How to write a report for a pupil you're worried about

Some reports write themselves. The child who has thrived, whose progress is visible and whose personality lights up the classroom — you could write that report with a cup of tea and a quiet twenty minutes.

And then there are the others. The child you've been quietly worried about since September. The one whose progress is hard to characterise. The one whose home life is complicated. The one who has struggled in ways that are real and significant and hard to put into professional, parent-facing language without either minimising or alarming.

These reports deserve care. Here's how to approach them.

Be honest — but constructively honest

There is a version of honesty that just lists what a child cannot do, and a version that describes where they are and where they're going. The second is more useful and no less truthful.

“Despite significant support, [Name] has not made the progress we had hoped for” tells a parent that something has gone wrong without telling them anything about what comes next. It closes.

“[Name] has had a challenging year in some respects, and we want to be honest with you about that. She is not yet working at the level we'd expect, particularly in [area], and this is something we are actively focused on. Here is what we are doing, and here is how you can help.” This opens.

Separate the academic from the personal

If a child is struggling academically, be clear about that — specifically, with context, and with a plan. If a child is having a difficult time personally (behaviour, friendships, emotional wellbeing), those things often don't belong in the report at all. They belong in a conversation.

A written report is a permanent document that a child may read when they're older. Phrases about emotional or behavioural difficulties tend to age poorly and can cause real harm. If there are significant pastoral concerns, have the conversation separately — before the report goes home, or alongside it.

Acknowledge what they can do

Every child has strengths. For some children, those strengths aren't the ones that show up easily in formal subjects — creativity, kindness, humour, persistence, the ability to make others feel at ease. Name those things genuinely. They are real and they matter.

Phrases for difficult reports

• “[Name] has found this year more challenging than we would have liked, and we want to be honest about that. He is not yet working at the expected level in [subject], and this is an area we are working on together.”
• “She has shown real resilience in the face of some difficulties this year — that kind of character is worth recognising.”
• “[Name] has strengths that are sometimes harder to see in a formal school context — his creativity, his warmth, and his genuine kindness to others are all real and significant.”
• “We are working closely with [Name] and her family to ensure she has the support she needs, and we are confident that with continued effort, progress will follow.”

One final thought

If you are worried about a child, the report probably isn't the place to put all of that worry. Write the report with care, with honesty, and with the child's dignity intact — and make sure the conversation that the report can't have happens separately, in person.