FOR PARENTS · RECEPTION TO YEAR 6

Parents' evening and school reports: what the reading words mean and what to ask

Only a few report words are national. “Working towards”, “ARE” and “greater depth” in reading are the school's own judgements, so ask what they mean there and what to do next.

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Ten minutes at parents' evening goes fast, and report words like “emerging” or “working towards” can sound worse than they are. This guide explains which reading words are national and which are the school's own, and gives you ten questions to take with you.

By the Litsee team · Last reviewed 2 November 2026 · About this guide

The short answer: ask what to do next

The most useful thing you can leave parents' evening with is one clear next step for reading at home. “Is she OK?” tends to get “She's lovely”. “What is she working on in reading, and what can we practise?” gets something you can act on tonight.

The written report is a legal duty. In England, “By the end of each summer term, headteachers must send parents a written report on their child’s progress for the academic year”, and it must say how to arrange a discussion with a teacher (DfE guide for headteachers). So if a report worries you, you are entitled to talk it through.

Report words decoded

Tap a word to see what it usually means, whether it's a national term or the school's own, and one question to ask. Schools write their own reports, so check what a word means at yours.

“Expected” National term

In Reception, this is one of only two national judgements: your child meets the early learning goal, such as word reading, by the end of the year. Later on, schools often use “expected” for being on track for their year, in their own way.

Ask: Which parts of reading is she secure in, and what comes next?

Why so many words are the school's own. Reception has a national profile, and the handbook notes that “The ELGs are based on typical child development at the age of 5, so most children are likely to meet the ‘expected’ level of development.” (EYFS profile handbook). After that, “Teacher assessment at the end of KS1 is optional” (Standards and Testing Agency), and at the end of Year 6 the frameworks leave reading out: “The frameworks do not include English reading and mathematics because schools are not required to make statutory teacher assessment judgements in these subjects.” (Standards and Testing Agency). The Year 6 reading test gives a scaled score instead: 100 or more meets the expected standard (Standards and Testing Agency). In 2026, 31% of pupils reached the higher standard of 110 or more (DfE statistics).

“Not meeting targets”: what teachers mean

A target is whatever the teacher hasn't been able to tick off yet: the next thing to learn. Every child has them, including children who are doing very well. A report that says your child is “not meeting targets” in the middle of the year may simply mean the year isn't over.

What matters is the size of the gap and whether it is closing. Ask how far off the target is, what the school is doing about it and when you'll hear how it's going.

10 questions about reading for parents' evening

You won't get through all ten in one slot. Pick three, starting at the top, and print or screenshot the card to take with you. Nothing on this page is saved or sent.

Reading questions for parents' evening

Is my child where you'd expect for their year in reading? If not, which part?
What is my child working on in reading right now?
How does their school reading book match what they can do?
What's one thing we could practise at home in 10 minutes?
Do they understand what they read, or mainly read the words?
Do they enjoy reading in class? What do they choose?
Is there anything you've noticed that we should keep an eye on?
Is my child getting any extra help with reading? How often?
How will we know if it's working, and when shall we check in again?
What's the best way to contact you between parents' evenings?

From litsee.com/guides/parents-evening-reading

Questions by stage: Reception, KS1 and KS2

Reception: Which sounds does she know? Can she blend them into words? Which reading book should we expect next, and how often does it change?
Years 1 and 2: How is he doing with phonics, and is there anything to know about the phonics check in June? (The STA's leaflet for parents explains it.) Does he understand the stories as well as reading the words?
Years 3 and 4: Is her reading quick enough for her to follow a chapter? Does she choose to read in class? Which kinds of books might hook her?
Years 5 and 6: Can he explain a character's feelings with evidence from the book? How is the school preparing pupils for the reading test, and how can we help without adding pressure?

After the meeting: a one-week plan at home

Tell your child one good thing the teacher said. Start with that, before any target.
Do the one thing. Pick the single practice idea the teacher gave you and do it for a few minutes on most days this week.
Keep a story just for fun. Read something aloud that your child chooses, with no questions afterwards.
Use the reading record to report back. One honest line about how the practice is going helps the teacher. Our reading record comment builder can help you find the words.

If you're still worried

Ask for a follow-up meeting rather than trying to cover everything in ten minutes, and say what you've noticed at home. If you think your child may need extra help with reading, ask to talk to the school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). The SEND code of practice describes a cycle of assess, plan, do and review for children who need support (DfE SEND code of practice).

To see what school is working on in your child's year, use our reading by year group guide.

Questions parents ask

What questions should I ask at parents' evening about reading?

Ask where your child is for their year, what they're working on now, how their reading book matches what they can do, and one thing to practise at home. Finish with when you'll check in again. Our printable card has ten questions in that order.

What does “emerging” mean on a Reception report?

It's one of the two national judgements at the end of Reception: your child hasn't yet reached that early learning goal. The other is “expected”. The teacher passes on what your child can do so Year 1 can build on it. It isn't a diagnosis.

What does “working towards” mean on a school report?

For reading it's usually the school's own way of saying your child isn't yet at what they expect for the year. There are no national teacher-assessment grades for reading at the end of Year 6, and those at the end of Year 2 are optional, so ask the teacher what it means at their school.

Do schools have to send a school report?

Yes. In England, headteachers must send parents a written report on their child's progress by the end of each summer term. It must cover general progress, strengths and areas to develop, attendance, and how to arrange a discussion with a teacher.

Sources

School reports on pupil performance: guide for headteachers Department for Education, updated 8 May 2024, checked 2 November 2026
Early years foundation stage profile handbook Standards and Testing Agency, updated 17 September 2026, checked 2 November 2026
Optional key stage 1 teacher assessment Standards and Testing Agency, updated 29 September 2025, checked 2 November 2026
Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 2 Standards and Testing Agency, updated 10 October 2022, checked 2 November 2026
Understanding scaled scores at key stage 2 Standards and Testing Agency, updated 6 July 2026, checked 2 November 2026
Key stage 2 attainment, academic year 2025/26 Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), 10 September 2026, checked 2 November 2026
Phonics screening check: information for parents Standards and Testing Agency, updated 15 September 2025, checked 2 November 2026
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years Department for Education and Department of Health, January 2015, updated 12 September 2024, checked 2 November 2026

About this guide

Written by the Litsee team and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page.

The national terms are explained from the GOV.UK documents listed. School reports use many words of their own, so our explanations of those say what they usually mean, not what they mean at every school.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will fix it. Last reviewed: 2 November 2026.

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