Anatomy of an Effective New South Wales Report Comment

The Five Essential Elements

Every effective New South Wales report comment, regardless of year level or subject, contains five key structural elements that align with NESA requirements and best practice in educational feedback:

Student Name + Positive Opening

Begin with the student's given name and an authentic positive observation about their achievement or approach to learning.

Specific Achievement Evidence

Describe what the student has demonstrated, linking to curriculum outcomes or syllabus content with concrete examples.

Skills and Application

Explain how the student applies their knowledge—in what contexts, with what level of independence, and with what sophistication.

Progress or Effort Acknowledgement

Recognise growth, persistence, or positive learning behaviours that contribute to achievement.

Specific Growth Direction

Provide actionable, specific guidance about what the student should focus on to improve, linked to curriculum progression.

Analysing Example Comments

Example 1: Year 3 Mathematics (B Grade)

"Sophie has demonstrated thorough understanding of multiplication and division concepts throughout the term. She confidently solves multi-step problems involving the four operations and accurately interprets mathematical language in word problems. Sophie shows particular strength in explaining her mathematical reasoning using appropriate terminology. To further develop, Sophie could focus on applying these skills to more complex real-world scenarios involving money and measurement."

Analysis:

Student Name: Uses "Sophie" (given name, third person)
Positive Opening: "demonstrated thorough understanding" aligns with B-grade descriptor
Specific Evidence: Names actual syllabus content (multiplication, division, four operations, word problems)
Skills Application: "confidently solves," "accurately interprets," "explaining reasoning"
Progress Note: "shows particular strength" acknowledges standout area
Growth Direction: Specific next step (real-world scenarios with money and measurement)

Example 2: Year 7 English (A Grade)

"James has produced outstanding work in English this semester, demonstrating sophisticated analysis of complex texts. He consistently identifies and evaluates sophisticated literary techniques, supporting his interpretations with well-selected textual evidence. James's persuasive writing shows exceptional control of language features, including sophisticated vocabulary and varied sentence structures that engage his audience effectively. His willingness to refine his work through multiple drafts reflects mature editorial judgement. To continue progressing, James could explore more diverse text types and experiment with adapting his writing style for different purposes and audiences."

Analysis:

Grade Alignment: Language matches A-grade descriptors ("outstanding," "sophisticated," "exceptional")
Evidence-Based: Multiple specific examples (textual analysis, persuasive writing, editorial process)
Curriculum Links: References syllabus outcomes (analysing texts, language features, audience awareness)
Process Recognition: Acknowledges learning behaviours (willingness to refine, multiple drafts)
Growth Challenge: Even for A-grade students, provides aspirational next steps

Common Structural Errors to Avoid

1. The Generic Template Error

"The student has worked well in Mathematics this term and completed most tasks to a satisfactory standard. The student should continue to try hard and focus on improving problem-solving skills."

Problems: No student name, vague language ("worked well," "most tasks," "try hard"), no specific evidence or curriculum connection, reads like a comment bank entry.

2. The Behaviour-Focused Error

"Emma is a delightful student who always participates enthusiastically in class discussions. She is well organised and completes homework on time. Emma needs to stay focused during independent work time."

Problems: Focuses on behaviour and attitude rather than achievement, no reference to curriculum content or skills, doesn't describe what Emma has learned.

3. The Vague Improvement Error

"Liam has made progress in Science. He understands most concepts and can complete experiments. Liam should continue to work hard and improve his understanding."

Problems: Vague achievement description ("made progress," "understands most"), no specific examples, improvement suggestion is not actionable ("work hard," "improve understanding").

Adapting the Structure Across Year Levels

While the five-element structure remains consistent, the sophistication and specificity adapt:

Kindergarten-Year 2: Simpler language, focus on foundational skills, describe concrete achievements.
Years 3-6: Reference specific KLA outcomes, describe application in various contexts, acknowledge independence.
Years 7-10: Link to syllabus outcomes explicitly, describe sophisticated analysis or application, reference disciplinary thinking.
Years 11-12: Connect to course outcomes, describe depth of understanding, relate to senior secondary expectations and standards.

Time-Saving Without Sacrificing Quality

Understanding this anatomy is essential, but manually crafting 30+ structurally perfect, personalised comments is time-intensive. Modern AI tools trained specifically on New South Wales standards can generate comments that follow this exact structure while you focus on providing the student-specific evidence and achievement judgements.

The key is not to eliminate teacher input—it's to eliminate the time spent on structure, word choice, and compliance checking, leaving you free to focus on what matters: your professional knowledge of each student's progress.

For more examples and practical guidance, explore our comment library or review our complete best practices guide. To learn about effective reporting across all New South Wales year levels, see our comprehensive reporting guide.

Perfect Structure, Every Time

NSW School Reports generates comments with all five essential elements automatically structured, leaving you to focus on personalisation and evidence. No more worrying about compliance—just add your professional insights.

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