Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
Report card comments are where a teacher turns rubric levels into words a parent can act on. Under the Competency Based Curriculum, achievement is reported against performance levels rather than marks, so a good comment says what the learner can do, what to work on next and how home can help. This guide gives a structure and examples teachers can adapt, and explains how our report card maker helps.
On this page
Performance levels in brief
Junior school and senior school reports use eight levels: Exceeding Expectations (EE1, EE2), Meeting Expectations (ME1, ME2), Approaching Expectations (AE1, AE2) and Below Expectations (BE1, BE2). Lower grades use the four broad levels. A comment should match the level; praise that says “excellent” next to an AE2 confuses parents.
A three-part structure
- Strength: one specific thing the learner did well, with evidence.
- Next step: one skill to develop, phrased as an action.
- Home support: one realistic thing a parent can do.
Examples by level
EE (Mathematics, Grade 7): “Amani solves multi-step problems on ratio confidently and explains her reasoning clearly. Next, she can try harder problem-solving tasks that combine fractions and percentages. At home, let her calculate discounts when shopping.”
ME (English, Grade 5): “Brian reads grade-level texts fluently and answers most comprehension questions. He should now work on using paragraphs in his compositions. Reading a short story together and discussing it weekly will help.”
AE (Integrated Science, Grade 8): “Wanjiru takes part in practical work and records observations. She needs support in drawing conclusions from results. Asking her to explain everyday changes, such as boiling or rusting, will build this skill.”
BE (Kiswahili, Grade 4): “Otieno anatambua herufi na silabi nyingi. Anahitaji mazoezi zaidi ya kusoma sentensi fupi. Mzazi anaweza kusoma naye hadithi fupi kila jioni kwa dakika kumi.”
General comments
The class teacher’s general comment can cover values and core competencies, such as communication, collaboration, citizenship and self-efficacy. Mention attendance, responsibility and growth across the term. Keep it short and fair.
What to avoid
- Vague words such as “good” or “can do better” without detail.
- Comparing a learner with classmates.
- Labels such as “lazy” or “slow”.
- Copying the same comment for the whole class.
- Comments that contradict the level awarded.
Saving time
Our CBC report card maker lets you enter levels and comments and print a clean report. Teachers can use it free for single reports. Schools that want to produce reports for whole classes, with their logo and consistent formatting, can see school licences.
Linking comments to evidence
School-based assessment (SBA) tasks, projects and observation notes are your evidence. Note one or two examples during the term so the comment writes itself. See our CBC projects and assessment hub.
Sharing with parents
When reports go home, invite parents to discuss them at the closing day or the next academic clinic. A comment that gives one clear action is more useful than a paragraph of praise.
Sources
- KNEC, CBC assessment framework and performance level descriptors
- KICD, core competencies and values in the Basic Education Curriculum Framework
CBC Guides is independent and is not approved by KICD or KNEC.