Phone calls home

[kscience]

Dear parents, I have been trying to call home since Tuesday for a couple of pupils who are not putting in the effort I expect in class (despite virtually standing over them and becoming a broken record of nagging) and who have important revision homework ready for their end of year assessment.

I just want to give the parents the heads up that the pupils have revision materials and ask that they could please encourage their DS to spend some time looking at them.

Would you be upset with a phone call from a teacher on a Saturday morning?

[TeenAndTween]

I wouldn't be upset with a phone call on Sat am.

(Though I would be upset if my DC needed such a call!)

[MrsLeighHalfpenny]

No. I would thank the teacher for being so diligent. Don't call too early though.

[Hulababy]

I think a weekend call would really emphasise the importance, to the parent and child, of what you're saying.
I'd be cross with my child for needing such a call but not cross with the teacher for taking time out of her own weekend to call me.

[kscience]

Thank you for the feedback everyone. have never had to resort to this before, can usually get someone to answer a phone just as Corrie or Eastenders are about to start.

[noblegiraffe]

I would email.

[MrsLeighHalfpenny]

If you can't get anyone on Saturday, I also suggest an email if the school has the address. Otherwise post a letter asking parents to contact you.

[kscience]

We do not have email addresses for parents.
A letter needs to go though the office (1 day) and then senior management (anther day) so will get there after they have sat the test.

[MrsLeighHalfpenny]

I'm sure the letter process can be speeded up or circumvented in an emergency. You could walk it round the approvers perhaps?

Make a note of all the times you have tried to call the parents so that when either they complain that they haven't been warned of DCs impending failure, or if it comes up in any post exam review with one of your seniors, you can demonstrate that you did as much as you could to warn parents. IMO, phoning at weekends is above and beyond the call of duty, so would look good for you.

[roguedad]

While it does not help you right now, I suggest getting a list of e-mail addresses and corresponding that way. It is more convenient for all concerned and I also find that teachers prefer rather this to being hassled at drop-off and pick-up when it might not suit. I can pick e-mails from school on my phone and respond very quickly.

[scaevola]

Do you also call parents when you've caught their child doing right?

Because the times you can track down those who need this sort of intervention may well be similar to the rest of the population of parents.

I don't think a weekend call is problematic in itself, but it is hard to predict when people will be where.

Do you know if any of the household is a shift worker, or has any other reason for odd availability?

[kscience]

Scaevola yes, I actually made just as many phone calls to pupils who I think have worked very hard in class and might be stressed by the assessments coming up as it is their first set of "mock" exams in the hall etc to mimic proper style GCSE's So that their parents can look out for the signs of stress and tell them that "miss said you will do fine".
Unfortunately it is impossible to phone everyone (I have already spent a couple of hours this week trying to call and recall).
I am assuming that peope are out at work but despite leaving (now nightly) messages that I am trying to contact them none have left messages at school for the best time to try and call.

[kscience]

Rougedad we as school do not correspond by email wit parents

I personally would prefer this as I would have a written record of correspondence and could email at more convenient times and allow parents the time to digest my comments and compose a reply

[AdventureBe]

I would think a teacher who called me on Saturday was going above and beyond the call of duty and be grateful but I would also probably overreact and think it must be a very grave situation indeed to warrant it.

When you've tried previously, have you left messages and have the parents tried to return them?

[yearofthegoat]

Are many other schools in the situation that they don't have email addresses for parents? It seems strange in this day and age.

It is slow and expensive to write to people surely.

[scaevola]

That's lovely, kscience!

I think fitting them all in means making it something that happens all year round. Often has biggest impact on the 'invisible middles', don't you think?

And I hope the good reactions that you know will help, will help stiffen your resolve as you hunt these remaining families.

[AdventureBe]

I'm guessing it must be a small (private?) school.

All the secondaries I know are busy collecting email addresses if they don't already have them ,so that everything can be done by email to save costs. I do think it works better for most parents too.

[kscience]

No AdventureBe inner city state school. If school contacts parents en mass it is by text.

I have left a message on answerphones every evening since Tuesday and had no contact. Also left messages this morning as no answer.

Giving up now and having a bot pf a weekend not thinking about work...or trying to

[kscience]

WHOOPS Spelling....must try harder

[BackforGood]

I would be concerned about a call on a Saturday morning - worried perhaps that it was something extremely serious. That said, if you'd left messages every day this week, then I would have got back to you after the first one, so the situation wouldn't have arisen, so I'm not the best person to ask.

That said, I'm astounded that your school doesn't use e-mail. It's a nightmare trying to contact a teacher in school by phone - when you call they are in a meeting or teaching or not able to be found. It is SUCH an inefficient waste of everyone's time trying to phone when both you, and the parent are available, when you can e-mail and both respond at a time that is convenient.

[karbonfootprint]

Given that most schools only allow calls to be made to parents from school phones, are you intending to actually go into school to make the calls? If you use your own phone you must withhold the number, to do otherwise would be a disciplinary offence.

[AdventureBe]

Surely letters and forms can't be sent by text? Email so much more efficient and more likelihood that the letters actually reach the intended target!

What is the reason for the resistance at your school OP? Just being nosey, as I work in a school where we're trying to get everything onto email.

[Heels99]

No, I would appreciate the teacher giving up,their own time on a Saturday to make me aware

[MrsUltracrepidarian]

Very strange not to have emails - all the schools I have worked in including inner city have the addresses on SIMS.
I think it is a bit over the top to call them on a Saturday.
You have already called and left a voice message and they chose not to respond.
It may also back fire on you if the parents complain of harassment.
When I worked in business I had a complaint about one of my staff members who emailed a customer at 1am - they said she could not be very efficient if she had to work silly hours. They may well say that this is so last minute is inefficient, and that you should have been more organised to send them a letter earlier in the process ( if there is not emails ).

[yearofthegoat]

karbon I haven't heard of teachers being told to withhold numbers when phoning from their own phone. Is this standard in the UK?