"School reports were always pretty bad - I never ever did my homework. I always turned up for lessons as I liked my teachers but my report said I didn't try very hard." -Robert Pattison

Do you feel the same as Robert Pattison? Do you struggle to pass exams, course material, and assignments? Are your reports lacklustre and embarrassing to show teachers? If so, you're not alone. For many students, the worst moments of the year are when school reports arrive home and you have to show the teachers.

There’s always a hushed moment while a parent reviews the school report. Is it good or bad news?

However, it's one thing to receive your school report but it's another thing to understand it. In certain parts of the UK, school reports are difficult to comprehend at first glance and you might need some clarification. So, without delaying the matter any further, in today's article, we'll provide some practical advice to help parents and students understand their reports.

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What is the Purpose of School Reports?

Common and everlasting, school reposts exist as report cards in Canada and the US. Report cards have been around for years and remain one of the best ways to address constructive criticism and improve academic achievement.

In the simplest of terms, a school report is known as a written document from a school about how a child is getting on in their classes. It assesses their performance and provides a valuable tool to parents, students and teachers. Without a report card, it would be difficult for parents to know how their children or teens are getting along at school because, let's face it, kids tend to stay hushed and say that everything is working out fine.

A school report attempts to build a bridge between students and parents.

A school report describes the level of academic achievement, skills, and social-emotional growth that a student is experiencing. Most report cards are published and created after certain terms or monthly periods. On average, there are usually two to three report cards sent out during any given school year.

Although we now comprehend the objective of report cards, that doesn't provide us with information on why they are so vague. Let's consider the reasons in the following subheading.

Why are School Reports So Vague?

grading too many
Report cards may seem a little bit vague since there are so many that teachers need to grade and review at the same time. (Source: Unsplash)

If you're like most mothers and fathers, you might be wondering: whatever happened to A, B, C – or a simple mark out of 100? Report cards aren't only becoming complicated to read with the ever-changing grading system but they are increasingly vague.

For example, the baffling stuff happens when you try to work out what the teachers are trying to tell you in their comments. Is there a hidden message or some kind of code for parents to decipher? Comments such as: "keen to share his ideas and opinions" or "a pleasure to teach" may be more confusing than constructive.

Let's consider a few statements that were written on school reports:

  • "In drama, he uses his humour and imagination to create expressive body and facial movements whilst experimenting with different characters’ voices."
  • "Samantha is a natural-born leader."
  • "Jonathan tries hard."

Don't you find that the previously mentioned statements sound a bit hazy? Are they compliments or are they easy-to-write phrases that flatter the parents and don't focus on the academic progress of the student?

While there are plenty of reasons why report cards tend to seem slightly blurred such as laziness and simply too many to write at once, there's one cause that is the most convincing. Such as? When speaking anonymously a few teachers were prepared to confess to using some euphemisms to soften the blow. Since they've probably dealt with crap in the past, many teachers don’t want to come straight out and say what they mean for fear of facing the wrath of a parent or upsetting a child.

Imagine how angry parents there would be if teachers didn't mince their words! 

Oftentimes, an educator hopes that the parent will work things out on their own and not involve them so heavily.

However, it's quite insightful to consider some report card suggestions or notes that were written to famous individuals. Examples? Well, it's curious to know that Winston Churchill’s teacher at St George’s School Ascot said: “He has no ambition. He cannot be trusted to behave himself anywhere.” Boy were they wrong!

Also, of successful novelist Jilly Cooper, her teacher said: “Jilly has set herself an extremely low standard which she has failed to maintain.”And, John Lennon’s report stated: “Certainly on the road to failure… hopeless… rather a clown in class.”

So, even if report cards are rather negative at times, parents can rest assured, calm down, and recognise that their children still have the opportunity to do great things!

How Can Parents Understand Report Cards?

reading reports and wondering
Have you ever read school reports and thought, what is this? (Source: Unsplash)

Instead of leaving parents completely clueless about the academic successes and failures of their children, thankfully, multiple resources assist mothers and fathers to comprehend fully the more intricate aspects of a school report.

Since report cards are a legal requirement in the United Kingdom they are often regulated by the education officials at an exam board that receives instructions on what to write from government entities. Some terms are quickly understood by teachers; however, that's not always the case for parents. Let's analyse the following glossary with commonly used terms on report cards across the UK:

  • Age-Related Expectations (ARE): when this is written it means that there are certain expectations of students for their age group and what they should be able to accomplish.
  • Working Towards (WT): slightly below the average level and striving to improve.
  • Working At (WA): satisfying expectations; not working more or less than expected,
  • Greater Depth (GD): the student is doing better than teachers expected with their coursework and assignments.
  • Emerging: working below the expected level in comparison to other students and the lesson plans at hand.
  • Developing: working below the expected level but is slightly showing improvement as time goes on.
  • Secure: not better and not worst than others, the student has achieved a secure level.
  • Mastery: better than anticipated, the student is slowly reaching an expert level in what they are doing.
  • Expected: teachers expected the student to work fine at his/her level and that is occurring.
  • Exceeding: when someone exceeds expectations, they are doing much better than they should be for their level.

Are you slowly starting to understand your son or daughter's report card better? We sure hope so! The previously mentioned terms are currently on school reports in the United Kingdom. While things do change from year to year, the terminology sticks close to what it is and won't drastically be affected.

But, what about certain terms that teachers write about students? What exactly do they mean? Well, for instance, "with assistance/support”, is likely to mean that your child is lacking the ability or confidence to complete work independently. “At times”, could mean that your child struggles to be consistent and alert with all their coursework. “Adapting to” tends to suggest that your child isn’t confident with the level of work they are doing. And finally, “is challenged by” denotes a key area of development for your child that is taking more time than usual.

So, there you have it: a bit more information to better comprehend your child's school reports.

Can Private Tutors Help with Understanding Report Cards?

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Smart parents take constructive criticism from teachers and direct it towards improvement sessions with qualified tutors. (Source: Unsplash)

Private tutors are excellent professionals that are needed in today's world. Private tutors, experienced or new, complement the traditional learning experience by filling in any gaps that students may have in their understanding of a specific topic. Parents should be proactive about hiring personal tutors for their children since it means their academic success.

But, did you know that private tutors can be equally useful to students as they can be to parents? How's that? Well, since the vast majority of private tutors have considerable experience in the sector of education, they know the inner workings of how teachers think, feel, and grade students. Therefore, personal educators are a valuable resource for parents who are trying to comprehend their son's or daughter's report card.

Hiring a private tutor is an investment that goes a long way.

In conclusion, parents, will the help we've provided in today's article, you can decode the complex statements that teachers include on your child's report cards. When you know exactly what is written and the meaning behind it, you'll be better prepared to have active participation in your son or daughter's academic achievement.

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Brentyn

Avid movie-goer, reader, skier and language learner. Passionate about life, food and travelling.