Making Learning Obvious | Reporting to Parents

We believe that learning and talking about learning should be an ongoing process involving the mentors, whānau and the child. Over the course of a year we deliver this in various ways which include learning conferences, student reflections, Connect, Create, Communicate learning updates, open days, whole school celebrations, informal conversations, and formal reporting. We strongly encourage parents/whānau to contact their child’s mentor to discuss learning and progress at any time throughout the year. 

At Shotover School we use five progress descriptors to report (make learning obvious) on where your child is achieving against their year level expectations. The Ministry of Education has mandated the use of this language by all schools in New Zealand, with an expectation that reporting, using these descriptors, will happen twice a year, mid and end. The image to the left explains the meaning of each of the five descriptors.

On the mid and end of year reports, received through Hero, is an explanation of each progress descriptor as well.

Below you can see how these descriptors are used to make judgements, at different times of the year. Please note the change from mid to end of year for the meaning of ‘consolidating’. 

Progress Charts

We will be using progress charts to show a child's progress over time. This is instead of curriculum dials that we have used in the past. The data on the charts is updated in the middle and end of the year. If you are looking for "how your child is doing" or "how they are going compared to last year" this is where to look.

The colours in the background of the chart show the year level expectations:

Green - student has not met (or is not yet on track to meet) year level expectations.

Blue - student has met (or is on track to meet) year level expectations.

Orange - student is exceeding year level expectations.

Below is a ‘how to’ video guide to reading your child’s Making Learning Obvious report. 

How is this style of reporting different from traditional reports? 

Shotover Primary School uses Hero to report about your child’s progress and achievement using descriptors that align with the refreshed NZ Curriculum year level expectations.

In addition to receiving a summary report twice a year, posts about your child’s learning are in context to current learning and you will receive small regular updates through our Connect, Create, Communicate comments as well as reflections from children in Years 4-8. 

Parents can access information anytime about their child’s progress and achievements throughout the term/year through Hero. These updates provide a wonderful link between home and school and help parents and caregivers to lead conversations from home.

How do I know which teacher is currently working with my child in the different curriculum areas? 

Your child’s mentor is responsible for your child’s overall progress and well-being at school but children will work with different mentors for different aspects of their learning throughout the year. The Mentor’s photo by the comment indicates who is currently working with your child in Reading, Writing and Maths.