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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DCs school have asked people to come in for meetings twice a month every month

47 replies

brokenheartdog · 29/01/2017 21:05

In order to maximise the chance of good results and parent knowledge to support year 10/11s the dcs school have set fortnightly parents evening.

Would you go?
At first I thought it was being run fortnightly so that everyone had chance to get in at some point but no you are expected to go every fortnight to meetings/workshops etc.

While I really appreciate that they want the children to do their best aibu to think this is a bit unrealistic?

I myself am very unwell at the moment and under hospital treatment and many many appointments, others work or care for younger children or disabled children and such and and are going to feel like crap that they are letting their kids down.

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 29/01/2017 21:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Trifleorbust · 29/01/2017 21:09

No, I wouldn't go. And I am a teacher. That is ridiculous unless your child is seriously behind.

MrsKCastle · 29/01/2017 21:13

It would depend on the type of meeting. If they want a 5 minute progress chat to discuss next steps to work on, I would consider it. As both teacher and parent I think that regular contact can be really useful.

If the school wanted me to attend an hour long workshop every fortnight at a time that wasn't convenient, I would politely decline.

youarenotkiddingme · 29/01/2017 21:19

Are they compulsory, expected or it's there if you want/need it meetings?

Ime schools often express things as we expect and then when you see what's actually being provided it doesn't all relate to your child and isn't what it seemed it would be.

I'm also surprised teachers are so on board with this. Unless it English, then math, then history etc so in theory you do twice a year.

Teaching is a hard enough job as it is - that sounds a horrendous workload to add to them whilst I sledging them to provide a decent education and meet the new standards set and new marking criteria and grades etc.

ilovesooty · 29/01/2017 21:23

I doubt the teachers have any choice about it.

BackforGood · 29/01/2017 21:25

It's not realistic if you work, have more than one child, and you all, already have other commitments.
Tbh, I'd also be concerned about the teachers' energy levels.
Unless there is some exceptional reason for an individual, it is not necessary to meet fortnightly.

TeaBelle · 29/01/2017 21:26

If I could physically get there without needing to make other arrangements for work or other DC then yes, I would go. If they proved a waste of time then I would stop. I guess it's about your other commitments/priorities. For the op then hospital/health appoints would clearly outrank them, as would time resting and recouping.

noblegiraffe · 29/01/2017 21:42

What the hell?

No, this is ridiculous. Workshops? I can understand a one-off general workshop about supporting your Y11 with revision (websites, study tips, TAKE THEIR PHONES OFF THEM) but why would you need more than one?

It can't be like a normal parents evening because they last for hours and teachers couldn't possibly do them once a fortnight.

So it's just going to be general banging on about the importance of revision over and over. Fuck that, attendance would be zero after a couple.

CommonFramework · 29/01/2017 21:43

I'd be very worried that the school thought results would be that bad that they wanted to organise regular parents eves in Year 10 and 11. Poor teachers.

What kind of school/area is it? What are results usually like?

I'm not sure how the school will teach parents skills to support Year 10s... But there has to be a serious reason for the school to do this. I'd try to attend - or send your dh if you can't go.

Figure17a · 29/01/2017 21:43

Really? Are they doing this for all children in year 10/11? How on earth are the school staffing that? Are the meetings during the school day?

I'd do my best to go and find out what it's all about then I'd decide if I needed to go to more.

EweAreHere · 29/01/2017 21:44

hahahahaha

No.

And I take my children's' educations very, very seriously.

Allthewaves · 29/01/2017 21:45

Is the school trying to raise standards?

DJBaggySmalls · 29/01/2017 21:46

Is that per child? Its batshit. I seriously wonder how some heads get the position.

user1484226561 · 29/01/2017 21:47

so the teachers are prepared to put the time and effort in, but the parents are not.

par for the course.

number of parents evenings attended is a pretty good indicator of educational outcomes.

Heirhelp · 29/01/2017 21:50

Is this for every child or just some children?

holidaysaregreat · 29/01/2017 21:52

user that is really harsh :(
I think it is completely OTT to expect parents to go in every other week. It is up to the students to put the work in, and the culture seems to be heading towards teachers and parents getting totally over involved.
I think in the age of technology some sort of weekly feedback could be messaged through and then parents could go in if they felt the need.

Original poster
brokenheartdog · 29/01/2017 21:52

The school has good results. It is academically solid but very academically pushy. It appears to be workshops and presentations so I'm guessing not 5 minutes but I haven't been yet. Yes all year 10 and 11 but school isn't huge.

I'm not blaming the teachers at all. I'm pretty sure it wasn't their idea!

OP posts:
Original poster
brokenheartdog · 29/01/2017 21:54

User I have never ever missed a parents evening EVER.

But I cannot physically go in every two weeks! In my old job which was evenings I couldn't have gone at all.i wouldn't have got the time off.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 29/01/2017 21:56

user don't be ridiculous. I've never missed a parents evening in my life from Nursery through to Yr13, and i have 3 dc.
But some of us have to work. Some of us have other commitments (us, as in parents, but also my dc do).
The teacher will also have things they could be doing, which will benefit all the pupils a lot more than sitting in school for a further couple of hours knto the evenings.

noblegiraffe · 29/01/2017 21:57

It's not the parents who will be sitting the exams, and teachers could better spend their time preparing lessons, running revision sessions and marking past papers FOR THE STUDENTS than talking to parents.

Chewbecca · 29/01/2017 21:59

Blimey, DS's school seems to be avoiding parents as much as possible, just one parents' evening per year and even then, you are limited to the number of appointments you can have. Very academic school with fab results too. But not down to seeing parents all the time.

I'm a very interested parent but don't think that is appropriate for children at that age, they should be developing their independence.

Foureyesarebetterthantwo · 29/01/2017 22:08

Seems completely excessive. As someone said, having a parents evening where they lay out revision plans, homework expectations and general behaviour is very helpful. My dd's school has just said they recommend no electronic devices after 9pm and I've repeated that to my children as gospel and will be enforcing! I wouldn't want to go though every two weeks, because as someone else has said, parents are facilitators at this stage an don't need two weekly top up reminders of how to help their children learn. Parents are not the learners here, the children are. If it is going back to harder GCSE's and exams not coursework, then children more than ever need to know the stuff themselves, not be 'helped' by their parents.

insan1tyscartching · 29/01/2017 22:10

No I wouldn't attend fortnightly meetings.I attend parent's evening, progress review days, annual review, SEN provision meetings, termly meeting with dd's TA. I answer all emails and phone calls and support dd's learning. I'd think the teachers would be better off spending the time either with or planning for the students rather than with the parents.

7SunshineSeven7 · 29/01/2017 22:11

I bet its so when certain parents complain about their children's low grades, the school can say ''Well we've been running meetings and you haven't been attending them''.

Verbena37 · 29/01/2017 22:14

Is that a state school? Surely not?
I think that's a sign of failing teaching rather than anything else.....if teaching was good, then twice monthly meetings wouldn't be needed.

Don't feel guilty for not going.
Perhaps go to one and check in and see what's being said and that's it.