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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Booking secondary school parents evening appointments. What the fuck just happened?

118 replies

BoobiesToTheRescue · 26/03/2019 20:07

It was switched in at 8pm tonight.
I got in there at 8pm because I have a baby who has no interest in parents evening and likes to make his distaste known.

By 20.05 all the appointments for all the subjects had gone.

I managed to get a few in there but what the hell?!

Is this how it works?! (He's Y7, this is all new to me.)

OP posts:
QueenEhlana · 26/03/2019 20:09

My Yr 7 had to make all the appointments himself - I was there for 2 hours because they were so spread apart....

Original poster
BoobiesToTheRescue · 26/03/2019 20:14

That's the reason I got in there quick to avoid that.

I've only got about 25% of his subjects booked.

OP posts:
FullOfJellyBeans · 26/03/2019 20:16

What? My niece's school the kids book their parents in (then everyone ignores their allocated time and just queues for whoever they want to see). Surely there must be enough appointments for everyone?!

Voulezvous · 26/03/2019 20:17

I was there for 2 hours and only saw 5 subject teachers in that time.

Original poster
BoobiesToTheRescue · 26/03/2019 20:18

Not even slightly enough appointments.

And I had to do it so fast I'm pretty sure I booked 2 or 3 at exactly the same time.

OP posts:
UatuTheWatcher · 26/03/2019 20:19

Yeah! Year 7 every parent wants to see every teacher. All the parents are keen to be seen to be interested with every single thing that their children are doing.

By year 8 it gets less fraught and as people are not as keen and it’s easier to get appointments.

GarthFunkel · 26/03/2019 20:19

Our DC have to make their own appointments, but there aren't that many slots and if DC don't have a lesson with the teacher before their slots are filled - no appointment. Also DC actually has to want to make an appointment, which can also be an issue Hmm

RB68 · 26/03/2019 20:19

Its awful - mine has to book in with teachers herself after yr7 2 hr job I got wise and now pick what I want to see and send her in with strict instructions to book all back to back asap as soon as they are released. But yes on the day although they have lists etc there is an element of if they are free its fair game

MadamHattie · 26/03/2019 20:20

My son has to make his appointments. I haven't been in a couple of years as he either 'forgets' or makes them so far apart its just not doable!

Voulezvous · 26/03/2019 20:22

Appointment times were mostly ignored at ours. So many teachers were over running anyway, and I had appointments 10 mins apart at opposite ends of the school, which I didn't know my way round. It was chaos.

PristineCondition · 26/03/2019 20:23

I have done one parents evening when my boy was in yr 7 - he's now in year 11.
I was traumatised

*It starts at 6 ends at 9pm
*The kids pre book the appointments so you don't get to pick what teachers you see
*Can't pick times you are there for literally 3 full hours and only see 4 teachers

  • Hall is rammed with eleventy billion kids and their entire family.
  • Got called and older woman by a 12 rear old head of PE.... I WAS 28
LEDadjacent · 26/03/2019 20:23

Been there. You need to get in there the second they’re released and you watch it sweep down the page as they’re all snapped up. Nightmare.

Voulezvous · 26/03/2019 20:24

Ours was 3 hours long, but I lost the will to live after 2 hours and went home.

Pangur2 · 26/03/2019 20:26

It's not possible to have enough slots for everyone. There's 36 slots in our school (if you don't block out a toilet break, which I do.) I teach 120 year 7s. I do think booking through the kids means it's less likely all the slots get taken by a few people though.

Treezylover · 26/03/2019 20:27

Omg I have twins starting at high school in september, how do parents of twins/several kids fit in seeing different subject teachers? 😩😩

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 26/03/2019 20:28

I only managed to see 5 of DD's teachers. She's year 7 too. Some of the teachers even had waiting lists.

youngestisapsycho · 26/03/2019 20:28

You can’t even book at my DDs school.... you turn up, find the teachers you want to see and join a queue for each one... it’s Hell on earth.. all squashed in the echoey hall 😱

KindergartenKop · 26/03/2019 20:28

Y7 parents are notoriously keen! The appointments probably won't take long though because there's not loads to say about kids who are doing fine. Email the school and if that doesn't work then try and squeeze yourself in on the night.

Original poster
BoobiesToTheRescue · 26/03/2019 20:30

LED I did, but wasnt quick enough to get the main subjects.

If he was getting along well then I wouldn't worry, but he's having a bloody nightmare and his behaviours gone to shit. So I was keen to find out more.
Clearly I'm going to find out chuff all.
Whilst jiggling a screaming baby.

Thinking about it, I can only remember my mum coming to one of my parents evenings...

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 26/03/2019 20:33

Having gone through this twice...

If your kids are doing well, sack the parents evening

If your kids are having problems....still sack the parents evening and arrange to meet separately with the head of year

dirtystinkyrats · 26/03/2019 20:36

It doesn't really work for teachers either as in most cases the parents you really want to see don't attend. Plus its an incredibly long day. Its one bit of teaching I definitely don't miss although actually now being a parent I would probably react to it differently.

CaptainSquirrel · 26/03/2019 20:36

Anyfucker is right. If anything needs to be discussed there is opportunity to do it outside of parents' evening. If it doesn't need to be discussed, don't bother going.

Ours has appointments but rapidly deteriorates into a free for all at which point, generally an hour in, I fuck it off and head home.

emilybrontescorsett · 26/03/2019 20:38

Even though my dcs booked appointments for most of the subjects, it was like a free for all.
The teachers are spread all over the place and not in their regular classrooms so you can end up walking from one side of the building to the other and missing your slot!
You then have to wait and by this time you've missed your next appointment and so on.
I spent all evening apologising for being late.

ShaggyRug · 26/03/2019 20:39

DD was off sick from school with flu for this last year 8 parents evening. So being nice I emailed all the teachers to apologise for us missing it and to cancel our appointments.

Every single teacher emailed me back with how she was doing in her work and behaviour. It was fantastic and the most stress free parents evening ever! Grin

Normally ours is the kids booking the appointments on paper and then everyone ignores them and just queues in the hot overcrowded hall. Without genuine illness I’d never fake it but by god the year 8 email version will live on in history as the best parents ever experience ever Grin

annie987 · 26/03/2019 20:41

I’ve just attended our first Y7 parents evening and it was very different.
You booked a 20 minute slot online with the form tutor. The form tutor then had assessment results, targets and any other relevant information from all subject teachers to share.
It was a very relaxed affair!