ATL Communication Skills Report Comments, Ages 14-16

Communication covers how a student exchanges ideas with others (listening, discussing, giving and receiving feedback, presenting to an audience) and how they use language to learn: reading for meaning, taking notes, structuring writing and using subject vocabulary accurately.

Below are 13 sample sentences for Ages 14-16: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Expert / Practitioner / Learner / Novice), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 communication sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Expert · Practitioner · Learner · Novice · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Expert E

Strengths

[Name] skilfully adjusts [his/her/their] speaking when talking with visiting adults or communicating during work experience.
[Name] chooses suitable digital tools to share work, such as a shared document or a short slide set, and lays out the content so it is easy to follow.

Next step

In the personal project, [Name] could test a new way of communicating findings, such as a short talk or a visual summary, and judge its impact.

Practitioner P

Strengths

As the workload grows, [Name] reads longer texts efficiently, often skimming first and then reading closely for detail.
In paired talk, [Name] regularly checks understanding by repeating a partner's main point back in [his/her/their] own words.

Next step

A next step for [Name] is to rehearse speaking to adults in formal settings, such as a student-led conference or a service activity.

Learner L

Strengths

In longer independent tasks, [Name] at times keeps a supervisor informed with clear written updates and is learning to keep them concise.
In discussions, [Name] sometimes builds on a classmate's point and, with sentence starters, links [his/her/their] own ideas to what has been said.

Next step

[Name] would benefit from preparing two or three questions before formal conversations with adults, such as a parents' evening.

Novice N

Strengths

Managing the reading in a heavier workload is new for [Name], who is beginning to break longer texts into shorter sections.
When given a few moments to prepare, [Name] is beginning to answer questions in class discussion with a short, relevant comment.

Next step

[Name] could practise introducing [himself/herself/themselves] and explaining one piece of work to an unfamiliar adult, with a teacher nearby for support.

Support at home

Encouraging [Name] to ask a teacher when something is unclear, and talking about how to phrase the question, builds confidence in class.

How to write communication comments for Ages 14-16

For students aged 14 to 16, focus on extended writing: a clear line of argument, paragraphs that build on each other and accurate subject vocabulary. Name the feature that most needs work rather than calling the writing weak.
Comment on adapting to purpose and audience, such as moving between a formal report, a persuasive talk and a peer discussion. Older students can act on a goal like rehearsing a talk for a listener new to the topic.
Older students share much of their work digitally. Say whether shared documents, slides or posted responses are clear, well organised and suited to the reader, and set one specific goal such as adding headings and a summary line.

Watch out: Avoid judging communication by confidence or by how much a student speaks. Quiet students may listen carefully and write clearly, so describe the strand you saw, such as note-taking or listening, and set the goal there.

Show the stage through what the student does rather than writing the stage name. Expert language is independent, flexible and used in unfamiliar tasks, often modelled for others; Practitioner fits usually and with few reminders in familiar work; Learner fits with guidance, a model or a checklist; Novice describes what is emerging with close support, which is normal for many students new to secondary school.

What Communication covers

ATL clusters covered for communication:

communication skills: exchanging thoughts, messages and information through interaction (listening actively, discussing, giving and receiving feedback, adapting to the audience)
communication skills: reading, writing and using language to gather and communicate information (note-taking, structuring writing, using subject vocabulary, presenting)

More ATL skills ages 11-16 comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.