How to Brief a Tutor From Reports and Mock Results

A current working level or grade if one is given, specific strengths, repeated subject gaps and comments that name a teachable problem.

Quote or summarise the relevant subject comments. For example: ‘Ideas are accurate, but analytical paragraphs are underdeveloped.’

Where marks were repeatedly lost: missing method, misunderstood command words, unfinished sections, weak multi-step work, poor retrieval or limited written expression.

Give the mark or grade for context, then name the topics and question types behind the losses rather than reporting only the total.

What the pupil can do reliably, whether the concern is knowledge, timing, organisation or confidence, and any priority the teacher has repeated.

Separate the learning issue from the working pattern. For example: ‘Understands the content in class but rushes multi-step questions in tests.’

Repeated misconceptions, unfinished corrections, untidy working that causes slips, weak planning, limited vocabulary or errors that return after feedback.

Choose a few representative pages and explain the repeated pattern they show. Everyday work may reveal difficulties that one headline result misses.

Recurring topic gaps, weak recall, misconceptions or missing subject vocabulary.

‘Fractions and ratio errors recur in classwork and in the mock, especially in multi-step problems.’

Unfinished sections, lost method marks, weak planning, command-word errors, rushed working or poor time use.

‘The content is often correct when untimed, but the final section is regularly left incomplete.’

Avoiding harder questions, freezing after a mistake, needing repeated encouragement to begin, low stamina or accurate verbal answers that do not reach the page.

‘Answers accurately in discussion but leaves unfamiliar questions blank under timed conditions.’

‘Year 10 GCSE maths. Recent work shows recurring errors in algebraic rearrangement and multi-step problems; accuracy is stronger when untimed.’

‘Can explain answers aloud but leaves harder questions blank in timed work and loses confidence after the first mistake.’

‘Ideas are usually relevant, but analytical paragraphs are short, quotation use is weak and planning takes too long.’

‘Misreads command words, spends too long on early questions and often does not reach the final section.’