Practise organised, purposeful reports for a named reader. Try each before revealing; the prompts are our own original material.
1Your head teacher has asked for a report on how the school could reduce food waste in the canteen. Write the opening, including a heading and first section.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Use clear headings and an objective register. Open by stating the purpose, then move towards findings.
Model opening: Report on Reducing Canteen Food Waste Purpose This report sets out the main causes of food waste in the school canteen and recommends three practical steps to reduce it.
Checklist:
- Uses headings and clear structure
- Objective, formal register
- States the purpose at the start
- Keeps the reader (head teacher) in mind
2Write the opening of a report for the student council on whether the school day should start later.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Frame the question neutrally; signpost that you will weigh both sides before recommending.
Tried these practice tasks? A teacher can mark your child's attempt and explain the next step in a paid one-hour trial.
Model opening: Report on a Later Start to the School Day Introduction This report examines the arguments for and against a later start time and offers a recommendation based on student and staff views.
Checklist:
- Neutral framing of the question
- Signposts a balanced structure
- Report register, not essay or letter
- Clear introduction section
3Write the findings section of a report on the condition of the school's sports facilities.
Show plan, model opening & checklist
Plan: Group your observations logically (by facility or by issue). Keep it factual and specific.
Model opening: Findings The main hall floor is worn near the entrances and becomes slippery in wet weather. The outdoor courts are usable but lack markings for two of the three sports played on them.
Checklist:
- Recognisably a findings section
- Grouped, ordered points
- Factual and specific
- Consistent report register
See the worked annotated model response for directed writing: report, or the method in our directed writing: report skills guide.