​The Department of Education and Skills issued a circular entitled “Initial Steps in the Implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy” (Circular 0056/2011). The circular informed schools that the Minister for Education was seeking the co-operation of schools in five key areas of the Strategy, one of which was a “better arrangement for reporting children’s progress”. It states that teachers are now required to report on children’s progress to their parents twice during each school year. One of these will more than likely be an official parent-teacher meeting, the other “must include a written report at the end of the school year presented in the format of one of the NCCA report templates”. It states that the results of standardised tests carried out on the pupils must be included in the written report and that “schools must issue written reports to parents in sufficient time before the closure of the school for the summer vacation to allow parents a reasonable opportunity to seek meetings with the principal and/or teacher(s) to discuss the written report if necessary”.The NCCA Report Card Templates were developed through a process of consultation with schools and parents and take account of research commissioned by the NCCA. The report cards provide for reporting in four key areas:

• the child’s learning and achievement across the curriculum
• the child’s learning dispositions
• the child’s social and personal development
• ways in which parents can support their child’s learning

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