Wales Report Comments: Ambition and Engagement, Y3-6
Ambition and engagement is how keen a learner is to learn: showing enthusiasm, asking questions about the world, setting goals and choosing challenges, and taking pride in the quality of finished work. It links to the purpose of ambitious, capable learners.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Years 3-6: 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 ambition and engagement 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
- [Name] uses digital devices with purpose to investigate questions about the wider world and shares findings with confidence.
- [Name] consistently aims high and talks with confidence about what [he/she/they] would like to achieve next.
Next step
- [He/She/They] could lead a small research group, helping classmates frame questions and present their findings with care.
Usually U
Strengths
- [Name] mostly keeps the personal targets from self-assessment in mind during lessons and works towards them.
- [Name] can talk about something [he/she/they] would like to get better at and mostly works towards it with purpose.
Next step
- Volunteering to present homework or project findings to the class would help [Name] share [his/her/their] enthusiasm more widely.
Sometimes S
Strengths
- Setting a personal target during self-assessment is becoming a habit for [Name], who sometimes revisits it.
- With some support, [Name] can name something [he/she/they] would like to improve and occasionally checks how it is going.
Next step
- Choosing a research topic linked to [his/her/their] own interests will help [Name] feel more motivated during projects.
Not yet N
Strengths
- During self-assessment, [Name] is starting to set a personal target with an adult and talk about it.
- A visual prompt on the desk helps [Name] remember a small personal goal during lessons.
Next step
- With adult support, [Name] could set a personal target in self-assessment and talk about how to reach it.
Support at home
- Talking about your own goals and how you work towards them shows your child that ambition is part of everyday life.
How to write ambition and engagement comments for Years 3-6
- Check whether the learner uses success criteria to aim higher, for example choosing the challenge task or redrafting a paragraph without being asked. That is clearer evidence of ambition than finishing quickly.
- Cite curiosity that reaches beyond the lesson: questions raised in a research project, a book borrowed on the topic or something found out at home and shared with the class.
- If personal targets are set through self-assessment, say whether the learner refers back to them during lessons. A next step might be reviewing one target with a talk partner each week.
Watch out: Do not confuse enthusiasm with volume. A quiet learner may be deeply engaged, asking questions one-to-one or taking great care over work, so look for that evidence before choosing a lower rating.
Let the rating shape the wording. Consistently suits reliably, independently and without being asked; Usually suits regularly and with few reminders; Sometimes suits at times and with some support; Not yet names what the learner can do with adult support or a visual prompt. Show the rating through one behaviour you have seen rather than repeating the word itself.
What Ambition and Engagement covers
In these comments, ambition and engagement covers these behaviours:
- is enthusiastic and motivated to learn
- asks questions and is curious about the world
- sets goals and challenges themselves
- takes pride in the quality of their work
More Curriculum for Wales comments
- Ambition and Engagement, Reception-Year 2
- Creativity and Innovation, Years 3-6
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving, Years 3-6
- Personal Effectiveness, Years 3-6
- Planning and Organising, Years 3-6
- Collaboration and Citizenship, Years 3-6
- Opening and closing sentences
- All Curriculum for Wales skills and grade bands
- Build a comment with the comment picker
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.