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Original poster

Do you really think it matters if we don't attend Y7 parents eve at DS's new secondary...

62 replies

ampere · 30/10/2010 18:16

..seeing as he's been there 8 weeks?! And it's a huge school thus I would be frankly amazed if the teachers even knew who my middle-of-the road, 'B' grade performing, well-behaved DS was? We don't get to meet his tutor unless your DC has a subject with them (mine doesn't); it's a highly regarded school that will produce detailed reports at Xmas and end-of-year, and it's a school that would tell you if there was a problem!

As it happens we will meet his English, Maths and Spanish teacher (as those are the ones DS arranged for us to see!) but really, in the absence of 'issues', is it a bit of a waste of time?!

OP posts:
MollieO · 30/10/2010 18:34

I won't go to ds's this time but only because I have a meeting arranged with his form teacher and Senco two weeks before. Usually I always go even if it means booking a half day holiday so I can get there.

If it was the first parents' evening at a new school I would make every effort to go. At junior school I was a model pupil. I was always top of my class and either top or second in the year. My first year of secondary school saw me go completely off the rails. So much so that I came near bottom in the end of year exams. In my second year at secondary I got two prizes - one for coming second and one for most improved pupil. [hgrin]

Clary · 30/10/2010 18:33

Seriously, do you think one teacher will teach 280 children? Yr DS's English teacher will probably teach just his English group in yr 7.

The teacher will know who he is, I promise you, if they are any good at all.

TethHearseEnd · 30/10/2010 18:32

Oh, teachers know by 8 weeks Wink

Original poster
ampere · 30/10/2010 18:30

And hocus, thing is, I don't think and wouldn't expect my DS's teachers to necessarily know who he was after 8 weeks!

OP posts:
TethHearseEnd · 30/10/2010 18:30

IME, it is quite a big deal for the students when their parents meet their teachers.

Ask your DS how he feels. I think not going could be a wasted opportunity to meet his teachers; he is going to talk about them a fair bit over the next few months, and this way you will know who he's referring to, which will be important to him.

Original poster
ampere · 30/10/2010 18:29

We-e-ll, thing is, as I said, I doubt the teacher would actually have a clue who DS was- just another little face amongst 280 others (or perhaps 100 others!). I don't think he'd've made an impression on his teachers at all except for having done his work on time and properly over the past 8 weeks. And I would be stunned if afterwards, any teacher could put my name to my face let alone know whose mum I was!

It would depress me if I thought my commitment to my DS's education was measured in attendance at the 8 week-mark 'parents evening'- though I'd certainly go to the end-of-year one. I really think this is a 'box ticking' exercise one ('Do parents get the opportunity to discuss their child's progress?'). I mean, the final Y6 parents eve at the linked primary said, in as many words, 'Only attend if there's a specific issue you need to discuss with us, otherwise, trust that your DC's SATS results, enthusiasm, happiness, detailed report and your ability to talk to us one-on-one should you need to is sufficient!'

OP posts:
hocuspontas · 30/10/2010 18:28

It's nice to put a face to the name of a teacher. Teachers like to see parents taking an interest. I would be asking DS to arrange meetings with all core subject teachers inc Science, History, PE, Art. Hopefully the teachers will give you an insight into how your ds fits into the class, e.g. participates/doesn't participate enough. Also it's nice to hear positive things they have to say. I will never forget dd1's Art teacher telling us in year 7 'I look at her and my day starts feeling better'.

Lydwatt · 30/10/2010 18:26

Maybe it is because we have a very open contact policy that we wouldn't expect to see all parents for all subjects on the evening...

activate · 30/10/2010 18:23

we expect to see every parent - and we know which ones don't turn up

Lydwatt · 30/10/2010 18:22

...I totally agree! If you have an issue, then see the teacher(s) but otherwise, they won't expect to see you. And you can always contact a teacher at any time if an issue does arise...

I find that it tends to be the parents of kids that I don't need to see who do turn up (which maybe why those kids are doing well enough). It makes for a lovely evening of praise!

Clary · 30/10/2010 18:21

I guess it's up to you

I shall certainly be going to my DS's but then there are plenty of "issues" there.

FWIW I am a cover supervisor in a big secondary and I could tell you quite a bit about some of the year 7s. And I have only had them in lessons 2 or 3 times.

If I actually taught them 2 or 3 times a week then I would certainly have something useful to say about all of them.

Huge school has nothing to do with it. Even in the biggest school, no teacher will teach more than five periods a day, five days a week!

activate · 30/10/2010 18:20

depends whether you're an involved parent or not

or if you want to give the impression to his new school that his parents don't care that much about his education

or if you want to give the impression to him that his school doesn't matter

I know they're dull - but you have to go IMO

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