S1-S2 Mathematics Report Comments (Scotland)

Maths covers number, money and measure (including fractions, decimal fractions and percentages), expressions and equations, shape, position and movement, and information handling, with reasoning, problem solving, clear working and checking answers running through all of them.

Below are 13 sample sentences for S1-S2: two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Secure / Consolidating / Developing / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 288 mathematics sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Secure · Consolidating · Developing · Beginning · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

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

Secure S

Strengths

Jotter work from [Name] is set out line by line, with every step of working shown, so that the method can be followed from start to finish.
Working with bearings and a scale, [Name] draws accurate plans of routes and journeys and reads distances and directions from a map with care.

Next steps:

[Name] could design a fair game of chance for the class and use probability to show whether each player has an equal chance of winning.

Consolidating C

Strengths

[Name] sets out working in the jotter in a clear order, so that methods are easy to follow and errors are often caught on checking.
[Name] measures and draws three-figure bearings accurately and uses a scale to turn distances on a map into actual distances in most cases.

Next steps:

[Name] should carry out simple probability experiments, such as spinning a spinner many times, and compare the results with the probabilities worked out in class.

Developing D

Strengths

With a checklist, [Name] sets out some calculations line by line in the jotter and is learning to use the layout to find where an error occurred.
Using a map scale, [Name] sometimes converts measured distances correctly and is learning to measure bearings clockwise from north.

Next steps:

Placing everyday events on a probability scale from 0 to 1, and explaining each choice, will help [Name] understand chance more clearly.

Beginning B

Strengths

Words such as likely, unlikely and certain are becoming part of [Name]'s vocabulary for describing the chance of everyday events.
Reading simple directions and distances from a map becomes easier for [Name] when the compass points are marked.

Next steps:

Talking about the chance of everyday events, from certain to impossible, will help [Name] use probability words with growing understanding.

Support at home

Cooking from a recipe and asking your child to scale the amounts up or down for more or fewer people is a useful way to practise proportion.

How to write mathematics comments for S1-S2

Name the topic and the skill: solving simple equations, finding a percentage of an amount, calculating area or comparing best buys. Parents and carers can then ask the pupil to talk them through an example at home.
Look for reasoning as well as answers. Note whether the pupil can explain why a method works or spot the error in someone else's working, as this habit matters as much as accuracy in S1 and S2.
Secondary maths usually asks for more written working than pupils are used to from primary. If a pupil reaches answers mentally but skips steps, say so kindly and set a target of one clear line per step.

Watch out: Avoid summing up maths as being quick with numbers. Speed is not the same as understanding, so describe one area the pupil handles securely and one habit, such as checking an answer with an estimate, to work on.

The four levels describe how secure, accurate and independent the learning is in what has been taught, never a CfE level. Secure suits detailed, accurate work applied to unfamiliar tasks; Consolidating suits a sound grasp with occasional guidance; Developing suits sometimes, or with a model or worked example; Beginning names what is starting to show and the support that helps. Show the level through the work rather than writing the level word.

What Mathematics covers

In these comments, mathematics covers these behaviours:

number, money and measure: estimation and rounding, number processes, fractions, decimal fractions and percentages, powers and roots, money, time and measurement
expressions and equations, patterns and relationships
shape, position and movement: properties of 2D shapes and 3D objects, angles, symmetry, transformations and Pythagoras' theorem
information handling: collecting, displaying and interpreting data, and chance
reasoning, problem solving, clear working and checking answers, with and without a calculator

More Scottish secondary subjects comments

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