Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

School not responding

35 replies

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:26

I have been trying to speak sto someone at dc high school about her behaviour and progress as I am
Becoming quite concerned. I've left message after message, emailed and I am having g no response. Anyone know what I can do?
I ca t help but think if this is how they respond to parents then how do they treat the pupils.
I've had nothing about the progress or my dc and no parents evening. Dc is in year 7

any advice welcome

OP posts:

LorenzoVonMatterhorn · 03/02/2023 06:30

Schools are to report to parents once a year. A yr 7 parents evening is likely to be later in the year.

Who do you want a report from and about what exactly? What are your concerns?

Original poster

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:34

Some issues with bullying.

Is high school different, I know in primary school parents evening is twice a year

OP posts:

Redhothoochycoocher · 03/02/2023 06:35

I think it's only statutory once a year in primary but might be wrong

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

General education Secondary education

madnessitellyou · 03/02/2023 06:36

Give your dc a note to give to their form tutor that you'd like a call.

LorenzoVonMatterhorn · 03/02/2023 06:36

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:34

Some issues with bullying.

Is high school different, I know in primary school parents evening is twice a year

There will be a calendar on their website with the dates of parents evenings.

who are you leaving messages for? Who are you addressing the emails to?

and high school is very different. The staff will be doing 7 parents evenings a year.

Perfect28 · 03/02/2023 06:36

That's definitely concerning. What kind of time frame have you been trying over?

Teafor1please · 03/02/2023 06:37

That's very poor. Have you rung the school during the school day and asked to speak to any member of the pastoral team/ head of year? Who are you emailing - main office ?

TeenDivided · 03/02/2023 06:39

The usual contact would be your DC's form tutor. Who are you contacting?

Progress at this stage is across all of KS3. The kids have in lots of ways only just settled in.

Parents evening once or year is standard at secondary. Our y7 one was summer term.

If there is bullying/pastoral I am concerned no one is getting back to you. Maybe ring school office to check you have right contact info

DanglingMod · 03/02/2023 06:39

At secondary school, there will be parents' evening a year because there are 5 or 7 year groups, so that is a lot of extra evenings to prepare for. Year 7 one will often be late in the year, although many schools (including mine) do a settling in evening where you just talk to the form tutor, early in school year.

You should have had some form of reporting, though. We send effort grades in every subject 6 times a year, attainment grades 3 times and 1 full written report.

More importantly, we would answer emails, phone calls etc if you contacted us. Are you sure you have correct email address? I would suggest a handwritten letter in an envelope for your child to give directly to their form tutor or head of year asking for contact as you don't seem able to make it any other way.

DanglingMod · 03/02/2023 06:41

Sorry, only one parents' evening a year...

Dacadactyl · 03/02/2023 06:44

At DDs school we are advised to contact her Head of Year if we need to speak to anyone. I'd give her a note addressed to her head of year to hand directly to him/her and ask for a call back in the note.

Alternatively, if you've been told to contact the form tutor instead as your first port of call, I'd send a letter in addressed to them, for DD to hand directly to them.

Original poster

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:44

I am getting a reply saying that the person receiving emails is passing on to relevant people, who are, form teacher and head of year. I've been trying for a week now. I appreciate they are busy but can't help but feel if they ignore parents, how they treat the poor children. The school has a really bad reputation in the community

OP posts:

Original poster

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:45

I don't think my daughter would hand a written note in if I gave her one

OP posts:

Didiplanthis · 03/02/2023 06:48

One parents evening at DC school but we also have 2 progress reports and if i have emailed anyone (form tutor, head of year and pastoral) ive always had a reply. I'd be frustrated too !

Dacadactyl · 03/02/2023 06:49

@cantwinaI'd probably give them another week to respond.

But if no joy by then, I'd go to reception at the start or end of the day (I appreciate this might not be possible and is work dependent) and ask whether you can talk to someone.

Original poster

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:50

I was wondering about calling in before work one day but I really don't want to be "that parent" but it's really frustrating.

OP posts:

Clarabellawilliamson · 03/02/2023 06:51

That is pretty bad! Someone should have got back to you by now. I am a secondary teacher so yea, they will be busy but a week of asking / reminding them you are waiting for feedback and you should get a response!

It might be that the head of year is collating feedback from teachers and will contact you with an overview- but they should let you know that. Have you even had a 'holding email' saying they will get back to you?

Perfect28 · 03/02/2023 06:52

Definitely go to reception.

Original poster

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:54

I've had a response from pastoral suppose to just say they have passed message on. That's pretty much the response I get every time I send an email.

OP posts:

WonderingWanda · 03/02/2023 06:55

In my school we have pastoral staff off in my year group which is making it really tough to get support on following up issues for my tutor group. If I'm teaching classes all day I rely on the pastoral staff to go and find children, interview them, get to the bottom of what's going on. I would always try and notify parents that we are 'working on it' but again if a tutor is off sick or part time too that could be an issue too. I'm not saying it's acceptable that no one has responded just explaining how it could happen.

Dacadactyl · 03/02/2023 06:57

cantwina · 03/02/2023 06:50

I was wondering about calling in before work one day but I really don't want to be "that parent" but it's really frustrating.

It's not being "that parent" if you go to reception after a sensible time period has elapsed (a fortnight of waiting is fine imo) and speak respectfully to staff about it.

GoodChat · 03/02/2023 06:57

Maybe email pastoral support again, tell them you're getting no response and ask if they can support in setting up a face to face meeting.

Ignore people who are making out the school don't owe you a response.

DanglingMod · 03/02/2023 06:58

Yes, if support staff are off sick or have left and not been replaced, it is difficult to investigate things when a form tutor has a full teaching day and a head of year a nearly full one. They should be making more effort to reassue you, though.

Has it definitely been a full week so far?

Dacadactyl · 03/02/2023 07:00

@cantwina you said "it's the response I get every time I send an email". I am curious how many times you've contacted the school in the 4/5 months your DD has been there though?

Vallmo47 · 03/02/2023 07:01

In secondary your child should have a tutor group and/or a head of year responsible for the year group. I’ve had limited success (to say the least) when contacting teachers directly, but it works much better to email the head of the year group. The teachers also seem to prefer to pass messages through them. Email responses are rare as well (useless comes to mind) but I appreciate that even the head of years are employed as teachers and have a busy schedule. I would phone reception and ask to book a meeting with the head of year directly . Good luck.

Flip

1 2