NT Report Comments: English Examples, Years 1–10

Writing NT report comments for English

NT schools report English with an A–E grade in both semesters. The comment is where families learn what sits behind the letter. A strong comment states what the student can do, gives one piece of evidence and sets one next step.

• Open with the level wording that matches the grade.
• Name the mode: reading, writing, or speaking and listening.
• Cite the evidence: a text type, a task, or a conversation.
• Close with a next step a family can support at home.

Reading examples

Examples

• "[Student] is achieving at expected level in reading. They read grade-level texts accurately and answer questions about characters and events. Next, [Student] will practise explaining why a character acts the way they do, using evidence from the text."
• "[Student] is achieving above expected level in reading. They compare two texts on the same topic and give reasons for their preferences. Reading longer non-fiction texts will extend them."
• "[Student] is developing expected skills in reading. They decode familiar words with growing fluency and retell the main events. Rereading short texts aloud and talking about them at home will help build comprehension."
• "[Student] is beginning to develop skills in reading. They recognise familiar words and use pictures to predict what happens next. Sharing a picture book each night and pointing to the words will build confidence."

Writing examples

Examples

• "[Student] is achieving at expected level in writing. They plan and write structured texts for different purposes and use punctuation accurately. A helpful next step is editing for more varied sentence beginnings."
• "[Student] is achieving at a high level in writing. They choose precise vocabulary for their audience and revise independently. Trying a new text type, such as an explanation, will stretch their skills."
• "[Student] is developing expected skills in writing. They write short sentences about familiar topics and are learning to join ideas. A simple checklist (capital letter, spacing, full stop) will help them check their own work."

Speaking and listening examples

Examples

• "[Student] listens carefully in class discussions and shares ideas with growing confidence. A next step is building on a classmate’s idea before adding their own."
• "[Student] presents information clearly to the class and answers questions. Using notes to organise a longer talk is the next step."

Support for EAL/D learners

• Describe progress from the student’s starting point and the language-learning evidence you hold.
• Name what the student can already communicate in each mode before the next step.
• Use plain language so the report can be translated for families.