves more accountable

Even my average dull comp in the '80s had a computer club FFS!

Sounds like you really should look around!

I might have to write a load of whitewashed drivel, against my professional judgement, but I will TELL you the truth, in an honest, understanding and respectful way, about your child's learning and behaviour!