Effective Report Writing in the EYFS

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By Fe Luton

Report writing season is a blot on most teachers’ calendars. It has a formidable reputation for being all-consuming and, let’s face it, exhausting and even downright boring. However, report writing remains an effective and important means of communication with parents… and even with children.

If you can pluck up the courage to dip into any online parent forum about school reports, one of the biggest complaints is when very obvious cut and pastes from other reports or statement banks have been employed. Some report complaints even include having a different child’s name in the middle of a report or the suggestion that a child can do something that they clearly can’t. On the flip side, those parents full of report-praise highlight those comments that show the teacher really knows their child’s personality and foibles, as well as clearly noting strengths and weaknesses. Parent satisfaction is not about wanting to hear how rosy life is with their child in your class, or what an amazing high flier they are, but about getting down to the nitty-gritty and receiving an honest and personal report.

While this may sound simple, the reality of getting the tone right and sensitively presenting weaknesses can be quite a challenge. Here we explore some ideas that aim to make the whole process feel much more manageable and that should leave your parents feeling privileged that their child was in your class.

The Assessment and Reporting Arrangements document explains that providers should give parents a written report which:

States the child’s attainment against the Early Learning Goals (ELGs)
Summarises attainment in all areas of learning
Comments on general progress, including the Characteristics of Effective Learning
Explains arrangements for discussing the profile