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AIBU?

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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:
EvaHarknessRose · 26/03/2019 20:41

Year 10 and we still have a ‘fastest finger’ type situation going on.

😇 I pride myself that I have always got a full set, its a skill though Grin

Surfingtheweb · 26/03/2019 20:41

Parents eve at seniors is the worst 🙈

spanieleyes · 26/03/2019 20:42

I wouldn't worry too much, my son managed to make an appointment for a subject he didnt even doConfused

BarbarianMum · 26/03/2019 20:44

At our school it goes live at midnight. To be sure of seeing everyone you need to book before 7am. By 7pm you're down to a choice bw PE, RE and pottery.

emilybrontescorsett · 26/03/2019 20:47

spanielseyes 😂😂😂😂😂😂

poorbuthappy · 26/03/2019 20:47

Kids do it themselves. We told dd1 who we wanted to see in the last 45 mins. By this point the crowds had gone and any teacher who left early received an email enquiring why they'd left since they'd made the appt with dd1

RomanyQueen1 · 26/03/2019 20:50

I know it's NOT the teachers fault, but it's a shame that parents want to be involved and the opportunity isn't very good.
Then I'm afraid this is some teachers, complain that x's parents didn't turn up.
I've also done the parents evening and found the parents I would have liked to see didn't come and those who were fine, parents showed up.

Maybe parents I wanted to see were stuck in queues or had an hour to wait twiddling thumbs.

Monarexfluff · 26/03/2019 20:50

My dds school parents are given a time slot so for example.6-7, you turn up and sit at your childs table and the teachers come and see you!!! It's like parents evening speed daying

mumtomaxwell · 26/03/2019 20:51

I’ve just got in from Parents Eve - I’m a secondary teacher. I can see 12 parents per hour in 5 minute slots. Ours are booked online by parents and we have no control over taking breaks. We start at 2.30pm and finish at 7pm allegedly.
It’s as traumatic for us as it is for the parents!!!

Pangur2 · 26/03/2019 20:55

Jesus that sounds like hell.

PinkiOcelot · 26/03/2019 20:56

I wouldn’t worry. Total waste of time anyway.

Dockray · 26/03/2019 20:58

Just had ds1's- the kids book the appointments. Tried to get in with the English teacher but was told that all the slots had gone. Not sure it works if you can't get in to see a core subject.

We got an appointment in the end- She wanted to speak to us as much we wanted to speak to her as there's probable SEN that needs dealing with.

SeaViewBliss · 26/03/2019 20:58

DS school just introduced the online booking. It was the most efficient we have ever been and were walking out of school 10 minutes before the time of our last appointment (smug)

This is opposed to the year DS booked his own. We had his music teacher at 6 and French at 6.40 and nothing else. He hates both subjects!

bridgetreilly · 26/03/2019 20:58

Spare a thought for the teachers who might have five or six classes of 30 year 7 students. How exactly are they supposed to make 150 appointments in one evening? Two minutes per parent still makes 5 hours.

Angrybird123 · 26/03/2019 21:01

As a long serving teacher I honestly think they have very little value. The kids who are getting on fine or very well already know that and if there are issues with behaviour or homework this should already have been flagged up / discussed / dealt with. OP I strongly suggest you contact your DS's tutor or head of year and organise a meeting. They will ask for feedback from his teachers so you get an overall picture and you can discuss a consistent strategy in a calm and private atmosphere.

walkingtheplank · 26/03/2019 21:04

DD is in Year 7. Having seen similar threads to this previously I was dreading parents evening. However, they had an online system where you put in which teachers you want to see and it worked out a schedule for you. So pretty good except the parents who overran their 5 minute slots as they told the teachers how great their child is!?

DS starts secondary next year and his school is much bigger so there might be some teachers who can't see everyone. I'm just hoping they have the online system.

I can't believe how rubbish some schools are at managing parents evening.

ADealingMummy · 26/03/2019 21:05

Spaniel Eyes, your comment has so made me laugh.

spanieleyes · 26/03/2019 21:12

There was a method in his madness! he was very slow at making appointments so, apart from Spanish, when he did French, he managed to get Art ( he's dyspraxic) RE ( he's an atheist) and DT ('nough said!)

Original poster
BoobiesToTheRescue · 26/03/2019 21:13

AnyFucker
Thanks you're right.

I don't need an appointment with his dance teacher. I need to find out why this bullying is still continuing and what they are going to do to support him.

I thought parents evening was the answer but clearly not.

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 26/03/2019 21:17

One year, yr8 I think, we had to book themselves with the teachers - his science teacher said "I'm only booking appointments with the girls parents". WTAF.

They now have online booking, but you can only do 4 per child for the 1st week (they are all gone in 5 minutes) and then any left are opened up to anyone.

Ceejly · 26/03/2019 21:18

Ugh I am a teacher and I also hate this. I have four S1 (Y8 I think) classes (120 pupils) and it's two hours of 5 minute slots. Solid. 24 slots. Obviously not every child gets an appointment on our online system but I try to fit as many in as possible on the night if they show up. What's morw frustrating is thta because of the online system I don't get to see the majority of parents I would actually like to see.

Passmethecrisps · 26/03/2019 21:18

Definitely not the time to discuss issues like bullying. I am a pastoral teacher and sometimes my pastoral parents try to squeeze in to my subject appointments. It makes it stressful for us all and puts me on the back foot as I don’t always know the details.

With a pastoral issue make a deprecate appointment at a time which is mutually suited. Parents evenings are curricular

AnyFucker · 26/03/2019 21:21

Parents Evening is not the time to deal with a bullying problem

You are likely to be overheard for a start by other parents and pupils. Sort out a separate appt.

VickyEadie · 26/03/2019 21:21

I don't need an appointment with his dance teacher. I need to find out why this bullying is still continuing and what they are going to do to support him. I thought parents evening was the answer but clearly not.

Definitely not the time or place for that issue - you need a properly scheduled, private appointment with an appropriate, senior person.

reallyanotherone · 26/03/2019 21:23

As a long serving teacher I honestly think they have very little value. The kids who are getting on fine or very well already know that and if there are issues with behaviour or homework this should already have been flagged up / discussed / dealt with

This. Dc’s school have “parents evening” 6 times/year. It works both ways, you can request to see the teacher or the teacher can request to see you.

The wording is something like “if you have anything to discuss you can make an appt”. It’s not the norm to go and see teachers for the sake of it. Dc is yr 10 now and i think i’ve been once- as there was a question over science banding and options. The school was pretty quiet and there were no queues.