How to write reports for SEN pupils: a practical guide

Reports for pupils with SEND are among the most important a teacher writes — and often among the most difficult. You're trying to communicate progress that may not look like progress on paper. You're writing for parents who are often more informed about their child's needs than anyone, and sometimes more anxious too.

Getting these reports right matters.

Start with what they can do

This sounds obvious, but SEN reports often lead with needs and gaps rather than strengths and progress. Every child has things they can do well — and for many SEND pupils, those strengths exist in exactly the areas that formal reports overlook. Start there.

• “[Name] has a remarkable memory for detail and uses this as a genuine strength across the curriculum.”
• “She approaches learning with warmth and persistence that is an example to the whole class.”
• “His creativity in open-ended tasks is exceptional — when given space to approach a problem his own way, the results are consistently impressive.”

Describe progress on their own terms

A child working significantly below age-related expectations has still made progress — and that progress deserves to be named specifically, not buried in a hedge.

Rather than: “Although [Name] is working below the expected standard, she has made some progress.”

Try: “[Name] has made meaningful progress this year, particularly in [specific area]. At the start of the year, she [specific baseline]. She can now [specific development]. That is real and significant growth.”

Be honest about challenges — but frame them as next steps

• “[Name] continues to find [specific area] challenging, and this will remain a focus for support next year.”
• “He benefits from [specific support strategy] and will continue to need this kind of scaffolding as he develops.”
• “Her next step is [specific, achievable target] — something we are confident she can work towards with the right support in place.”

Things to avoid

Avoid language that sounds like a verdict rather than a snapshot. “Despite significant support, [Name] has not...” is a sentence that a parent will carry with them. You can be honest without being final.

Avoid generic SEN language that could apply to any child in any school: “She has her own individual targets” — this tells a parent nothing. Be specific about what those targets are and what progress has been made.

Avoid comparisons to the rest of the class, implicit or explicit. The child's report should be about the child.

A note on EHCP pupils

For pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, the report should complement the annual review — not duplicate it. Focus on the human picture: personality, character, what makes this child who they are. The data conversation happens elsewhere.