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Write report card comments with AI (that don't sound generic)

Turn quick notes on each student into specific, balanced report comments, without putting student names or details into the AI.

7 min read · Updated 10 October 2026 · Tool: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or your school's approved AI tool

Can teachers use AI to write report card comments?

Yes, if your school's policy allows it. Write 3 to 4 dot points per student using a code like S1 instead of a name, ask the AI for one comment per student using only your notes, work in batches of about 10 so comments stay varied, then check every comment against your notes and swap the codes for names in your reporting system.

Free tool: report comment generatorPick a strength and a next step and get a specific comment for Foundation to Year 10. Try the report comment generator.

Report season is where AI earns its keep. The catch is that lazy prompts give you the same bland comment thirty times. The fix is short, specific notes for each student, a code instead of a name, and a firm rule that the AI only uses what you wrote.

Check your school's policy firstMany schools and education departments have rules about which AI tools staff can use and what can go into them. If your system provides an approved tool, use that. Either way, never paste full names, student ID numbers, health or learning-support details, or anything that identifies a child.

How to do it

  1. Open a blank document and write 3–4 dot points per student: achievement against the standard, one genuine strength, one next step, and effort or engagement. Use a code like S1, S2, S3 instead of names.
  2. Paste the prompt below and add up to 10 students at a time. Smaller batches keep the comments varied.
  3. Read every comment against your notes. Delete anything the AI added that you didn't observe, and check the achievement wording matches your school's scale.
  4. Copy the comments into your reporting system and swap each code for the student's first name there.
  5. Run your usual proofread or have a colleague check a sample, just as you would for comments you wrote from scratch.

The prompt

You are helping a [Year level] [subject] teacher in Australia write report card comments.

For each student code below, write one comment of [60–90] words.

Student notes:
S1 – [achievement: e.g. working at the expected level] – [strength] – [next step] – [effort/engagement]
S2 – ...
🔒 The rest of this prompt is in the Teacher & Tutor AI Prompt Pack

The full version adds:

  • 6 rules that stop invented achievements and behaviours
  • A strength-then-next-step structure parents can follow
  • A banned-cliché list and varied openings, so 30 comments don't read the same
Unlock all 30 prompts for $19 AUDInstant PDF download

Tips

  • Paste in two of your own best comments from last year and say 'match this voice'. The results will sound much more like you.
  • If your school uses a comment bank or set phrases for achievement levels, add them to the prompt so the wording lines up.
  • Ask for a second pass: 'Make S4 and S7 more specific using only my notes.' Faster than rewriting by hand.

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