KS3 Report Comments: Engagement and Effort (Years 7-9)
Engagement and effort is what a student puts into the lesson itself: sustained focus from the starter to the end of the lesson, answering and asking questions, choosing stretch tasks or wider reading, and taking pride in the quality of classwork.
Below are 13 sample sentences for KS3 (Years 7-9): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Outstanding / Good / Requires improvement / Unsatisfactory), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 173 engagement and effort sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Outstanding · Good · Requires improvement · Unsatisfactory · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Outstanding O
Strengths
- [Name] readily puts up a hand to share ideas, and [his/her/their] answers are detailed, confident and well explained.
- [Name] contributes readily to class discussions, offering thoughtful answers and building on the ideas of others.
Next step
- To build on this curiosity, [Name] could choose a challenging book from the library each half-term and talk about it in lessons.
Good G
Strengths
- When an activity sparks [his/her/their] interest, [Name] often gets stuck in and is keen to try the challenge task.
- [Name] regularly contributes to class discussions and gives sensible, relevant answers when asked.
Next step
- Joining a club or enrichment activity linked to a favourite topic would help [Name] develop curiosity beyond lessons.
Requires improvement R
Strengths
- With reminders, [Name] completes classwork, although the presentation in exercise books is inconsistent.
- Occasionally, [Name] volunteers an answer and is developing the confidence to share ideas more often.
Next step
- [Name] could try the challenge task in at least two lessons each week, then build up from there as confidence grows.
Unsatisfactory U
Strengths
- Putting up a hand to answer at least once in each lesson is a target [Name] is currently working towards.
- [Name] is not yet joining in with class discussion and tends to give very brief answers when asked a question directly.
Next step
- Joining one club or enrichment activity this year could help [Name] find an interest to build on in lessons.
Support at home
- Looking through an exercise book together now and then, and asking which piece [Name] is proudest of, helps to build pride in quality.
How to write engagement and effort comments for KS3 (Years 7-9)
- In Year 7, describe how the student has adjusted to a full timetable: effort in the last lesson of the day, settling quickly after moving between classrooms, joining in with new teachers. Name one example.
- For quieter Key Stage 3 students, separate attention from speaking. Note careful listening and thoughtful written answers, then set a small, specific target such as contributing one answer or question in each lesson.
- Link curiosity to choices a younger student makes: a challenge task, a club, a book read for pleasure that feeds into discussion. Families can encourage that specific choice at home far more easily than general enthusiasm.
Watch out: Avoid treating neat books or good behaviour as engagement. A compliant student can still be passive, so describe participation and challenge-seeking directly, and leave conduct to the conduct comment.
Let the described behaviour carry the judgement. Outstanding suits consistently, independently and without being asked; Good suits usually and with few reminders; Requires improvement suits sometimes or when prompted; Unsatisfactory describes what has been happening and the support in place, such as a head of year check-in. Avoid writing the judgement word itself in the sentence.
What Engagement and Effort covers
In these comments, engagement and effort covers these behaviours:
- works hard and puts sustained effort into lessons
- contributes to discussions and answers questions
- shows curiosity and ambition, and seeks out challenge
- takes pride in the quality of work
More UK secondary comments
- Engagement and Effort, KS4 (Years 10-11)
- Independent Study, KS3 (Years 7-9)
- Organisation and Preparation, KS3 (Years 7-9)
- Resilience and Response to Feedback, KS3 (Years 7-9)
- Collaboration and Communication, KS3 (Years 7-9)
- Conduct and Responsibility, KS3 (Years 7-9)
- Opening and closing sentences
- All UK secondary skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.