Your child's Primary School - how much info are you given?

[grammaticus]

This seems to vary a lot. My children's school has 3 parents' evenings a year and sends out a termly newsletter (which doesn't give much away). Is it unrealistic to expect, for example, a letter at the start of term with details of the topics, or a menu displayed so you know what your child has eaten? How much info are other people given?

[twirlaround]

Menu on school website
newsletter most weeks
only 2 parents evenings a year

still hard to pick up everything you need to know about so chatting to other parents usually fills the gaps!

[marialuisa]

DD's school is a fee-paying primary. The menu (4-weekly rotation, changed every term) is displayed on the wall in the lobby, along with duty staff for the day. We have a meeting at the start of each term (with handouts) where they tell you the topics and these are pinned up weekly outside the classroom. We also get a whole school newsletter every Friday and a parent-teacher meeting once a term. Written reports once a year in reception, more frequently as they get older.

[Hallgerda]

My children's school does have a menu displayed. There is generally a letter at the start of term with details of the topics, though it tends to be written in eduspeak. If you don't think your children's school is communicating adequately, grammaticus, why not raise the issue with the school? (I have done so in the past, over a failure to inform me which day PE took place.)

[singersgirl]

We get a fortnightly newsletter, a termly curriculum letter from the relevant year group, a termly menu from the contractor, 2 parents' evenings (in the first 2 terms) and a report in the third term. There is also an open day in the summer term, so you can chat informally to the teacher then.

There are occasional evenings, such as the reception curriculum evening, and the numeracy evening, where they talk about teaching approaches.

And everyone is always invited to the annual Governors' meeting if they wish to attend to find out more about planning and management.

[Anteater]

newsletters each week
menu emailed each week
Termly magazine
Yearly journal
Topics to be covered by each class are circulated at the start of each term.
Reports each 1/2 term.

[WigWamBam]

My dd's school (local state infant school) is excellent as far as communication is concerned.


A useful and informative weekly newsletter which always fills at least two sides of A4
Additional information in letters as needed throughout the week
4 parents' evenings a year (although the first one is really just to meet the teacher)
Frequent workshops for parents to help them understand the way their child is being taught - in the last three months we have had workshops on both literacy and numeracy, and more are planned for this term
"Inspire" workshops once a term, where parents are invited to come in and spend the day working with their child and the teacher to see what they're doing
Information sheets at the start of every half term, detailing what the topics, goals, letters and numbers will be for that half term
Timetable for each class, and menus for lunch, displayed in each classroom window so parents can easily see it
Progress books (at the moment just for reading, but later for other things too) where the teacher and the parents both write comments about what the child is doing in a particular subject and how they are coping

[Enid]

bugger all

[LIZS]

Weekly newsletter usually including menu and upcoming events. Parent/teacher meeting 3 times a year and reports termly, I think. Details of topics and curriculum were handed out at a parent meeting at the beginning of the year with ad hoc meetings to highlight particular aspects such as how to help with reading.

[getbakainyourjimjams]

well ds1 goes to special school so I get a detailed home-school book every day. Yesterdays entry was about what he'd eaten , what they were trying to get him to do, what he was actually doing, whether he was grumpy or ill, and how much his eating has come on. In mainstream it was much harder to get information unless I saw his LSA (one always walked to the car with me to tell me what had happened, the other didn't). Also get termly IEPs, termly newlsetters (which ds1 loves), annual reveiw, and various chats after various assessments.

DS1 can't tell me anything about school and I really apreciate and value the communication we get.

[Hallgerda]

WWB, I'm impressed! So much so that I've copied it into a Word file to use as an example of good practice if my children's school ask me how their communications could be improved (hope you don't mind). The workshops sound like a great idea - how many parents show up?

[Littlefish]

My school (I'm a teacher) does:

Weekly newsletter, including details of any teachers out on courses and who the supply cover will be.
Class timetables at the beginning of the year
Half termly topic plans
2 x parents evenings plus one "meet the teacher evening)
1 x school reports
Half termly information on individual children's targets (for each pupil)
Other special meetings for literacy, numeracy, SATs etc. during the year.
Noticeboards for each class (where the parents pick up) in case there are additional messages.
Menus
Home/school link books for each pupil. Used mostly for reading, but often used for general stuff too.

Sounds like a lot when I write it down, but I know that the parents appreciate the information and it means that they are able to support their child's learning even more.

[grammaticus]

Hmmm - you have confirmed my suspicions!! Thanks everyone for your replies. I too will be printing out WWB's most impressive list.

So what do I do to raise the issue? I am involved in PTA and go into school each week to read with yr2. Do I have to make an appointment to see the head (and will I be marked out as a troublemaker if I do?) My children are in yr2 and reception so I am not that new to the school.

This is a school with an active PTA and a very supportive parent cohort than gives both of time in school, on trips etc and of money at fundraisers. The parents have an awful lot to offer the school, imo. The school is viewed locally as v successful, near top of league tables etc and trading a bit on its reputation imo.

[grammaticus]

Also Littlefish's list

[WigWamBam]

Halgerda, the workshops are pretty well attended; generally somewhere around 2/3 of parents seem to turn up, which considering most of the parents work is quite good going.

[PeachyClair]

Weekly newsletter with topics, key sounds and foreign language words (Welsh), termly parents evenings, menu displayed, and meetings called for other things. A lot of the stuff is in the meetins, which I tend to miss as DH works nights and they are evening based (no babysitters). Can't fault it hough, after all has to suit the majority.

[Littlefish]

Grammaticus, is there a governor who is concerned with communication who you could speak to about this? We have a designated communications governor (who happens to be in marketing!).

I've also just remembered that all new parents get a ring binder of school information, a uniform purchase form and a notepad for messages to the school (organised by our communication governor and a working party).

[grammaticus]

No Littlefish, there isn't unfortunately. I could perhaps mention it to a governor informally but (given the governor I know) I think it might get blown into a more controversial issue than I want to make. How would the staff like this to be raised, iye? Is going to the head as good as branding "pushy troublesome parent" across your forehead?!

[Littlefish]

If you think it would get blown up into a big deal, then you might be better going straight to the head.

Do you have any spare time? Is there any chance you could help the school out with its communication - you obviously think they could be doing more, and as a parent, you have a good idea of the sort of information you would like.

It always sounds better if you can say "well headteacher, I was thinking about the information we get and wondered whether there was any way I could help to increase/improve it e.g. helping to put together a weekly newsletter". Rather than "Look here headteacher, I don't think we get enough information!"

However, if you don't have time to spare, I still think it would be valuable to go and talk to the head. My headteacher has a sort of rule of thumb which is that if one person comes to see you, at least 20 more are thinking about the same thing and so he always takes parent comments very seriously.

[Issymum]

Virtually nothing. But it is a precious little private Catholic prep school. My hunch is that if I went to Mass (at all!) I'd know more through Divine Intervention or perhaps the odd vision.

[Hallgerda]

I would emphasise the fact that you are being constructive - schools tend to talk about working in partnership with parents, and parents need information in order to work effectively in partnership with schools. I wouldn't offer to take it on yourself as Littlefish suggests because I have had bad experiences of being sucked in. Over the newsletter, you might suggest the pupils could have a hand in preparing it (I'm sure there are some relevant National Curriculum units), and over the menu a quiet word with the school secretary might suffice. Over communication between teachers and parents I would sit down and write out what you believe the school should be doing, then write a letter to the Head suggesting those changes, emphasising that you want to be better informed in order to support your child's education. That way you make sure you say all you want to say and don't get dragged into doing any jobs you don't want to.

[grammaticus]

Thanks. I know you are right about being constructive and positive. We have a newish headteacher, I'll ask around about how (if) anyone else has approached him on anything and how he reacted. He seems to focus on sending us letters asking us NOT to do things - termtime hols, parking, pets, play on the field...

[Littlefish]

Too true Hallgerda! It's very easy to get sucked in.

[grammaticus]

Bump

Sorry. Can anyone else tell me what their school gives out before I wade in there?!