5 tips to reduce your pupil report workload

See examples of time-saving report-writing strategies from other schools, alongside advice on how to improve your reporting processes to parents.

Last reviewed on 6 May 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 35082
Contents
  1. Understand your requirements
  2. Reduce written comments
  3. Follow a formula
  4. Relax marking/planning requirements at report-writing time
  5. Use comment banks wisely
  6. Pace report writing throughout the year

Understand your requirements

Use our checklist to find out what your reports must include and how often you need to send them.

If you are planning to significantly change the format of your current reports, contact parents to let them know.

Find out more about your statutory requirements around reporting to parents.  

Reduce written comments

Get rid of subject-specific written comments

Instead of writing detailed comments for every subject, ask teachers to provide grades for behaviour, classwork, homework and assessments per subject and/or a target for improvement. Class teachers in primary and form tutors in secondary are then responsible for writing general comments about the pupil, based on these grades, verbal feedback from other staff members or subject teachers, and their own observations.

Use colour codes to save time and make it easy for parents to understand their child's progress in different areas at