A family moving to the UK may have school reports from an education system with unfamiliar grading, term dates or subject labels. Translating those records can help an admissions team understand a pupil’s previous schooling. The translation should accurately represent the source report without claiming to award a UK equivalent grade.
Key point: Ask the receiving school exactly which records it requests, provide the complete report and include any legend explaining how the school marked or assessed performance.
Instruction checklist
- Receiving school’s instructions
- Correct academic term or school year
- All pages and reverse-side grading legends
- Any supporting attendance or leaving record requested
- Name spellings, language pair and deadline
Check which document the school wants
An admissions officer may request a recent report card, school-leaving certificate, attendance record or previous year’s transcript. These do not always contain the same information. Before commissioning translation, ask which documents are actually needed for the transfer.
Do not translate several years of records merely because they are available if the receiving school only needs a particular term or a specific certificate. Translate the appropriate file set with all its relevant pages.
Keep subjects and grade values intact
The source may list subjects with local names, grades as letters or percentages, and additional comments about performance. Translate the headings and descriptions carefully, but do not turn the original grade into a GCSE result or UK school year. The receiving school is responsible for deciding how it uses the records.
Where a grading legend appears on the reverse side, include it. Without that key, a grade may be difficult to interpret accurately.
Preserve teacher comments and attendance
Progress reports often contain narrative feedback about participation, behaviour or attendance. Those comments can be meaningful to the receiving institution and should not be reduced to a short summary without instruction. If a remark is handwritten or partly obscured, request clarification.
Keeping the original sequence of the report helps the school locate any relevant sections or follow-up questions.
Handle calendars, names and school years
An overseas academic year may run on different dates from the UK year. The translated report should state what the source records, not silently change the term. Supply passport spellings for the pupil’s name as a reference while keeping differences visible where necessary.
Include the original school name and official issuing information. A translator cannot independently certify the foreign school’s standing or the child’s likely placement.
Confirm presentation and certification
Some receiving schools may accept a school-issued bilingual document while others may request a certified English translation. Check the institution’s guidance. For translated PDFs, keep each English page clearly associated with its source rather than submitting unlabeled extracts.
Before sending the pack, check names, dates, attendance totals, grade headings and completeness. This avoids preventable requests for clarification.
Frequently asked questions
Does a translated report determine a child’s UK school year?
No. The receiving school or relevant authority determines placement.
Can teacher comments be included?
Yes, if they form part of the required source report and are legible.
Do all schools need certified translations?
Requirements differ. Confirm the school’s expectations before ordering.
Guidance and related services
See School report translation service for relevant general information. Any legal, court or admissions instructions for your specific case take precedence.
School report translation · Transcript translation · Diploma translation
To request a quotation, send your complete documents and explain the language pair, purpose, required certification and deadline. Translation is a language service rather than legal advice.