Learner Profile Report Comments, Ages 14-16
The learner profile names ten attributes: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective. In class they show as actions, such as admitting a mistake, asking a further question or attempting a challenging task.
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 learner profile 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
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Expert E
Strengths
- [Name] confidently defends [his/her/their] views in debate while staying open to challenge, and takes on demanding leadership roles without hesitation.
- [Name] approaches unfamiliar challenges with courage, readily trying new roles and strategies and learning from what does not work.
Next step
- In the personal project, [Name] could set [himself/herself/themselves] an ambitious inquiry question and keep notes on the risks taken and what each one taught [him/her/them].
Practitioner P
Strengths
- [Name] usually takes part willingly in service activities, showing care for people in school and the wider community.
- [Name] is often kind and considerate towards classmates, noticing when someone is upset and offering support.
Next step
- To prepare for the next stage of school, [Name] could read beyond the syllabus in one area of interest and share key findings with the class.
Learner L
Strengths
- Through guided conversations, [Name] is building awareness of how [his/her/their] words and actions affect others, which will help in service and leadership roles.
- [Name] shows kindness to friends and, with encouragement, is learning to notice and help classmates outside [his/her/their] own friendship group.
Next step
- Keeping up with one global news story each week and discussing it in class would help [Name] broaden [his/her/their] knowledge before the next stage of school.
Novice N
Strengths
- With close support, [Name] is beginning to treat mistakes as part of learning and to try a more challenging task in small steps.
- With encouragement, [Name] is beginning to notice when a classmate needs help and to offer a kind word or a hand.
Next step
- Before deciding how to manage [his/her/their] work, [Name] could list the options with a teacher and talk through the likely results of each.
Support at home
- Asking [Name] to explain something learned in one subject and how it connects to everyday life helps build broad, lasting knowledge.
How to write learner profile comments for Ages 14-16
- For principled, link the attribute to academic honesty and to owning choices in independent work. Describe what the student did, such as crediting a source or taking responsibility for a missed deadline, not a character judgement.
- Open-mindedness at this age shows in how the student responds to views and cultures different from their own in discussion. Note whether they can explain another perspective fairly before stating their own.
- Use service activities, leadership roles and the personal project as evidence for inquirers and caring. Say what the student started, not only what they joined, since this shows the attributes are their own.
Watch out: Avoid negative labels such as 'not principled' or 'uncaring'. Where an attribute is still emerging, describe the behaviour you want to see and the guidance in place, such as a regular check-in about choices.
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 Learner Profile covers
ATL clusters covered for learner profile:
- inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled
- open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective
More ATL skills ages 11-16 comments
- Communication, Ages 14-16
- Social, Ages 14-16
- Self-Management, Ages 14-16
- Research, Ages 14-16
- Thinking, Ages 14-16
- Learner Profile, Ages 11-14
- Opening and closing sentences
- All ATL skills ages 11-16 skills and grade bands
- For the same report: Subject Report Comments for Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary, Stages 1-9
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.