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Original poster

Parent teacher evenings: how many does your school have?

41 replies

sarahs999 · 21/12/2017 10:47

Just that really. I’m thinking arrangements at our DS school are woefully inadequate - once a year.

OP posts:
cantkeepawayforever · 21/12/2017 13:56

One or two per year, depending on the year group. Y7 get 2 (one with form tutors, one with teachers). Y10 get 2, AFAIR, to track progress through GCSE courses. Other year groups get 1.

2 progress reports per year (effort, attainment, concerns).

2 or 3 (I can't remember) 'full written' reports during KS3/4: one in Y11; 1 in Year 9; I think 1 in Y8.

So essentially, 3 written reports per year (2 short, 1 long) plus 1 meeting OR 2 written reports per year (short) and 2 meetings.

metalmum15 · 21/12/2017 13:51

Once a year, although you only see the form tutor who doesn't actually teach your child so possibly a bit pointless really!

PetiteMarseillaise · 21/12/2017 13:43

We get a short report in the autumn term, a parents' evening in the Spring term and a longer report at the end of the academic year.

It's also a mad scramble to get appointments (now made online), 4 mins per appt Hmm

I don't think it's very much contact, but we can email tutors, HoY, subject teachers if we want.

Eolian · 21/12/2017 12:27

Once a year is fine imo. With report grades twice a year, that's termly feedback.

QGMum · 21/12/2017 12:19

Once per year here too and, as a parent, I think that's enough. If there are any issues then I would contact school as required rather than wait for parents' evening.

CauliflowerSqueeze · 21/12/2017 11:43

Teachers’ pay and conditions mean that they should only have one calendared meeting a week. In a secondary school with 39 school weeks, if you remove 7 of these for Parents’ Evenings, faculty meetings which are needed quite regularly - say 15, year team meetings - say 6, then whole school CPD meetings and training - say another 5, then you factor in Year 6 transition evening, Year 8 or 9 options evening, sixth form open evening, whole school options evening, etc etc there isn’t enough time to put in an additional Parents evening for all year groups.

Claywrangler · 21/12/2017 11:36

One for each year group per year, except two for y7. Plus one form tutor meeting. They feel like they are all the time!

lljkk · 21/12/2017 11:33

Once a year is plenty for us. Most Individual subject & Form tutors are available by email, can resolve most issues that way.

noblegiraffe · 21/12/2017 11:26

Why is one per year 'woefully' inadequate?

TeenTimesTwo · 21/12/2017 11:15

Once a year here too (plus meet the tutor early y7).
Reports termly but no words, only numbers.
However you can contact teachers easily if you want/need to.

Also there is a 'stamp in the planner' system for every lesson, so you can easily see if there are any issues developing wrt behaviour/homework/whatever.

Dermymc · 21/12/2017 11:11

Meant to add, termly progress reports with grade and effort. Also a written report once per year too.

Dermymc · 21/12/2017 11:11

One per year.

A as a tea it means I do 6 evenings per year. I think this is fair.

Tbh most kids don't really need parents evening, the ones you want to see never turn up!

ASauvignonADay · 21/12/2017 11:07

Two a year - one with tutor and one with subject teachers.

Alexandrite · 21/12/2017 11:06

One per year plus three reports with grades for attainment and things like behaviour, classwork. If i had concerns i would email the teacher.

jaimelannistersgoldenhand · 21/12/2017 10:59

Once here too. (We get 3 reports and can contact teachers by phone/email)

MsAwesomeDragon · 21/12/2017 10:51

That's fairly standard. That once a year for parents equals 10+ per year for some teachers in most secondary schools.

I know I only see dd1's teachers once a year.

As a teacher I only see each child's parents once a year, but I teach 8 classes so I do 8 parents evenings each year. If I had to do 2 for each class that would be bad for my classes because I would be spending so much time talking to their parents the quality of my teaching and marking would go down.

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