Report phrases for Year 5: preparing parents for the final stretch

Year 5 is the quiet year before the loudest one. Parents are starting to think about SATs, secondary school, and whether their child is on track. Your report has to be honest about where children are, encouraging about what's coming, and specific enough to feel like it's actually about their child.

Here are phrases that do all three.

Reading

• “[Name] is a strong and confident reader who reads widely and with real discrimination — she knows what she likes and why she likes it.”
• “He is developing his analytical reading skills and is beginning to look closely at the choices authors make, which is exactly the right preparation for Year 6.”
• “She reads with fluency and expression and brings genuine enthusiasm to whole-class texts.”
• “[Name] is making progress in reading and would benefit from reading more challenging texts over the summer — this will build the comprehension skills that become increasingly important in Year 6.”
• “Her inference skills have developed significantly this year. She is confident reading between the lines and supporting her ideas with evidence from the text.”

Writing

• “[Name] is developing into a strong writer. Her work shows careful planning, purposeful vocabulary choices, and an increasing awareness of how to engage a reader.”
• “He writes with confidence and creativity, and his extended writing pieces have been some of the most enjoyable to read this year.”
• “She is working on the consistency of her writing — her best work is excellent, and the challenge now is to bring that quality to everything she produces.”
• “[Name] is making good progress in writing. He is developing his ability to vary sentence structure and use punctuation for effect.”
• “Her writing is technically strong and she is beginning to take the creative risks that make writing really come alive.”

Maths

• “[Name] is working at the expected standard in maths and is well-placed for the demands of Year 6.”
• “He shows real strength in reasoning and problem-solving — he approaches multi-step problems with confidence and perseverance.”
• “She is secure in all four operations and is beginning to apply her skills to increasingly complex problems with accuracy.”
• “[Name] has made good progress this year. Continuing to practise mental maths and times tables over the summer will help him go into Year 6 feeling confident.”
• “Her mathematical thinking is strong, and she is particularly good at spotting patterns and making connections between different areas of the curriculum.”

Personal development

• “[Name] is an excellent role model in our class — hardworking, kind, and quietly brilliant.”
• “He has had a really strong year. He has grown in maturity, taken on more responsibility, and approached everything with a good attitude.”
• “She is ambitious and driven in the best possible way — she sets high standards for herself and, more often than not, meets them.”
• “[Name] is developing the resilience he will need for Year 6. He handles difficulty better than he did at the start of the year, and that's a significant shift.”
• “She is a supportive, generous member of our class who brings out the best in those around her.”