Understanding and putting school reports in perspective

In short: School reports document academic performance through grades and often additional remarks on behaviour and participation. They are a snapshot, not a final verdict on a child’s abilities.

In more detail: The grading system in Germany usually ranges from 1 (very good) to 6 (insufficient), with regional differences in primary school assessment.

In detail

• Types of grades: Tests, oral participation and sometimes project work are weighted differently.
• Verbal assessments: Common instead of or alongside numerical grades in the first years of primary school.
• Behaviour remarks: Comments on behaviour and participation say more about social skills than subject knowledge.
• Reaction to poor grades: Analyse the causes together instead of punishing hastily (fehler-aus-klausuren-richtig-auswerten).
• Reaction to good grades: Acknowledge effort and learning strategy, not just the result.
• Putting it in perspective: A single report says little about long-term development.
• Talking to the teacher: Seek a direct conversation in case of unclear or surprising grades.