I think I can safely say that report writing duties are not high on the list of teachers’ favourite activities. With school so busy during the week, the task falls over several weekends until they are finally published just before half term. Just as we impress upon the boys the need to check through their work, we all do our best to make sure our mistakes are as few as possible.

Today, spell check can be a useful tool, but as I found at the weekend it is not infallible. The system seems to have particular problems with names. A little light relief was brought to the process when the automatic spellcheck advised a change of a boy’s name to ‘dog-biscuit’. Over the years there have been some entertaining reports produced in error. I remember twenty or so years ago at a previous school when a games report was issued at Christmas for a boy named Marley who had left the previous year. A wag on the staff decided to put it up on the staff noticeboard with the annotation ‘Marley’s ghost’.

On a more serious note, reports provide an opportunity to reflect and to set targets for the remainder of the year. They provide a chance to comment on a boy’s progress against our learning skills: the key work habits to serve them in the years to come. They also provide an opportunity to take stock of their involvement in the co-curricular life of the school.

I note from a few comments that some boys have been slow to progress their Warwick School Diploma. The Diploma lies at the heart of our holistic view of a boy's participation in school life. It encourages the boys to broaden their participation in all areas and to seek higher things. It also encourages them to make a difference to their community and to recognise their good fortune. Many if not most boys will complete, or almost complete, an award within a school year. I urge all boys to make this a priority and see how far they can progress.