Report week is when a school's process is tested. If the marks live in separate exercise books, spreadsheets and phones, the report card is the moment all of that has to be pulled together, by hand, under a deadline.
Here is a workflow that takes the pain out of it.
Why report cards take so long
Most of the time is not spent thinking. It is spent on:
- Collecting marks from each teacher, in different formats.
- Re-typing them into a template.
- Working out levels and points against the CBC bands.
- Checking for errors, then fixing them everywhere.
- Printing and sorting by class.
Only the comment is real teaching work. For help with that part, see our examples of CBC report card comments.
A faster workflow
1. Enter marks once, where they stay
Each teacher enters marks for their learning area directly, per exam. No copying between files. Late marks are visible as missing, instead of discovered on print day.
2. Let the grading apply itself
The system maps every mark to its band (EE1 to BE2) and adds the points with the same table for everyone. If you want a refresher on the bands, see the CBC points table.
3. Review by exception
Instead of rechecking every line, scan for gaps: learners with a missing learning area, or marks that look out of range.
4. Add comments, then generate
Class teachers add their comments, and report cards are produced for the whole class in one go, ready to print or share with parents.
5. Share through the parent portal
Parents can see results without waiting for a printed copy to be sent home. That also reduces the "can I get my child's report" calls to the office. See why a parent portal helps.
What to look for in report card software
- Supports the eight-level CBC scale and your school's learning areas
- Marks entered once, with report cards built from them
- Class and whole-school generation
- Role-based access, so teachers only see their own classes
- Works in a web browser, with no installation
Try it on last term's marks
DiraSchool generates CBC report cards from the results entered for each class. The easiest test is to create a free account, enter one class's marks from last term, and compare the report cards with the ones you made by hand. If it saves your staff even one evening, the case for the rest makes itself.
Frequently asked questions
How long should CBC report cards take?
By hand, report cards for a whole school can take teachers days of evenings. With a system that holds the marks, applies the grading and fills the template, most of the time goes on writing individual comments.
Can report cards be generated from entered marks?
Yes. If marks are entered per learning area, the system can work out each level and points and place them on the report card automatically.
What slows down report cards most?
Re-typing marks between spreadsheets and templates, checking arithmetic and chasing late mark sheets. Entering marks once, in one place, removes most of it.