In Years 11 and 12 and have no clue how to write a reflection statement for HSC English?
As a qualified HSC English teacher with 8+ years of experience, I know how key it is to master the art of writing a reflection. It can be the difference between a Band 4 and 6 in your exams!
In the next 2 minutes, I’m going to break down key NESA criteria, the best way to start, a Band 6 example, and a FREE Reflection Structure Sheet.
Let’s jump right in!
1. What is a reflection statement?
2. When will I need to write reflections in Year 11 English?
3. When will I need to write reflections in Year 12 English?
4. How long is a reflection statement?
5. How do you structure a Reflection Statement?
6. Band 6 Reflection Example
What is a reflection statement?
A reflection statement is a statement written by students, discussing their process for producing a particular assessment task.
It isn’t a simple recap of what you did to complete the task, but a self-assessment on what you did, how and why you did it, what you did well, and what you could improve on.
These details could include the themes you chose, the literary techniques you used, the editing process you used, and so much more.
🤔 When will I write reflections in Year 11?
Year 11 students will most likely have to write reflection statements in the Common Module: Reading to Write (take a look at some practice questions here!).
You may also be asked to write a reflection statement on your Prelims alongside a composition.
Your English teacher may introduce you to how to write a reflection as part of your internal assessment or a classroom activity such as responding to a multimodal text where you would reflect on the author’s choices instead of your own, so you could write several throughout the year.
Ultimately, learning how to ‘reflect’ will help you in Year 11 English Module A and Module B.
🤔 When will I write reflections in Year 12?
In Year 12, you will often need to write a reflection for Module C alongside your creative, discursive or persuasive piece. Check out Part B of this question from NESA’s HSC English sample exam:
How long is a reflection statement?
This will vary depending on several factors:
- The assessment task being written about
- How many marks have been assigned to the reflection statement
- The level of English you’re taking (Standard, Advanced or Extension)
- What your marking criteria says!
Reflection statements will generally be between 300 and 800 words, likely hanging around the 400-word mark. However, for English Extension 2, your piece is 1500 words long.
How do you start writing a reflection?
Ultimately, both Year 11 and 12 students want to demonstrate TWO things to their marker:
- A well-thought-out process of composition in creating your text — i.e. being able to pinpoint exactly why you did what you did and explain this in depth.
- A deep personal awareness of your strengths, weaknesses and overall development as a learner. What are you good at? What are you not so good at? What did you learn from doing this task? What skills were you able to hone?
- A connection between their own creative decisions and key ideas from at least ONE of your prescribed texts.
An effective reflection statement is focused on your personal insights and answers three questions:
FREE Reflection Statement Structure Sheet
While reflections may have the typical introduction, body and conclusion layout, their structure is different to the essays you’re used to writing and has to adapt to the assessment type you’ve got.
To help you out, I’ve put together a downloadable cheat sheet you can keep handy with detailed structures for imaginative, discursive, creative, and essay writing.
Band 6 Reflection Statement Example
Below, we have included an excerpt from a Band 5/6-level reflection statement from NESA’s website that responds to Question B in the Module C section of the 2019 HSC English Standard Paper 2. Let’s take a closer look:
“For my creative, I have used the motif of a frozen lake, inspired by the conclusion of Nam Le’s prescribed text. I structured my creative around the vivid imagery of the lake, frozen to represent the persona’s mentality. The climactic imagery inspired by Nam Le guided me to carefully articulate the persona’s journey of letting go of the past…”
This response does well to pin-point what techniques and strategies the writer used to create their story, such as a motif, as well as making it clear both why that technique was used (to reflect the persona’s mentality) and where the inspiration for it came from (one of their prescribed texts).
By including these elements, the student made a strong start on their reflection as they showed their marker that their creative decisions were calculated and informed by their reading and research process throughout the unit, which is exactly what teachers and markers want to see.
Looking for a tutor to help you ace your HSC Reflection Statement?
We pride ourselves on our inspirational HSC English coaches and mentors!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills! Want to ace your multimodal assessment? Our comprehensive 1-1 tutoring in Bankstown can help you meet your Band 6 goal!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!
Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on TikTok!
Genevieve D’Netto is a qualified English and History teacher who has successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education (secondary), majoring in English and History at the University of Sydney, graduating with first class honours in 2021. Gen has just completed a Master of Education majoring in Literacy Education at the University of Melbourne. She graduated with ATAR of 97.30, placing her in the top 2.7% of the state! She received the Premier’s Award for All-round Excellence in the Higher School Certificate.
Holden Walker is a Senior English Coach at Art of Smart Education, with 7+ years of tutoring experience. He is currently a PhD candidate in English Literature at the University of Wollongong and was named Art of Smart’s 1-on-1 Coach of the Year in 2024. Having taught over 150 students tutored since 2021, Holden brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to his work.
