Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/blog/homework-completion-data-parents-evening/

# Using homework data for a positive parents' evening

By Ruth Darvill · Published 2026-11-12 · Updated 2026-11-12

Here's how to use your parents' evening homework data to find each student's wins, share them with parents and agree one next step.

## Start with the wins

Before each appointment, look for something true and positive:

- Improvement. Is the latest run of assignments better than the first?
- Consistency. Has the student handed in all their homework for six weeks or more?
- Harder tasks. Have they started completing the exam-question homework they used to skip?

## Look at which homework was handed in

A single completion figure hides most of what a parent wants to know. Look at which homework was handed in, which wasn't, and whether the recent assignments look different from the early ones.

A regular weekly pattern is easier to read than a scattered one, and [how weekly, structured homework worked at Durham School Dubai](/en-gb/blog/how-weekly-structured-homework-transformed-exam-outcomes-at-durham-school-dubai/) describes one school's weekly routine.

## See it in a custom report

Custom reports are available to schools on Seneca School Sync, and they now:

- filter by department, subject and year group
- include future dates in the date range, so you can see assignments set for coming weeks
- leave homework that isn't due yet out of the completion figures, so a student isn't counted as missing work they haven't had to hand in
- carry over the filters you chose on the school report pages

If your school isn't on Seneca School Sync yet, you can [ask about it here](https://app.senecalearning.com/teacher/what-is-premium/get-a-quote?formType=mis&source=blog).

As a suggestion, if your appointments follow year groups, filter to that year group before the evening and pull the figures once, so you aren't opening reports between appointments.

## Why lead with the data

Our view is that every parent should leave with one specific thing their child did well and one specific thing to do next, and the data is what makes both specific.

The strongest argument against is that parents come to hear about problems, and a conversation that opens on good news can feel like it's avoiding them. Put the issue in the next-step line. This way the issue is still addressed and it's backed by what the homework shows.

## Three lines per student

As a suggestion, write no more than three lines for each student:

1. The win, stated with a count of what was handed in.
2. The pattern, if there is one, such as the type of task that tends to be missing.
3. One next step that is small and specific.

If you can see what a student actually answered, use it.

Teachers can review student answers on assignments in Seneca, including a breakdown of core content answers by question. Knowing which questions a student answered lets you tell a parent which kind of question to practise.

## Keep it positive and specific

The EEF's guidance on [supporting parents](https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/supporting-parents) advises communicating carefully so parents don't feel blamed or discouraged. We'd suggest giving a count and naming the tasks, leaving other students out of it, and describing what the work shows without guessing why.

## Fit it into the time you have

If time is short, prepare in full for a handful of students and write one line on direction for the rest. Choose the handful by who has the clearest next step.

Weekly homework gives you a pattern to read at the next parents' evening. You can set your next assignment in [Seneca](https://app.senecalearning.com/teacher/assignments/create/class).