11 Plus Report Writing: Report or Newspaper Report?

After a recent conversation about 11 Plus writing, someone came back with a very good question: What is the difference between a report and a newspaper report?

It sounds as though the answer should be obvious, but it isn't. A newspaper report is a type of report. However, the word report on its own doesn't automatically mean newspaper report.

A child can write very well and still answer the wrong task. If they see the word report and immediately add a dramatic headline, several quotations and a newspaper layout, they may end up adding features the question hasn't asked for.

The exact wording matters. Your child needs to work out what they're reporting, who will read it and why it's being written before deciding on the structure.

What Does ‘Write a Report’ Mean?

A report presents information clearly and in an organised way. It might describe an incident, explain findings or make recommendations.

For this fictional example, imagine that dozens of ducks have wandered into a railway station and delayed the morning trains.

The task might say, ‘Write a report about ducks causing disruption at a railway station.’

That still doesn't tell us enough. Who is the report for?

A station manager might want an incident report explaining what happened, what problems it caused and what should happen next. A local newspaper would want a news report for its readers. A headteacher might want a report for school after pupils witnessed the event on a trip.

The event is the same. The purpose and audience change the writing.

Is a School Report Another Type of Report?

The words school report can mean more than one thing.

Most parents hear school report and think of the document sent home about a child's progress, attendance and next steps. An 11 Plus writing question wouldn't ask a child to write this kind of school report.

A child could also be asked to write a report for school. The task might say, ‘Write a report for your headteacher about what happened during a visit to a railway station.’

In that case, the audience is the headteacher. We would keep the writing clear, fairly formal and focused on what the headteacher needs to know. It doesn't become a newspaper report simply because it describes an unusual event.

Report vs Newspaper Report: What Is the Difference?

General or incident report	Newspaper report
Records or explains information for a stated purpose	Presents an event as news
Might be written for a headteacher, manager, council or organisation	Written for the readers of a newspaper or news website
Usually has a clear factual title	Usually has a short headline
Often groups information under headings	Usually puts the main news first, followed by details
May include findings, action taken and recommendations	May include comments from witnesses or officials
Quotations are optional	One or two short quotations often help
The structure depends on why the report is being written	Often follows an inverted-pyramid structure

Does a Report Need a Headline?

A report normally needs a title. That title doesn't have to sound like a newspaper headline.

A general report might be called ‘Report on the Disruption at Bellford Station’.

A newspaper report might use ‘DUCKS BRING MORNING TRAINS TO A HALT’.

The first is a straightforward label. The second tells readers the main news and tries to catch their attention.

When a child is writing under timed conditions, there's no need to draw pictures or set out the work to look like a printed newspaper. I've seen children spend valuable time doing this when that time would be better spent finishing and checking their writing.

Which Person and Tense Should a Child Use?

We would normally write these types of report in the third person.

The ducks entered the station shortly after eight o'clock. Staff guided passengers away from the main entrance.

If the whole piece begins, ‘I was waiting for my train when I saw the ducks’, it may start to sound like a recount or story.

First person can still appear inside a quotation in a newspaper report. One passenger might say, ‘I looked up and saw ducks marching past the ticket barriers.’ The witness speaks in the first person, but the reporter's sentences around the quotation remain in the third person.

A police report can be different. If an officer or witness is recording what they personally saw, heard or did, they may write in the first person, for example: ‘I arrived at the station at 8.30 am.’ Other people and events would still be described in the third person. Once again, the exact question tells the child who is writing and which person to use.

If the incident has already happened, we would usually write the report in the past tense. We might use the present tense for something that's still happening, for example: ‘The station is reviewing how the birds entered the building.’

A report about ducks in general would be a non-chronological information report. That simply means it gives facts grouped by subject, such as appearance, habitat and diet. It doesn’t retell one event in the order that everything happened. We would normally use the present tense because the child would be explaining general facts about ducks. An incident report is different because it records a particular event, such as ducks entering the station and delaying the trains.

Before your child starts writing, I would ask them to underline the important words in the question. Words such as ‘newspaper’, ‘headteacher’, ‘report on the incident’, ‘explain’ or ‘recommend’ tell them who they're writing for and what sort of report they need to produce.

What Is the Inverted-Pyramid Structure?

Newspapers tend to use an inverted-pyramid structure. The most important information goes at the top, in the opening paragraph. After that, we would add the supporting details and leave the least important background until the end.

The opening should answer the most important questions straight away: who was involved, what happened, where it happened, when it happened, why it happened and how it happened.

Your child doesn't need to squeeze every answer into one enormous sentence. They also don't need six separate paragraphs. The aim is to give readers the heart of the story quickly.

A clear opening might read, ‘More than forty ducks delayed trains at Bellford Station on Monday morning after wandering through an open side gate.’

The next paragraphs explain the event in more detail. They might tell readers how long the delays lasted, what staff did and whether anybody was hurt. This is also where a short comment from a witness or official can fit.

The final paragraph can add relevant background or bring the report up to date. If that paragraph had to be removed, the reader should still understand the main event. That's why the structure is described as an inverted pyramid.

Creative story writing works differently. We would normally introduce the main character and situation, give the character something they want, create a problem, make matters worse and then bring the story to a clear ending. A newspaper report doesn't build in the same way. It gives readers the main news near the beginning.

How Many Paragraphs Should a Newspaper Report Have?

When it comes to transactional writing, I like to give children a clear paragraph structure because it gives them something concrete to hold on to, particularly when they're working under timed conditions.

For a short timed newspaper report, four paragraphs can work well.

Paragraph 1 gives the main news. It should include the most important who, what, where and when. It can also include why or how if those facts are already known.

Paragraph 2 explains how the incident unfolded and adds the most important details.

Paragraph 3 covers the response or consequences and can include one believable quotation.

Paragraph 4 gives relevant background or explains what will happen next.

Four paragraphs aren't set in stone. The right number depends on the time available, the information in the task and what the reader needs to know. If your child has longer, they could add another paragraph explaining how the incident unfolded, give more detail about the response or include a carefully chosen quotation. If they have very little time, four clear, relevant paragraphs are better than a long piece they can't finish or check.

How Should a General Incident Report Be Organised?

It's harder to give a general report a fixed number of paragraphs because its structure depends on its purpose. I would give a child clear headings to work from.

For the station manager's incident report, a sensible structure would be:

• Title to identify the subject
• Summary to record the main facts
• Effect on Passengers to explain the problems caused
• Action Taken to record what staff did
• Recommendations if the task asks for them

Those headings work for this particular incident report. They aren't a template for every possible report. Your child should always adapt the structure to the task they've actually been given.

The Same Event Written as Two Different Reports

General Incident Report

Report on the Disruption at Bellford Station

Summary

Shortly after 8.00 am on Monday, more than forty ducks entered Bellford Station through an open side gate. They blocked the main entrance and delayed four trains. Nobody was injured.

Effect on Passengers

Passengers were directed to the eastern entrance while staff moved the ducks. Queues formed near the ticket office, and several passengers missed connecting trains.

Action Taken

The ducks were guided back towards Bellford Park. The side gate was closed, and staff checked the station for any remaining birds.

Recommendations

The side gate should remain closed when it isn't being used. The fence between the station and park should also be checked for gaps.

Newspaper Report

DUCKS BRING MORNING TRAINS TO A HALT

More than forty ducks delayed trains at Bellford Station on Monday morning after wandering through an open side gate.

Station staff closed the main entrance while they guided the birds back towards a nearby park. Four trains left late, and queues formed around the ticket office, although nobody was injured.

‘I looked up and saw ducks marching past the ticket barriers. Nobody could quite believe it,’ said one passenger.

The station later reopened fully. Managers have said the side gate will remain closed while they check the fence between the station and Bellford Park.

Both pieces cover exactly the same incident. The first records what happened and recommends action. The second gives local readers the main news first, then adds details, a quotation and background.

Should Children Include Quotations?

Newspaper reports often contain quotations, but one or two believable comments are enough in a short timed piece.

A quotation should add something. A passenger might describe what they saw. A station manager might explain what staff did. A spokesperson might say what will happen next.

Children sometimes make every quotation sound terrifying, even when the event doesn't justify it. The ducks caused disruption, but there's no reason to pretend everybody was in terrible danger.

A believable quotation might say, ‘The entrance became crowded very quickly, so staff asked us to use another door.’

We wouldn't automatically add direct quotations to a general incident report. We could report what a witness said without using their exact words.

What Clues Should Children Look for?

A newspaper report is likely if the task asks your child to write for a local newspaper, report an incident for local readers or include comments from witnesses.

A general report is more likely if the task names a headteacher, council, manager or organisation as the reader. It may also ask for findings, action taken or recommendations, or tell your child to use headings.

If the question gives no audience and no other clues, the task is less clear. I would keep the piece factual, organised and mainly in the third person. I wouldn't add every newspaper feature just because the word report appears.

Common Mistakes in Report Writing

• Assuming every report is a newspaper report.
• Writing a first-person story instead of a factual account.
• Spending too long setting the scene before explaining what happened.
• Adding quotations that don't sound believable.
• Writing a headline but forgetting to put the main news in the opening.
• Adding recommendations when the task hasn't asked for them.
• Forgetting who will read the report.
• Spending valuable writing time decorating the page.

The word report is only the starting point. The rest of the brief tells your child what kind of report to write.

Need Help with 11 Plus Writing?

Children can write some very good sentences and still miss the brief if they haven't identified the genre, audience and purpose.

For a wider look at the forms children may meet, read my guide to 11 Plus writing genres. My article on why audience matters in 11 Plus writing also explains how the intended reader changes the tone, detail and layout.

My 11 Plus Creative Writing Course currently covers story writing, narrative recount, description, SPaG and literary devices. Children also receive personal feedback on submitted writing and can attend live teaching sessions.