Report Card Comments for Australian Teachers

Report Card Comments Made Easier

Writing student reports is one of the most time-consuming tasks in teaching. Most primary teachers write 25–30 individual reports per semester, with each student needing personalised comments across multiple subject areas. Research shows teachers spend 12 or more hours per reporting cycle on comments alone.

This page provides a bank of sample report card comments organised by subject area and year level, aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9. Use them as starting points — adapt the language to fit each student's progress, strengths, and next steps. We've also included tips for writing effective reports and resources from Australian teachers to help streamline the process.

Need report writing templates, editable comment banks, or complete report writing kits? Browse the teacher-created resources below.

Most Australian schools follow a three-part comment structure recommended by state education authorities. This framework keeps comments focused, consistent, and useful for parents.

Achievement – Strength – Next Step

This is the most widely used structure in Australian primary schools:

1. Achievement — What has the student learned or demonstrated this semester? Reference specific skills, knowledge, or content from the curriculum.
2. Strength — What does the student do well? Highlight a particular area where they've shown growth, consistency, or confidence.
3. Next Step — What should the student focus on next? Frame this as a positive, forward-looking goal rather than a deficit.

Example (Year 3 English): > Mia writes well-structured narratives with a clear orientation, complication, and resolution. She uses descriptive language effectively to engage the reader. Next semester, Mia could focus on varying her sentence beginnings to add more interest to her writing.

Tips for Efficient Report Writing

• Write in batches by subject rather than writing all comments for one student at a time. This keeps your thinking focused and makes it easier to differentiate between students.
• Start with your "middle" students — write comments for students performing at the expected level first, then adjust up or down for students above or below.
• Use consistent verb tenses — most schools prefer present tense for current achievement ("Mia writes well-structured narratives") and future tense for next steps ("Mia could focus on...").
• Avoid vague language — replace "Mia is doing well in English" with specific curriculum-linked observations like "Mia identifies the main idea in texts and uses evidence to support her responses."
• Keep parent audience in mind — avoid jargon and acronyms. Say "reading comprehension" rather than "literal and inferential comprehension strategies."

Foundation

• [Name] is developing confidence in recognising and writing letters of the alphabet. They can identify most uppercase and lowercase letters and are beginning to connect letters to their sounds. Continuing to practise letter-sound correspondence at home will support their reading development.
• [Name] enjoys sharing their ideas during group discussions and is learning to listen to others' contributions. They are beginning to write simple sentences with a capital letter and full stop. A next step is to use their knowledge of letter sounds to spell unfamiliar words independently.
• [Name] retells familiar stories with support and is developing an understanding of story structure. They contribute enthusiastically to shared reading sessions. Practising reading decodable texts at home will help build their reading fluency.

Year 1 & Year 2

• [Name] reads with increasing fluency and can decode most single-syllable words independently. They demonstrate strong comprehension when answering literal questions about texts. A next step is to develop their ability to make inferences — reading "between the lines" to understand what is implied but not directly stated.
• [Name] writes well-organised recounts and imaginative texts with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They consistently use capital letters, full stops, and question marks. To extend their writing further, [Name] could focus on including more descriptive language and varied sentence beginnings.
• [Name] is developing their understanding of spelling patterns including common digraphs and vowel teams. They use their phonics knowledge to attempt unfamiliar words. Practising high-frequency words regularly will support their spelling accuracy across all writing tasks.

Year 3 & Year 4

• [Name] reads a range of text types with good fluency and expression. They identify the main idea in informational texts and can locate key information to answer questions. To further develop their comprehension, [Name] could practise summarising longer texts in their own words.
• [Name] writes well-structured narratives that include detailed character descriptions and engaging dialogue. They are developing their ability to use paragraphs to organise ideas. A next step is to experiment with more complex sentence structures, including compound and complex sentences.
• [Name] contributes thoughtfully to class discussions and listens respectfully to different viewpoints. They present their ideas clearly when speaking to small groups. Developing the confidence to present to the whole class would be a valuable goal for next semester.

Year 5 & Year 6

• [Name] analyses texts critically, identifying how authors use language features and text structures to influence the reader. They compare perspectives across different text types with insight. To extend this skill, [Name] could evaluate the reliability and bias of informational sources with greater independence.
• [Name] writes extended persuasive texts with a clear thesis statement, logically sequenced arguments, and effective use of rhetorical devices. They edit their work carefully for grammar and punctuation. A next step is to strengthen their concluding paragraphs by restating their position with a compelling final statement.
• [Name] demonstrates sophisticated vocabulary choices in their writing and selects language appropriate to audience and purpose. They are developing a strong authorial voice. Continuing to read widely across genres will further enrich their writing style and language repertoire.

Foundation

• [Name] confidently counts forwards and backwards to 20 and is beginning to recognise numbers beyond 20. They sort objects by colour, shape, and size and can identify basic 2D shapes. Practising counting collections of objects at home will strengthen their understanding of one-to-one correspondence.
• [Name] is developing their understanding of addition as "combining" groups. They use concrete materials to solve simple addition problems. A next step is to begin recording number sentences to represent their thinking.

Year 1 & Year 2

• [Name] demonstrates a strong understanding of place value for two-digit numbers and can partition numbers into tens and ones. They solve addition and subtraction problems using a range of mental and written strategies. To extend their skills, [Name] could focus on explaining their problem-solving strategies to others.
• [Name] tells time to the half hour on analogue clocks and is developing their understanding of quarter past and quarter to. They measure and compare lengths using informal units. Practising telling time on both analogue and digital clocks will support their progress.

Year 3 & Year 4

• [Name] has a solid understanding of multiplication facts for 2, 5, and 10 and is building fluency with 3 and 4 times tables. They apply multiplication to solve real-world problems involving equal groups and arrays. Continuing to practise times tables regularly will support their progress toward automatic recall.
• [Name] identifies and represents fractions including halves, quarters, thirds, and eighths. They compare and order unit fractions using concrete materials and number lines. A next step is to develop their understanding of equivalent fractions and how they relate to everyday contexts.

Year 5 & Year 6

• [Name] applies the four operations to solve multi-step word problems with confidence. They select appropriate strategies and check their work using estimation. To strengthen their mathematical reasoning, [Name] could focus on explaining why they chose a particular strategy and evaluating whether their answer is reasonable.
• [Name] interprets and creates a range of data displays including column graphs, dot plots, and line graphs. They identify patterns and trends in data and compare different data sets. A next step is to draw conclusions from data and explain what the data shows in context.
• [Name] converts between units of measurement (mm/cm/m, mL/L, g/kg) and calculates the perimeter and area of rectangles. They apply their understanding of measurement to real-world problems. Developing their ability to estimate measurements before calculating would strengthen their number sense.

Science

• [Name] demonstrates curiosity when investigating scientific concepts and asks thoughtful questions during experiments. They record observations accurately and are developing their ability to draw conclusions from evidence. A next step is to make predictions based on prior knowledge before conducting investigations.
• [Name] explains how living things have structural features and adaptations that help them survive in their environments. They participate actively in hands-on investigations. To extend their learning, [Name] could focus on using scientific vocabulary more precisely when communicating their findings.

HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences)

• [Name] identifies significant events in Australian history and explains how they have shaped our community. They locate information from a range of sources including maps, images, and texts. A next step is to compare different perspectives on the same event and consider why people may have different viewpoints.
• [Name] describes the features of familiar places and how people are connected to them. They use maps and simple mapping skills to locate and describe places. Developing their ability to explain how people and environments influence each other would extend their geographical understanding.

The Arts

• [Name] creates artworks that demonstrate imagination and an understanding of visual elements including line, shape, colour, and texture. They describe the techniques used in their own and others' artworks. A next step is to experiment with new materials and techniques to expand their creative range.

Health & Physical Education

• [Name] demonstrates good sportsmanship and cooperates well with others during team activities. They are developing their fundamental movement skills including throwing, catching, and striking. Practising these skills outside of school will support their continued development.
• [Name] identifies strategies to stay safe in different situations and understands the importance of personal hygiene and healthy eating. They contribute thoughtfully to class discussions about wellbeing. A next step is to develop strategies for managing emotions in challenging situations.

Digital Technologies

• [Name] follows and creates simple algorithms using step-by-step instructions. They identify how digital systems are used in everyday life. Exploring visual coding platforms like Scratch Jr at home would further develop their computational thinking skills.

Most Australian states use an A–E (or equivalent five-point) grading scale for student reports. When writing comments, it helps to align your language to the achievement level so that parents understand the connection between the grade and the written feedback.

A — Well Above Expected Level

Use language that conveys depth, independence, and sophistication:

• "demonstrates a thorough and insightful understanding of..."
• "consistently applies [skill] with accuracy and confidence across a range of contexts"
• "independently extends their learning beyond what is expected"

B — Above Expected Level

Use language that conveys strong and consistent performance:

• "demonstrates a strong understanding of..."
• "applies [skill] effectively and with increasing independence"
• "shows a well-developed ability to..."

C — At Expected Level

Use language that conveys solid, grade-appropriate progress:

• "demonstrates a sound understanding of..."
• "applies [skill] with growing confidence"
• "is developing a good understanding of..."

D — Below Expected Level

Use language that conveys emerging progress with support needed:

• "is working towards an understanding of..."
• "applies [skill] with teacher support and scaffolding"
• "is developing foundational skills in..."

E — Well Below Expected Level

Use language that conveys early development with significant support:

• "is beginning to develop an awareness of..."
• "requires significant support to engage with..."
• "with one-on-one assistance, [Name] can..."