Year 5 PE Report Comments — Examples for Teachers
PE comments often feel like an afterthought during report season, but parents genuinely appreciate knowing how their child participates in physical education. The key is to go beyond “tries hard in PE” and comment on specific skills, attitudes and progress.
Games and Invasion Sports
Confident: Marcus is a talented games player who demonstrates excellent spatial awareness on the pitch. He passes accurately, moves into space to receive the ball, and understands basic tactics such as maintaining possession and creating scoring opportunities. He is a supportive team member who encourages his peers.
Developing: Hannah is becoming more confident in team games. She is learning to pass and receive the ball with greater accuracy and is beginning to understand her role within a team. Encouraging her to join a sports club outside school would help develop her skills further.
Gymnastics
Confident: Evie performs sequences with control, fluency and poise. She links balances, rolls and jumps smoothly and is developing the ability to incorporate changes in level, speed and direction. She evaluates her own and others' performances thoughtfully.
Developing: Sam is building his confidence in gymnastics. He can hold basic balances and is learning to link movements together in a short sequence. We are working on body tension and controlled landings, and he is making steady progress.
Dance
Example: Aisha is an expressive and creative dancer. She responds imaginatively to music, using a range of dynamics and levels in her movement. She works collaboratively with a partner to create and refine dance phrases, showing an excellent sense of rhythm and timing.
Athletics
Example: Callum has performed well in athletics this term. He demonstrates good sprinting technique, and his throwing distances have improved significantly through practising the pull throw. He approaches all athletic activities with determination and a positive attitude.
Swimming
Confident: Imogen can swim competently and confidently over a distance of 25 metres using front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. She understands basic water safety rules and can perform a safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
Developing: Ben is making progress in swimming and can swim approximately 15 metres using a supported front crawl. He is working on building his confidence in deeper water and developing his backstroke technique.
Tips for Writing PE Comments
- Comment on attitude as well as ability: Effort, sportsmanship and teamwork matter as much as physical skill.
- Be specific about activities: Mention the actual sport or discipline — not just “PE.”
- Include swimming if applicable: The National Curriculum requires children to swim 25 metres by the end of Year 6. If your school teaches swimming in Year 5, report on progress.
- Suggest next steps: Recommend clubs, specific skills to practise, or areas to develop.
See our Year 5 PE comment bank for more ready-to-use examples. Or use Reportify to generate PE comments for your class in seconds.