Research from Capita SIMS has revealed that over half of parents (57%) feel primary school reports are either too generic or do not contain enough information about how their child is doing.

More than a third of primary school teachers (35%) agree. This is despite the fact that schools are now recording more information about the children they teach than ever before.

The results suggest that primary schools’ communication with parents needs to evolve, something some heads are actively addressing.

Jayne Mullane, headteacher at Mersey Vale Primary School in Stockport, remarks: “We need to listen to parents to find out what information they want to receive. In my school, parents gave us feedback on our reports and we changed them as a result. They now include information about how much effort a child makes in class as well as details of academic performance.”

The Capita SIMS survey found that knowing whether their child is happy and confident in class tops the list of information parents want to know from teachers, suggesting that mums and dads do not just want academic results on their reports.

And although three-quarters of parents (74%) stated that it was very important to have information on happiness and confidence, less than half (46%) reported actually receiving it from their child’s primary school.

Teachers too felt information on a child’s happiness was crucial, with 75% stating it was very important for parents to have this information.

Phil Neal, a director at Capita SIMS, comments: “The vast majority of parents believe teachers are doing a great job, but the research does indicate that information about how a child is doing in school needs updating.

“By asking parents what they want, schools can actually stop collecting unnecessary data and just focus on the information that really helps teachers in class and gives parents a more rounded picture of their child’s progress.

The survey also revealed that most teachers (85%) agreed that technology has a positive impact on their workload when it comes to monitoring pupil progress.

Phil Neal continues: “By making better use of the management information systems and pupil tracking software that they already have in primary schools, teachers can track a richer set of information about pupils without impacting on workload.

“Teachers could just as easily record and report on whether a child helped a friend in class or is working hard on a particular project – details that are often just as important to parents as assessment results.”

A guide for schools entitled ‘Could do better: is it time to change the school report?’ is available and can be downloaded from www.capita-sims.co.uk/evolution. It contains tips for schools on improving reporting and a list of questions parents should ask schools about pupil progress.

Notes to the editor:

• The survey was undertaken by Opinion Matters. 1,014 parents with children at state primary schools in England were interviewed as well as 850 teachers at state primary schools in England.
• Available for interview on this topic: A headteacher, a parent, Phil Neal, director at Capita SIMS and Brian Lightman, the former general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. Please contact Catherine Lane PR (details below) to arrange an interview.

ENDS

Ref: CAP1846

Press contact:

To arrange interviews, for further information or images, please contact, Olga Hadjilambri, Catherine Lane PR, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PY. Tel: 020 8351 2542. Email: olga@catherinelane.com

About Capita SIMS:

Capita SIMS is the leading supplier of information systems to the education sector, providing a range of software and services to schools and local authorities to help raise standards and reduce administration. Capita’s SIMS is the most popular management information system for schools and is used every day by more than 22,000 educational establishments.