NSW Reporting (Seasonal)
NSW Semester 1 reporting checklist: end of Term 2
A practical end-of-Term-2 checklist for NSW teachers: A–E grades, effort ratings, plain-English comments, word limits and SENTRAL export checks.
This page is a practical summary of publicly available guidance. Always follow your school's reporting template and professional judgement.
Quick compliance checklist
- Reports issued at least twice a year; your principal sets the exact timing (typically the end of Term 2 and Term 4).
- An A–E achievement grade is recorded for each key learning area taught (Years 1–10).
- Effort ratings (High/Satisfactory/Low) and social development indicators are completed where the school includes them.
- Comments are plain English, evidence-based, and include at least one area for improvement.
- Attendance data is included on the report.
Before you start writing
- Gather evidence for each key learning area: work samples, assessments and observations from the semester.
- Confirm A–E judgements are on-balance against syllabus standards, moderated with colleagues where possible.
- Check which KLAs and sub-strands were taught this semester — sub-strands not studied can be marked "Not studied this semester".
- Confirm the report format matches Semester 1 (changes between Semester 1 and Semester 2 formats are not encouraged).
While writing comments
- Use a consistent structure: achievement (what they can do) → strength (specific evidence) → next step (an actionable goal with support).
- Write in third person, plain English, using the student’s official given name; start with a positive comment.
- Keep within recommended lengths: general comment up to 200 words; primary subject comments 100–150 words; secondary subject comments 150–200 words.
- Ensure comment wording reflects the A–E grade recorded for that subject.
Final checks (fast)
- Names, spelling and grammar checked; report issued without corrections.
- No identical copy-paste comments across multiple students.
- No comparisons to other students and no behaviour commentary unless directly relevant to learning.
- SENTRAL-ready if exporting: plain text only (no bold/italics), no line breaks mid-sentence, within character limits.
After reports go home
- Offer parents and carers an opportunity to meet after reports are issued (parent–teacher interviews or three-way conferences).
- Note any students whose Semester 2 goals or personalised learning plans need follow-up early next semester.
Official sources
Create a NSW-aligned comment draft
Use NSW School Reports to draft a comment, then edit it to match your evidence and school template.
Related links
- Streamline NSW report writing in 2026 — The 3-sentence outcome formula and SENTRAL export rules in detail.
- Generate report comments — Draft NSW-aligned comments in seconds, then edit to match your evidence.
Explore the NSW reporting cluster
NSW report comments by achievement level (A–E language)
Match your comment wording to each NSW A–E grade — Outstanding, High, Expected, Basic and Limited — with plain-English phrases and evidence for every level.
NSW report comments: English — examples + next steps (K–6)
Parent-friendly English report comment examples for NSW K–6 teachers: reading and viewing, writing, and speaking and listening, with strengths and next steps.
NSW report comments: Mathematics — examples + next steps
NSW Mathematics report comment examples for K–6: number and fluency, working mathematically evidence, strengths and next steps matched to the A–E grade.
NSW Semester 2 reporting checklist: end of Term 4
End-of-year NSW reporting checklist: consistent A–E judgements, forward-looking next steps, word limits and SENTRAL export checks before reports go home.