Pupil reports
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Last updated: 27 July 2005
It is a requirement for head teachers of maintained schools to provide an annual written report on the educational achievements for every registered pupil at their school. This must be provided to the pupil's parent every school year, or if the pupil is 18 or over, to the pupil. Where a pupil is 18 or over a head teacher can also provide the report to the pupil's parent, as well as to the pupil, where the head teacher considers there are special circumstances which make it appropriate.
Minimum content, prescribed by the regulations, can be provided in one or more such report. Schools can, of course, provide more than this minimum information required and head teachers can have a report translated if appropriate. The information required in the annual pupil report must be provided by the end of the summer term of the school year to which the report relates. The only exception to this is in respect of some specific information that may be received after that and which is outlined immediately below under Changes to note.
Where a pupil is no longer of compulsory school age and has left the school or is proposing to do so, head teachers are required to provide the pupil with a school leaver's report (in place of the annual pupil report). The school leaver's report must be provided no later than 30 September following the pupil's last year at the school.
Changes to note
Schools are no longer required to report Key Stage 1 task and test results in
pupil reports but they must report teacher assessments.
Where results of public examinations, NC tests or reviews undertaken by the external marking agency of any NC tests taken are not received by head teachers until after the end of the summer term, and cannot therefore be provided to parents by the end of that term, then head teachers must provide them to parents within fifteen school days of receiving them.
Providing pupil reports to non-resident
parents
For day to day purposes a school's main contact is likely to be
the parent with whom the child lives on school days, and this is the person
they are likely to give the report. However, if a parent not living with their
child contacts the school and asks to have their own copy of their child's
report sent directly to them, it should be provided. The exception would be if
there was a relevant court order that limited that parent's right to
information about their child.
For more information about who is a parent in education law and their rights in terms of involvement in their children's education, see the Parental Responsibility entry.
Arrangements for parents/pupils over 18 to
discuss the report
Head teachers must make arrangements to enable the recipient of the
report to discuss it with the pupil's teacher if s/he wishes.
Minimum required contents of pupil reports for pupils in reception to year 13
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Brief particulars of achievements in all subjects and other activities forming part of the school curriculum
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Comments on general progress
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Attendance record* during the period to which the report relates, unless the child is in Reception or Years 12 or 13 and no longer of compulsory school age. For more about attendance see Further Information below.
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Where the pupil is in Key Stages 2 — 3: results of any NC tests taken in the year
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Where the pupil is in the final year of Key Stages 1 — 3: NC teacher assessment levels and NC test results as appropriate with explanatory material**
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Where the pupil is in the final year of Key Stages 1 — 3: comparative information about the attainments of pupils in that year in the school and nationally **
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Any public examination results by subject and grade including any vocational qualification or credits towards any such qualification gained
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Arrangements for discussing the report with the pupil's teacher if the recipient so wishes
*This means information about attendance showing the total number of possible attendances and total number of unauthorised absences expressed as a percentage of the possible attendances.
** The annual Assessment and reporting arrangements booklets from QCA, provide detailed information about reporting from Foundation Stage to the end of Key Stage 3.
Some information is exempt from disclosure in pupil reports. This includes information concerning the child which also relates to another person who can be identified from that information or which identifies another person as the source of that information. Unless the person has consented to the disclosure or it is reasonable in all the circumstances to disclose the information without his/her consent or the person is an employee of the LA or of the school. For example, this would include information which would disclose the levels in any attainment target or subject of any other child. (This exemption does not apply where it is possible to edit the information requested so as to omit the name or any other identifying particulars of that other person).
Content of reports where a pupil has a statement
of special educational needs
Reports for the annual review of a pupil's statement of special educational needs may, if schools wish, serve as
the annual report to parents. If so head teachers should ensure the report
provides the minimum information required in respect of any other pupil in the
same school year.
Additionally, schools should always provide contextual information, in particular by supplementing the minimum information with a more detailed account of a pupil's progress in relation to the curriculum that they are following
Content of a head teacher's report to school
leavers
This must contain brief particulars of the pupil's progress and
achievements in subjects and activities forming part of the school curriculum,
other than in relation to any public examination/ vocational qualification.
Main text
Legislation
Key documents
Best practice
Further information
