Year 7 Parents Evening - Unavailable slots for core subjects

"Suffer" err let's cut the dramatics and as for internet access we're talking about teenagers, they're all permantly attached to smart phones.

Wow.
Your child didn't follow the system and book the appointments. That's where the "complaint" should be directed.
Many teachers teach more than one class in certain year groups. They can't see everyone. If they really feel they need to see a certain child's parents they can ask them to make an appointment. (Doesn't mean the parents will show up though!)
Online booking won't change the fact that there are limited slots.
Teachers are contractually obliged to work certain hours. You can't suddenly expect them to do double parent evenings. (Evenings are for planning and marking and maybe even seeing their own families!)
If you have a particular reason you are desperate to see certain teachers based on the report and can't get an appointment? Email or ask for a quick phone call.

I teach maths to 60 Grammar school Y7s this year, and had max. 36 appointments. Ours is a paper based system, so I wrote a 'hitlist' of people I wanted to see. Chose the ones who were either below target, disorganised with homework and equipment, coasting, or poor behaviour. That totalled 29 students and I worked hard to fit them all in at times that suited them. The rest of my appointments were a free for all but students were explicitly told that I would not see anyone without appointments. 3 different sets of parents rudely interrupted appointments to ask if they could see me. I of course sent them away.

It's all well and good suggesting changes to the system but my school is broke. What should we remove from our provision to pay for this new system? Equipment or staff? Heating or lighting? I don't think you have a clue the pressure schools are under financially at the moment.

OP you seem to have had a hard time on here. My DC are not yet at secondary although I am expecting them to go to grammar schools where I had hoped that the teachers would be properly engaged with and interested in their pupils.

I am actually shocked that teachers consider it's reasonable and acceptable not to allow sufficient time to see each of their pupils' parents for just 5mins per YEAR.

If there is not enough time in one evening to see all the parents of the children they teach then there need to be 2 evenings, or 3. If that amounts to 7 or 14 evenings a year, well that's part of the job, it's hardly once a week.

Teachers and schools are quick enough to criticise parents if pupils miss school/are late/have the wrong uniform/don't do homework etc etc and yet they resent engaging with parents?

In terms of a system - why can't there be an online system that pupils can use as well as parents? Then pupils can gain independence by booking things themselves but parents can also see the system and help out if necessary (or book for them). One of my DC would be v organised in making appointments, the other would forget - it is the one who would forget that I actually need to see the teachers for. Also, I would have thought that pupils are hardly likely to make appointments for their parents with teachers where they have problems - again defeating part of the purpose.

Good luck OP, your approach/expectations seem reasonable to me.

A dual paper and online booking system then? Or a paper system for those with no internet / PC access? Confused.com @User32243535
Others, who may be less fortunate, have to suffer because of the way you want things? Lovely.

Why after all this - given your DS has secured 1 appt - would you contemplate not going to the parents evening - if nothing else you may be able to chat to other parents and get a sense of how different subjects are going...

My dd is in a v small school but parents evening still takes hours (they use the same method of pupil sign up) but we all rub along and get seen and the teachers are absolute saints - I can't imagine the time commitment it would take in a large school - doffs cap at all the teachers on the thread!

Have to say DS English teacher has a small class of year 7's (around 14) and 8 of those were no shows - I jumped in when she was free to ask about (DD in a different year group) and she was happy to help!

we have online booking system now. Its a pita as before I could call up the kids that I needed to see first and get them booked in. If kids were lovely and there was no space left I'd offer to stick a note in their planner or tell them to try and find a gap and jump in if they saw me on my own. Its 3 and a half hours of hell though with no time for a wee and means I don't get to relax after a day of teaching until about half 9 at night. Then I have to leave for work at 7am again the next morning. No way do I want to double it up and have an extra parents evening for every year group!

A school wouldn't dismiss any of those issues,however many parents evening slots you asked for.

It’s not a rarity user , I’ve taught in two Grammar schools in Kent and we have SEND, Pupil Premium children, use TAs and deal with children who struggle in many areas, due to being coached in a narrow fashion. What ‘system’ are you referring to and what ‘loophole’? Genuinely baffled.

The trouble with complaining about this (and especially if it is worded as a complaint rather than observation or suggestion), is that when you have something to really complain about, the school might just say 'Oh it's User complaining again' and not take it seriously.

I feel it is better to save interaction with the SLT for when something definitely requires their attention. For example:

• unaddressed bullying
• a really rubbish teacher in GCSE years
• SEN not being given suitable adjustments

• option blocks not working out and is there any workaround

I must be missing the point in why you can't just email or phone for feedback. Heyho. You Will definitely be in receipt of a response from the headteacher like one posted just upthread.
What about parents who aren't computer literate or don't have access to online bookings? How would you suggest they made appointments to see teachers? Not everyone has access to IT doncha know.

Why only see 3 teachers? If you saw some of the other ones you’d get a good overall picture of how your child was getting on. Doesn’t have to be just English and maths

OP, I am a teacher in a Grammar School and we use an online booking system. However, we still have the situation where teachers teach more children than there are slots available and therefore, still have parents who can’t make appointments.
I’m not sure how this would solve your issue: in secondary, it is usual for some teachers to teach more children than they can see-it’s not like Primary.
I think you are unreasonable in your stance, although I can understand your annoyance. In addition, your earlier comment that you don’t think in a Grammar, that children would be struggling is off the mark. We have SEND children too and those who were coached just for the 11plus style multiple choice but can’t actually write a sentence.
At the start, a poster suggested emailing the English and Maths teachers directly. I think you should do this, just like most people do.

Who said it was @Toomanytealights?

I think the reply will go like this:

Dear User,

Thank you for your email regarding the organisation of parents evenings. I am sorry your DS was unable to make all the appointments you wished. If you contact the staff in question by email I am sure they will answer any queries you have.

As to the wider point of how parents evenings are organised. I acknowledge that these are difficult to organise both from parents' and a staff point of view. Unfortunately within all the constraints we have it is just not possible sometimes for all parents to meet with all the staff they would like.
Let me assure you that we have considered an online system in the past as per your suggestion, but although it offered some benefits, we did not feel that those benefits outweighed the negatives of introducing such a system. However, let me also assure you that we do reassess such matters regularly and your feedback, and that of other parents and also staff, will be taken into account next time.

Thank you again for your time and engagement with the school

Sincerely
Head Teacher.

Wanting to see a teacher on a once a year parents evening wouldn't be classed as being a pain in the arse in my book.

Email them and go.