Section 11: Reporting to parents
Contains information about what reports must cover and reporting on pupils who change schools
Headteachers at maintained schools, including maintained special schools must prepare annual reports for every pupil’s parents.
Headteachers must make arrangements for parents to discuss the report with their child’s teacher, if the parents wish to do so.
The report must start from the day after the last report was given. It must be available to parents before the end of the summer term.
The report must cover the pupil’s:
- achievements
- general progress
- attendance record
Where appropriate it must also include results of any:
- national curriculum tests
- public examinations, by subject and grade
If a national curriculum test result is not received by a headteacher before the end of the summer term it must be provided to parents within 15 school days of the headteacher receiving it.
Detailed content requirements, including specific information for KS2, are set out in Schedule 1, Regulation 6 (4) of the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005, SI 2005/1437).
Academies’ requirements are set out in their funding agreements.
Religious education
Religious education is a statutory subject for all pupils registered at a maintained school, except for pupils:
- in nursery classes
- who have been withdrawn by their parents under section 71 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998
It is a general requirement that schools report pupil’s progress in religious education to parents. There is no required format for reports.
Pupils with special educational needs
Requirements for reporting on pupils with special educational needs are set out in paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.
Pupils who change schools
If a pupil changes school before the end of the academic year, the headteacher should still write an annual report for the pupil. This should be issued to the pupil’s parents. The parents should have the opportunity to discuss the report with their child’s teacher.
Pupils who are registered at more than 1 school
Pupils may be registered at more than 1 school. This helps to ensure continuity of learning for pupils whose families travel for occupational purposes or who may not have a fixed address.
If a pupil is registered at more than 1 school each headteacher should write an annual report for parents. You should also make arrangements for parents to discuss the report with their child’s teacher (if the parent wishes).
Regulation 9 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 allows the dual registration of ‘families that travel for occupational purposes’. Regulation 9(3) and (4) defines which school would be the base school (school of ordinary attendance). Regulation 9(1) applies to a pupil who:
- has no fixed abode for the reason that his/her parent is engaged in a trade or business of such a nature as to require him/her to travel from place to place
- is at the time registered as a pupil at 2 or more schools
The term ‘parent’ is used here as defined in section 576 of the Education Act 1996 as:
- parents of a pupil
- any person who is not a parent of a pupil but who has parental responsibility for the pupil
- any person who has care of a pupil