A calm guide to what the letters and levels mean, what to ask, and how to talk about it at home.
A school report shows how your child is going against what the curriculum expects for their year. On an A to E scale, a C usually means achieving what is expected, which is a solid result. NAPLAN is a separate snapshot of literacy and numeracy in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, reported in four proficiency levels.
Updated 6 October 2026 · 7 minute read
Schools across Australia send families a written report at least twice a year. Reports are written against the curriculum’s achievement standards: plain descriptions of what students typically know and can do by the end of each year level. Most reports have a grade or rating for each subject, comments from the teacher, and often notes on effort, behaviour and attendance. Formats vary between states, sectors and schools, so the most useful thing you can read first is your school’s own guide to its reports (often on the school website or in the newsletter around report time).
Many schools use an A to E scale (or a five-point scale in words) from Year 1 to Year 10. South Australia’s Department for Education explains the grades like this (SA Department for Education):
| Grade | Compared with what is expected at this year level, your child is showing… |
|---|---|
| A | excellent achievement |
| B | good achievement |
| C | satisfactory achievement: typically, achieving what is expected at this point in their learning |
| D | partial achievement |
| E | minimal achievement: just beginning to work towards the standard |
The same guide notes that a C is “a considerable achievement” because the standards have high expectations built in. A C is not average or mediocre: it means your child is doing what the year asks of them. Teachers also aren’t expected to give a set number of each grade in a class.
Some things work differently, so check your school’s report guide:
The comments are often more useful than the letters. Look for three things: what your child does well, what they are working on, and what the teacher suggests next. If the comments don’t say how you can help at home, that is a great question for the teacher.
NAPLAN is a national assessment of reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy, taken by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Since 2023, each student’s results are reported in four proficiency levels (ACARA, NAPLAN results and reports). In ACARA’s words, at the time of testing a student’s result:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Exceeding | exceeds expectations |
| Strong | meets challenging but reasonable expectations |
| Developing | indicates they are working towards expectations |
| Needs additional support | indicates they are not yet achieving the expected learning outcomes, and are likely to need additional support to progress |
A few things to keep in mind:
Short on time at a parent-teacher interview? Pick two: what’s going well, and the next step.
Start with them, not the letters. Talk about effort, strategies and next steps, not scores.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “Why did you only get a C?” | “A C means you’re doing what Year 5 asks. What are you proud of this term?” |
| “Your sister got an A in maths.” | “What was the trickiest thing in maths this term? What helped?” |
| “You need to try harder.” | “Your teacher says you’re working on paragraphs. What’s one thing that would help?” |
| “That NAPLAN result is bad.” | “NAPLAN was one test on one day. Your teacher sees your work every day, and they’re pleased with how you share ideas.” |
Then agree on one small next step together, and leave it there.
If the report points to a skill to work on, short, calm practice helps more than a big push. Ponder’s free check shows what is going well in maths or English and what to practise next, in plain English, with no scores. Our guide to homework without the fight has a routine that keeps practice calm.
Try Ponder’s free “Where are they at?” check together: a few maths or English questions for your child’s year, with one hint at a time, then strengths and next steps in plain English. It takes 5 to 8 minutes and needs no account.
Ponder’s guides are general information for families, not professional advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026.
No. On an A to E scale, a C usually means your child is achieving what is expected for their year level. South Australia’s Department for Education calls it a considerable achievement, because the standards have high expectations built in.
States, sectors and schools choose their own formats. The first year of school often uses descriptive words, and some schools use a five-point scale in words. Your school’s report guide explains its scale.
Since 2023 NAPLAN reports use four levels for each area: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. They describe how a student’s result compared with expectations at the time of testing.
Talk to the teacher. Ask what they see in class, what support the school offers, and what you can do at home. NAPLAN is one assessment on one day; the teacher’s view of your child’s everyday work matters too.
For most children, yes, with you beside them. Start with what they are proud of, then look at the teacher’s comments together and agree on one next step. Keep the focus on effort and strategies, not letters.
A to E grades describe achievement against the curriculum’s standards for the year level, not a ranking in the class. Teachers aren’t expected to give a set number of each grade.
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