Parent reports
Getting parents on side can make a massive difference to your students’ outcomes.
But good parent engagement, especially reporting to them, is a huge investment with significant workload implications.
This week’s highlights from the We Are In Beta community will help you learn how some of the most mproved schools in the country attempt to strike the right reporting balance.
We - schools - Are In Beta - always learning (when we report to parents well).
This week
🏡 Reporting to parents: 3 key findings across 29 schools
🗳️ Curriculum Thinking Week 2026 - nominate colleagues and submit sessions
🧑🏫 Closing the disadvantage gap through teaching at Copleston High School
💼 Jobs with members of the We Are In Beta Community
🏡 Reporting to parents: 3 key findings across 29 schools
How do schools, who improve, year after year report to parents?
Good question.
School leader, researcher and school governor, Jessica Dobrowolski spent a couple of weeks looking into it.
Here’s a glimpse of what she found in her own words…
I scoured the websites of many schools and narrowed it down to the following 29 that provided me with enough detail and information to draw some conclusions from. It was interesting to note that reporting procedures are usually hidden within assessment and/or feedback and marking policies. In fact, out of all 29 schools,
3 had a separate document dedicated to explaining the overall reporting procedure.
27 explicitly stated they reported both academic and non academic information
27 reported on all the subjects being taught at the time of reporting
1. How often do schools report (by each key stage)?
Frequency of reporting vares by school and by keystage.
While DfE guidance requires summer term reporting it allows schools flexibility to spread the reporting procedure throughout the year. Thus, reporting procedures varied in terms of their frequency as all schools chose to report throughout the year. In addition, not all reports throughout the school year reported the exact same information in the same way. Out of 29 schools:
14 stated they provide information termly
5 stated they provide information half termly
3 stated they provide information twice per year
1 school stated they provide information termly and half termly
1 school stated they provided information at a variety of points in the year dependent on the keystage
Some schools listed their reporting frequency by Keystage.
For Key Stage 3:
2 schools stated they reported termly
1 school stated they reported three times per year
1 school stated they report twice per year
For Key Stage 4
2 schools stated they reported termly
1 school stated they reported twice per year
1 school stated they reported three times per year
For Key Stage 5 (for schools that had one)
2 schools stated they reported twice per year
2. What schedules and events do schools report around?
Reporting procedures did not sit in isolation.
As reports are written to inform students and their carers of progress it makes sense that report schedules are written around assessment schedules. Additionally, many schools made reference to reports being made available in tandem with parent teacher meetings. This also suggested that schools created spaces for carers to discuss the results of reports with teachers. Out of 29 schools
26 schools linked reporting to a summative assessment schedule
18 schools scheduled reports to go out in tandem with a parent teacher conference
13 schools offered 1 parent teacher conference per year
1 school offered parent teacher conferences for the final term’s report
1 school stated they offered parent teacher conferences for the first term
1 school offered parent teacher conferences for the second and third term of reports
1 school offered parent teacher conferences once per year for KS3 and twice per year for KS4
3. How do schools communicate reports?
Via the full report you can access a directory of schools Jessica researched and drive of example reports.
🗳️ Curriculum Thinking Week 2026 - nominate colleagues and submit sessions
Members have been busy nominating colleagues and submitting sessions for our Curriculum Thinking Week conference in July (6th to 10th), where we celebrate what’s happening in classrooms across the country.
If you’d like to share and get feedback on your work from colleagues across the community, while increasing your impact beyond your classroom, department and school…
…join the line up!
Here are some key dates:
By 8th June - tell us you’d like to speak in this short form
By 22nd June - share an outline of your session in this form
By 26th June – create and upload your video, supported by your SLT
w/c 6th July – conference goes live! Jump in to meet fellow speakers, discuss sessions and learn from a wealth of ideas and resources on offer.
What are we looking for sessions to be about? Click below to learn more about how to…
🧑🏫 Closing the disadvantage gap through teaching at Copleston High School
Progress 8 for disadvantaged students at Copleston has been significantly above national average every year since 2017.
These are not the result of a single initiative but a cohesive, consistently applied, and evidence-informed system.
Join Andy Green (Executive Headteacher) from Copleston High School to learn…
How the Copleston “Nine Pillars” contribute to the “Power of the System” as an interconnected framework to deliver highest standards across curriculum, teaching, pastoral and personal development.
How a combination of strong routines, evidence-based teaching, staff development and high expectations creates the environment for T&L of the highest quality in every classroom.
Why we should be holding disadvantaged students to the highest standards.
How evidence from educational research informs all pedagogical choices.
📆 Thurs 14th May
🕓 4.15pm
💼 Jobs with members of the We Are In Beta Community.
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MAT and System Leadership
Chief Financial Officer - South Pennine Academies (Lowfields Cl) - Apply here
Director of People and Culture - Heartwood Learning Trust (York) - Apply here
Director of People - Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (Nottingham) - Apply here
Regional Director - Secondary - Astrea Academy Trust (South Yorkshire) - Apply here
Regional Director - Community Schools Trust (London / Norfolk) - Apply here
Primary Education Development Lead - Finham Park Multi-Academy Trust (West Midlands) - Apply here
Trust Lead for Professional Development (including SCITT maternity cover) - Aldridge Education (Tottenham) - Apply here
Head of Curriculum and Standards - Aldridge Education (Tottenham) - Apply here
Director of Teaching and Learning - King’s Group Academies (Hampshire) - Apply here
Director of SEND - Mercia Learning Trust (South Yorkshire) - Apply here
SCITT Development Manager - The Mead Educational Trust (Leicestershire) - Apply here
Strategic Lead for Attendance (Trust Vice Principal) - Astrea Academy Trust (South Yorkshire) - Apply here
Deputy Mental Health Lead FTC - Oasis Community Learning (Other (Remote working)) - Apply here
Director of Vulnerable Learners - The Spencer Academies Trust (Nottinghamshire) - Apply here
Regional Lead Practitioner for English (South Yorkshire) - Astrea Academy Trust (South Yorkshire) - Apply here
School Improvement Lead English (Primary) - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Sutton) - Apply here
School Improvement Lead English (Primary) - Greenshaw Learning Trust (Reading) - Apply here
National Lead for Geography (South Yorkshire & Cambridgeshire Academies) - Astrea Academy Trust (South Yorkshire) - Apply here
Regional Maths Lead - E-ACT (Oldham) - Apply here
Trust Lead - Sport/PE - Future Academies (London) - Apply here
Capital Project Manager - Harris Federation (Croydon) - Apply here
Senior HR Business Partner - Lift Schools (Bransholme) - Apply here
Senior Leadership
Executive Headteacher - Stoke Damerel Community College (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Plymouth) - Apply here
Vice Principal, Culture - Cedar Mount Academy (Bright Futures Educational Trust, Manchester) - Apply here
Deputy Headteacher - Culture and Inclusion - Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre (Hillcrest School And Sixth Form Centre, Birmingham) - Apply here
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead - Denbigh High School (Chiltern Learning Trust, Luton) - Apply here
Associate Assistant Headteacher - SENCO - Hillcrest School and Sixth Form Centre (Hillcrest School And Sixth Form Centre, Birmingham) - Apply here
Primary Director Of Teaching And Learning (With Literacy Specialism) - NCEA Duke’s Secondary School (Northumberland Church Of England Academy Trust, Northumberland) - Apply here
Assistant Headteacher - Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy (St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Derby) - Apply here
Assistant Principal - The Lowry Academy (United Learning Trust, Salford) - Apply here
SENCO - Gloucester Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Gloucestershire) - Apply here
Primary SENCO - NCEA Duke’s Secondary School (Northumberland Church Of England Academy Trust, Northumberland) - Apply here
Middle Leadership
Alternative Provision (AP) Manager - Five Acres High School (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Gloucestershire) - Apply here
Behaviour Intervention Lead - Gloucester Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Gloucestershire) - Apply here
Year Leader - Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School (Community School, Leeds) - Apply here
Outdoor and Adventurous Activities (OAA) Lead - St Sampson’s High (States Of Guernsey, Guernsey) - Apply here
Team Leader (SFC) - St Sampson’s High (States Of Guernsey, Guernsey) - Apply here
Head of Art - Chiswick School (Chiswick School, Hounslow) - Apply here
Teacher in charge of Dance and Drama - Orchard Park High (Greenshaw Learning Trust, Croydon) - Apply here
Head of Drama - for September 2026 - King’s Academy Binfield (King’s Group Academies, Bracknell Forest) - Apply here
Assistant Team Leader of English (11-16) - St Sampson’s High (States Of Guernsey, Guernsey) - Apply here
Assistant Curriculum Leader of English or Teacher of English - Uxbridge High School (Uxbridge High School Academy Trust, Hillingdon) - Apply here
Subject Leader of English - Westminster City School (Westminster City School, Westminster) - Apply here
Assistant Curriculum Leader of Maths or Teacher of Maths - Uxbridge High School (Uxbridge High School Academy Trust, Hillingdon) - Apply here
Head Of Modern Foreign Languages - Cleeve School (Cleeve School, Gloucestershire) - Apply here
Assistant Director of Learning for Modern Foreign Languages - Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy (St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Derby) - Apply here
Head of Music and Drama - Yate Academy (Greenshaw Learning Trust, South Gloucestershire) - Apply here
Assistant Director of Learning for Physical Education - Internal applicants only - Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy (St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, Derby) - Apply here
Head of Psychology - South Bromsgrove High (South Bromsgrove High Academy Trust, Worcestershire) - Apply here
Assistant Curriculum Leader of Science - Hanley Castle High School (Hanley And Upton Educational Trust, Worcestershire) - Apply here
Head of Science - Levenshulme High School (Greater Manchester Education Trust, Manchester) - Apply here
Subject Leader of Vocational Education - Willows High school (Welsh establishment, Cardiff) - Apply here
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On a personal note
When I became a parent, my view of education completely shifted.
As a Head of Science (before I had kids), I didn’t think too much my students’ non academic data and outcomes. My sole focus was getting them best Science grades possible.
But when I became a parent, it wasn’t my daughter’s academic progress I was worried about. It was her happiness, health and safety.
Seeing your little one going in crying and coming out crying is soul crushing.
Fortunately, she is now somewhere she can’t wait to get into and alway comes out smiling. It makes me so happy. I don’t take it for granted.
What I have come to appreciate is all the small bits of ad hoc feedback through short conversations here and there. Both academic and non-academic.
What has this taught me and/or reinforced?
the whole child really matters.
academic and non academic are just as important to track and share.
little and often is just as powerful as the usual end of year reporting events (if not more so).
schools face huge challenges in getting this right for every child in the current climate.
they should be commended for what they do.
If you’re thinking about your balance of academic and non academic reporting and how to get the cadence right, read the full reporting to parents piece here.
Thanks for reading.
@NiallAlcock and the We Are In Beta team
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