Teachers plan, teach, assess and report students’ learning using the curriculum set out by the NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA), which has its foundations in the Australian Curriculum. NESA curriculum documents set outcomes for each course and progress towards the outcomes are indicated on the academic reports. 

The Semester 2 reports also include information about attendance, participation in whole-school or whole-cohort events and progress statements related to personal social development. Our pastoral and academic teams include a personalised comment about each student. Academic comments will focus on academic results, dedication in class as well as feedback on strengths, and areas for further development.

Semester 2 reports are sent home as a hard copy portfolio and they are published on the Student and Parent Portal as they become available. Important strategies to support students include engaging in discussions about the results and identifying areas that need attention. A strategy might be to have a short discussion now and then a longer discussion as we approach the beginning of the 2023 academic year.

Discussing the report

Here are some strategies to support the discussion:

1. Looking at the work habits (Personal Profile), see if there was a result less than excellent. Support your daughter to set some goals related to work habits for 2023.
2. Ask questions about how your daughter is feeling about the report or what part is she most proud of. Ask her to identify her strengths and areas for development.
3. Try not to sound or look disappointed - instead focus on the support you can provide moving forward. For example:

• Creating a ‘fresh’ workspace conducive to home learning.
• Resetting study routines.
• Asking questions like  - “How can I help you manage your workload? What strategies do you think will make a difference?”
• Instead of “I was expecting better results …  Try Nice work with mathematics. What do you think helped those grades go up? Can we apply some of those strategies in Science?” or "I am surprised with the grade in … because I have seen how hard you are working.” - The message here is that you know she is capable of making progress in every subject.
  Pro tip - the 2022 Semester 1 report is available in the Parent / Student portal - focus on growth between reports rather than high grades.
• A renewed focus on the use of the College diary.
• Unpacking particular topics that need attention - don’t hesitate to contact the teacher or KLA coordinator for advice.
• Setting goals and creating practical, small steps to support students reaching their goal.

If students or parents have any questions about their Semester 2 results, then please reach out to the subject teacher for clarification.

Dr Debra Bourne - Assistant Principal, Learning and Teaching.

These strategies were informed by the following resources:

Craigslea State High School - Building parent-school partnerships
Literacy for Boys - Report Cards: 5 common situations and how you can discuss them with your child
Christian Gallen: How to talk about: School reports. Parentingplace.nz