School Reports - Then and Now

DH got "What John does is good but John does not do enough."
English or history - he can't remember which.
I got "Reckless is advised to drop this subject! " [Latin] I was hoping it would be useful for my future in medicine at the time.

I always got top marks
And out of 1,000 students came Third against two guys. They were really brainy and I was so proud to come in third. I wanted to go to medical school but unfortunately my parents were horrified. No point in looking back.

In the 6th Form in my Catholic Grammar school there were Religious lessons, although there was no exam. The teacher wrote on my report, S produces real nonsense at times.

That was because at that stage I was seriously questioning many aspects of religion and she didn't take kindly to that.

escaped

^Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me.^ Indeed this. If I achieved 10/10 for spellings, I was told I should have got 11. If I won an IDTA dancing competition, I was told I didn't point my foot enough at one minute 7 seconds into the routine. For goodness sake, even top wasn't good enough.
My reports were always that my potential exceeded my attainment. Luckily, I didn't turn out to be a shrivelled nervous wreck!

My mother was like that with me. Even being top of the class wasn't enough to please her.

sodapop

One which stayed with me - sodapop is a born leader, unfortunately she leads her form in the wrong direction. Oh dear.

😆

Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me. Indeed this. If I achieved 10/10 for spellings, I was told I should have got 11. If I won an IDTA dancing competition, I was told I didn't point my foot enough at one minute 7 seconds into the routine. For goodness sake, even top wasn't good enough.
My reports were always that my potential exceeded my attainment. Luckily, I didn't turn out to be a shrivelled nervous wreck!

😂😂😂

One which stayed with me - sodapop is a born leader, unfortunately she leads her form in the wrong direction. Oh dear.

In French Redrobin met her Waterloo.

watermeadow

When I was a child and growing up it was not the norm to praise children ever. Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me. I think parents believed praise would make you big-headed.
School reports were all about pushing you to work harder. Fun, satisfaction and pride were unnecessary.
I hope things are different now.

How true, it was just not done for parents or teachers to offer much encouragement or praise in case you got above yourself.

I remember the mother of a very clever girl saying "I'm really proud of Susan." (Susan had just heard she had got into Oxford). My parents and the other parents stared at her in stunned silence and disbelief. One just did not say that sort of thing.

The correct thing to say, according to the other parents, would have been "I hope Oxford doesn't turn Susan into one of those awful spinster type, blue stockings who can't stand men and never marry."

I think now parents and teachers are more open to encouraging children and helping them to develop their strengths.

It is interesting how report writing criteria have changed over the years.
When I first started teaching we could write anything. Later, although we had to refer to the pupil’s work, we could say nothing negative about their personality. Finally, only certain banks of phrases were permitted, purely about attainment and potential for progress. No negatives without a positive.
Nowadays, I have to ask my daughter to interpret my grandchildren’s reports as they are full of numbers and letters, not words.

I am 70 i have all my primary school reports.
A few from secondary school.
My school leaveing school report was absolutely awful, even tho i passed my C.S.E exams, and very good R.S.A typing and speedwriteing.

theworriedwell

TerriBull

Best ones, made public by former pupil who goes on to achieve outstanding success, "will never amount to anything" Eat your words dismissive teacher

I remember Emlyn Hughes on This is your life. They brought on the teacher who'd said something like "if Emlyn is as good at football as he thinks he is he'll captain the England team". And he did!

😂

Oh, some teachers do like to put your in your place!
Of course, that place might be totally wrong and lack vision.

I remember someone on TV years ago saying his geography teacher reported "This boy would do well to find his own way home".

‘Jax spends too much time daydreaming’
‘It’s a shame Jax doesn’t give as much attention to her Maths homework as she does to doodling on her exercise book cover’
We used to have to cover our books, usually spare wallpaper, or brown paper, anyone else?

When I was a child and growing up it was not the norm to praise children ever. Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me. I think parents believed praise would make you big-headed.
School reports were all about pushing you to work harder. Fun, satisfaction and pride were unnecessary.
I hope things are different now.

Academically, mine were all good - but I'm pretty sure 'talks too much' was mentioned on more than one occasion.

My school reports were glowing when I was at primary school but were less so at grammar school where I was often described as “quiet”! DH finds that amusing!

This week, DD2 forwarded reports regarding DGS2, aged 15 and DGD, 12 who attend single sex high schools in the same town. Both looked more like spreadsheets from a business with columns containing numbers that had to be cross referenced to explanations of levels on a different page of the document. These were related to DfE expectations for that age group. The only personal comment was on DGD's report and that was from her form tutor.

At the top of one column on DGS2’s report was A2L meaning attitude to learning. Similarly, on his sister’s report we see R2L for readiness to learn. DH and I found this concerning not least because it would have been as easy to use the letter T in place of ‘to’! It reminded us of ToysRUs!! Dumbing down appears to be the order of the day.

My primary school report said “ her sewing is good but she finds knitting a trial” …… nothing has changed!!

An English teacher commented on a report once, that my writing was "too dry and factual"! She was probably right - I ended up in science, where dry, factual writing is the norm.

TerriBull

Best ones, made public by former pupil who goes on to achieve outstanding success, "will never amount to anything" Eat your words dismissive teacher

I remember Emlyn Hughes on This is your life. They brought on the teacher who'd said something like "if Emlyn is as good at football as he thinks he is he'll captain the England team". And he did!

Worried couldn't draw a straight line with the aid of a ruler. Harsh as although I was no good at art I could draw a straight line with the aid of a ruler.

Back then a single line or, if the writing was tiny a two line comment for each subject.
I remember occasional praise, some could do better, but my least favourite was the one that mentioned how much better my brother was at chemistry!
Nowadays:
There is, on our primary reports, a block for personal comment (arial, size 12, please do not alter the box size).
Writing report comments with next steps for English and maths are well received by some parents and greeted with, “Well I hope you’re going to teach them that then!”

l. has progressed well in swmming this term. Only I hadn't because I never did it!

Poor concentration was often mentioned. I was concentrating with ever fibre of my being. Maybe spending my dinner money on donuts didn't help?

It's a shame all the little personal touches have been lost from reports.

Mine always said I was very quiet.

"Must curb his tendency towards flippancy." Never did, I'm glad to say.