Report Comment Bank: Ready-to-Use Comments by Subject for Australian Teachers

What Is a Report Comment Bank?

A report comment bank is a collection of pre-written sentences and phrases that teachers can adapt for individual student reports. Instead of writing every comment from scratch, you start with a relevant sentence and personalise it with specific details about the student.

Good comment banks are organised by subject and proficiency level so you can quickly find the right starting point. The comments below are aligned to the Australian Curriculum V9.0 and written for primary school teachers (Foundation to Year 6).

For general comments covering effort, behaviour, and social skills, see our general report comments for primary school. For tips on using a comment bank as part of a faster report writing workflow, see our guide on how to write report comments.

English Report Comments

Reading

Above year level:

• "[Student] reads a wide range of texts with fluency and expression. They demonstrate strong comprehension skills, making connections between texts and drawing well-supported inferences."
• "[Student] independently selects and reads challenging texts. They analyse author choices and discuss how language features create meaning for the reader."
• "[Student] reads with confidence and accuracy, self-correcting when meaning breaks down. They engage thoughtfully with texts and share insightful observations during class discussions."

At year level:

• "[Student] reads age-appropriate texts with developing fluency. They can identify the main ideas in a text and retell key events in sequence."
• "[Student] is building their reading comprehension skills, learning to make predictions and connections while reading. They engage with a variety of text types."
• "[Student] reads with increasing confidence and is developing the ability to discuss characters, settings, and events in the texts they read."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is developing their reading skills with the support of guided reading groups and targeted phonics instruction. They are building confidence with familiar text types."
• "[Student] benefits from one-on-one reading support and is making progress with decoding strategies. They engage well with texts that match their current reading level."

Writing

Above year level:

• "[Student] writes with purpose and clarity across a range of text types. They use paragraphs effectively to organise their ideas and select vocabulary that engages the reader."
• "[Student] demonstrates a strong command of written English. Their writing is well-structured, uses varied sentence types, and shows a developing personal voice."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their writing skills across a range of text types. They are learning to organise ideas into paragraphs and use punctuation correctly."
• "[Student] writes with increasing confidence, using planning tools to structure their ideas before writing. They are developing their ability to revise and edit their own work."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is building foundational writing skills with support. They can write simple sentences and are learning to use capital letters and full stops consistently."
• "[Student] benefits from scaffolded writing tasks and explicit modelling. They are developing their ability to put ideas into written form."

Speaking and Listening

Above year level:

• "[Student] communicates their ideas clearly and confidently in a variety of contexts. They listen actively to others and build on the ideas shared during class discussions."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their ability to express ideas clearly during class discussions. They listen to their peers and are learning to take turns when speaking."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is building their confidence in speaking to small groups. They contribute more willingly in structured activities and respond to direct questions with support."

Mathematics Report Comments

Number and Algebra

Above year level:

• "[Student] demonstrates a strong understanding of number concepts and applies mental computation strategies with confidence and accuracy."
• "[Student] solves multi-step problems independently, selecting appropriate strategies and explaining their reasoning clearly."
• "[Student] has a solid grasp of place value and uses this understanding to work flexibly with numbers in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their understanding of number concepts and can apply basic computation strategies with increasing accuracy."
• "[Student] uses concrete materials and visual models to support their mathematical thinking. They are building fluency with number facts."
• "[Student] is developing their ability to solve problems involving the four operations. They can explain their working with some prompting."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is building foundational number skills with the support of concrete materials and targeted small-group instruction."
• "[Student] benefits from hands-on activities to develop their understanding of number concepts. They are making progress with counting, ordering, and basic addition."

Measurement and Geometry

Above year level:

• "[Student] confidently measures and compares objects using standard units. They identify and describe the properties of two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects with accuracy."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their ability to measure using standard units and can compare objects by length, mass, and capacity. They identify common two-dimensional shapes and describe their features."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is learning to compare objects using informal measurement. With support, they can identify and name common shapes."

Statistics and Probability

Above year level:

• "[Student] collects, organises, and interprets data with confidence. They create accurate graphs and can draw conclusions from data displays."

At year level:

• "[Student] is learning to collect and organise data into simple displays. They can read information from graphs and tables with developing accuracy."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is developing an understanding of data collection through guided activities. They are learning to read simple picture graphs with support."

Science Report Comments

Science Inquiry Skills

Above year level:

• "[Student] independently plans and conducts investigations, identifying variables and making well-reasoned predictions. They record and analyse their findings with accuracy."
• "[Student] asks thoughtful questions about the natural world and designs fair tests to explore them. They communicate their findings clearly using scientific language."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their inquiry skills, learning to ask questions, make predictions, and conduct simple investigations with guidance."
• "[Student] participates actively in science experiments and is learning to record observations accurately. They enjoy hands-on investigations."

Below year level:

• "[Student] engages with science activities when supported by structured tasks and clear instructions. They are developing their observation skills and learning to record what they see."

Science Understanding

Above year level:

• "[Student] demonstrates a strong understanding of scientific concepts and can explain their thinking using appropriate scientific vocabulary."

At year level:

• "[Student] is building their understanding of scientific concepts covered this semester. They engage with class discussions and can recall key ideas with prompting."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is developing a basic understanding of the science topics explored this semester. They benefit from visual aids and hands-on activities to support their learning."

HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) Report Comments

Above year level:

• "[Student] demonstrates a strong understanding of historical and geographical concepts. They conduct research independently and present their findings in a clear, well-organised manner."
• "[Student] asks insightful questions about the world and shows an ability to analyse information from multiple sources."

At year level:

• "[Student] is developing their understanding of key HASS concepts. They participate in research activities and are learning to organise and present their findings."
• "[Student] shows growing interest in understanding the world around them. They contribute to class discussions and complete inquiry tasks with developing independence."

Below year level:

• "[Student] engages with HASS topics through structured activities and guided discussions. They are building their ability to gather information from provided sources."

The Arts Report Comments

Above year level:

• "[Student] demonstrates strong creative skills across the arts. They experiment with different techniques and materials, and reflect thoughtfully on their own work and the work of others."

At year level:

• "[Student] enjoys participating in arts activities and is developing their ability to use a range of techniques. They are learning to share their thoughts about artworks."

Below year level:

• "[Student] participates in arts activities with encouragement and is building their confidence in using different materials and techniques."

Health and Physical Education Report Comments

Above year level:

• "[Student] demonstrates excellent skills in physical activities and shows a strong understanding of health and wellbeing concepts. They participate with enthusiasm and encourage their peers."

At year level:

• "[Student] participates actively in physical education lessons and is developing their fundamental movement skills. They show a growing understanding of health concepts discussed in class."

Below year level:

• "[Student] is building their confidence in physical activities. They participate with encouragement and are developing their fundamental movement skills through structured practice."

How to Use This Comment Bank Effectively

A comment bank works best when you treat it as a starting point, not a finished product. Here is how to get the most out of it:

1. Select the closest match to what your student has been working on and their proficiency level.
2. Swap generic details for specific ones. Change "a range of texts" to "the class novel and information texts about Australian animals."
3. Add your own observations. Include something only you would know: a specific project, a moment of growth, a personal strength.
4. Check your school's style guide. Make sure the comment matches your school's tone, character limits, and formatting rules.
5. Read it out loud. If it does not sound like something you would say at a parent-teacher interview, revise it.

For a complete set of Year 3 report card comment examples showing full multi-subject comments at each proficiency level, see our detailed guide.

Beyond the Comment Bank: ReportRocket

This comment bank gives you a starting point for each subject and proficiency level. ReportRocket takes this further by letting you select from hundreds of ACARA V9.0 curriculum criteria per subject, per year level. You select the criteria that match each student, add your notes, and ReportRocket generates a personalised comment that follows your school's style guide.

The difference between a comment bank and ReportRocket is specificity. A comment bank gives you one sentence per subject per level. ReportRocket generates a unique comment for each student based on the exact combination of criteria, proficiency, and personal notes you provide.

It also includes a peer review workflow where a colleague can annotate your comments inline and you can address all feedback with a single click.

ReportRocket is an AI report writer that helps Australian primary teachers write personalised, curriculum-aligned report comments in seconds. Try it free.