Just when you thought there would be no more mention of the National Curriculum in these columns, along comes a review of a good package designed to make administration easier by streamlining the chore of writing reports on pupils. This software is sufficiently flexible, that these reports can take the form of short formal assessments, to reveal strengths and weaknesses to both pupil and teacher. Or they can produce more prose-based material of a type usually given to pupils' families.

Although the present review was written with only the benefit of the demonstration disc (which is available for £4.60 inc. VAT), it is clear that the way it links pupils to subject-sets or to classes, for example, will make the job of compiling reports less painful than having stacks of paper scattered around - as is often the case at this time of year!

The software works on a system of easy-to-use menus and submenus, with single letter choices for most things. Text can also be output to a word processor, and the publishers claim that finishing one report can take as little as two minutes. The other side of this coin is that assessment statements, as they appear, are actually selected from a number of options and inserted into the report: "Has not fully understood the material", for example.

Admittedly, the user can select which criteria to work with (level of understanding, attitude to the subject, application and the rest). Alternatively, sample assessment criteria to match those dictated by the National Curriculum are in preparation. They will thus be updated as these change. What is more, several copies of the disc for different departments can be made without infringing copyright.

If you tend to say broadly the same sort of things about your pupils, then none of this will worry you. However, where you prefer to sit down and draft what might in some circumstances be quite an influential document, according to impressions and recollections, then this software will be far too restricting.

On the other hand, reports are compiled according to marks and grades in a way over which you have complete control. If you feel that a finite number of statements from which to chose (typically a dozen or so) is sufficient, and about half as many gradations in how the assessment criteria are met, then sit back and let the software do the donkey work. With one or two minor reservations (which were probably associated with the fact that the full version was not reviewed), it is easy enough to use.

The verdict? It seems very likely that more programs of this kind are set to appear if the framework of the National Curriculum does take hold. As more and more pressure is put on teachers to spend time assessing pupils, rather than enabling their learning, many will find this sort of prop very welcome. If you are attracted to the idea of quite mechanical extrapolation of pupil records and collation in a variety of forms, then this suite is a serviceable example of what is needed.

Importantly, its relative flexibility means that comments can also be made which indicate strengths and weaknesses as well as performance. This is very much in the spirit of the infamous TGAT Report, which stressed the importance of assessments which, whilst not exactly diagnostic, were less judgemental than indicative of the pupils' future needs. Worth looking at.