KS1 Report Comments: Resilience (Years 1-2)
Resilience is how a pupil handles learning that feels hard: keeping going, having a go at challenges, being willing to make mistakes, acting on feedback and marking, and recovering calmly after a setback.
Below are 13 sample sentences for KS1 (Years 1-2): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Consistently / Usually / Sometimes / Not yet), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 resilience sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Consistently · Usually · Sometimes · Not yet · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Consistently C
Strengths
- After the teacher comments on [his/her/their] writing, [Name] reliably remembers to add finger spaces or full stops the next time.
- Mistakes do not put [Name] off, and [he/she/they] can explain what went wrong before trying again with a new idea.
Next step
- A next step is for [Name] to try the challenge activity at choosing time and explain what helped [him/her/them] succeed.
Usually U
Strengths
- [Name] generally remembers the teacher's last comment, such as using finger spaces, and tries to show it in [his/her/their] next piece of writing.
- Most of the time, [Name] sees mistakes as part of learning and is happy to try again.
Next step
- [He/She/They] could use the calm corner briefly when feeling cross, then return to the carpet ready to try again.
Sometimes S
Strengths
- When prompted, [Name] will go back to [his/her/their] writing and add the missing capital letters or full stops the teacher has pointed out.
- At times, [Name] worries about getting things wrong, which can hold [him/her/them] back from trying something new.
Next step
- [Name] would benefit from revisiting one teacher comment in [his/her/their] book each day with an adult, such as adding a missing full stop.
Not yet N
Strengths
- Once the teacher points out missing finger spaces, [Name] is beginning to go back and add them with adult support.
- [Name] is not yet comfortable making mistakes in front of others, and we are celebrating each small attempt to build [his/her/their] confidence.
Next step
- [Name] will benefit from watching an adult fix a mistake, then having a go at fixing one [himself/herself/themselves].
Support at home
- Simple games such as noughts and crosses or I spy give [Name] a chance to practise losing calmly and trying again.
How to write resilience comments for KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Use small, concrete moments: sounding out a long word, rebuilding a tower that fell, trying a tricky word before asking. Young children show resilience in seconds and minutes, so describe persistence on that scale.
- When feelings run high, describe the strategy that helps, such as a feelings check-in, a calm corner or a quiet word from an adult, and how quickly the child returns to the activity.
- Frame mistakes positively in the wording itself, for example 'is happy to have a go even if the spelling is not quite right', so parents hear that trying matters more than being perfect.
Watch out: Avoid praising resilience only when a child succeeds in the end. Describe the trying itself, such as attempting a second method in maths, so a pupil who is still working at it gets fair credit.
Let the frequency word set the tone. Consistently suits language such as reliably, independently and without being asked, while Not yet describes what is emerging and the support that helps, such as an adult nearby or a visual prompt. Rather than restating the rating, show it through one behaviour you have seen and how often it happens.
What Resilience covers
In these comments, resilience covers these behaviours:
- keeps trying when learning is difficult
- has a go at challenges and is willing to make mistakes
- responds positively to feedback and acts on it
- manages feelings and bounces back after setbacks
More UK primary comments
- Attitude and Engagement, KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Independence, KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Resilience, KS2 (Years 3-6)
- Collaboration, KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Organisation and Presentation, KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Conduct and Respect, KS1 (Years 1-2)
- Opening and closing sentences
- All UK primary skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.