Teacher calling every week AIBU?

[TheGoldenNugget]

Just got an email from the school saying from next week they will call me every week to speak to me and my DS. I have a DS in year 2 and DD in nursery, the nursery called me last week to ask how we're doing (didn't even know they were calling) we spoke for a bit, they didn't ask to speak to DD and that was it.

Now I don't mind getting a phone call once to chat, but every week? Really? AIBU? Goodness knows how long this will continue, and they want to call every week!

@theseriousmoonlight

Thanks for answering and yes, I'm aware of that however it strikes me as slightly odd that there would be concern over no contact from parents currently yet during school holidays no contact is a given iyswim. Not sure I'm explaining myself well...I'm just wondering who is looking out for the kids who may need help during school holidays?

It's a nice gesture. My eldest daughter's tutor calls us every fortnight to talk to me and my daughter. Heard from my youngest daughter's tutor once but he's been quite ill since September so I wonder if he's off work shielding.

@formerbabe, honestly I think if there were serious concerns, safeguarding staff at the school may still be involved in welfare checks. At my school, SLT (who make up a large proportion of the safeguarding team) don't actually have the same holidays as regular teachers. It's part of their contract to work - I think they're allowed 2 weeks during the summer for example. I'm sure staff who are employed as purely pastoral also work over the summer as they have to liaise with social services and police.
Again, this is only for our most vulnerable pupils, but at my school that's actually a lot of pupils. I'm not an expert however, just a regular teacher, and I can only speak for what happens at my school.

Since they finished we've had two general calls from the pupil liaison officers, checking everyone is doing okay and if there's any support we need, and then also one from the teacher. DD actually asked to speak to her as well.

A friend of mine moaned to me the the school had called 'again' and she couldn't be bothered speaking to them. I actually think it's a nice touch, and the fact that they are offering support as well to anyone who may need it is great.

@mayawaya

If a parent did what you suggested I would be getting Safeguarding involved. Not a good way to get phone calls to stop!!

and her teacher cares about her

I feel I'm being very cynical writing this. Firstly, we don't get phonecalls nor would I want them. My children's teachers are very nice but I don't for one minute believe they truly care about my children. They care about their jobs and they care about their own children. They are ticking a box. As soon as my children move to the next year, the teachers concentrate on their present class. I read stories about teachers being a lifelong influence on certain kids and I think/hope this may be true for a very small number but it is the exception rather than the rule imo.

Thanks for explaining.

Zero calls here. Dd is interacting with the teachers by email and submitting work. I imagine the vulnerable children and those not working will be targeted. As others have said, just ask them not to call and to contact you via email instead.

Its a nice thing to do. DD's teacher calls about once a week and she loves it, she misses her teacher and talking to her brings a little normality.

School called earlier this week, just to check we (Ok, probably DC) OK, and if we needed help/had questions.
I appreciated it: good to ask “am I doing enough?/does it matter if we don’t do x”/ and whatever else.

Don’t worry about it OP if that’s one of the reasons you seem a bit annoyed.

My dc 2 school phoned me twice since lockdown- they are on the senco list and struggles at school.

My dc 1 is a high achiever, (not senco at all) working 3 years above age group for one area and scoring over 90% in another key area.

Absolute opposite ends of the educational scale. There is no way they need to make sure dc 1 is ok academically, as they are academically extremely able as the teacher tells me, but my point is they have still checked in on both. They are just making sure you know they are there if you need them.

I'd love a phonecall from my daughter's school!

It's a nice thing. DS's teacher calls once a week and he enjoys chatting to her.

Really? You would be getting safeguarding involved if a parent with Autism or anxiety and with a protected characteristic said they found constant phone calls from a school or other body intrusive and asked for an alternative method of communication?
I don't think so.
Their rights to 'reasonable adjustments' in communication do not change just because you think people ought to be OK with being newly bombarded with calls from any agency that see's fit to do it to tick their boxes.
You are actually the problem in society not the solution. Not everyone functions the way you THINK they ought to.
Your level of thinking is why excellent parents with mental health/autism issues hide them and don't seek help.
You : 'Don't want to take constant phonecalls….AT RISK CHILDREN!!'
Me: 'Spectrum of parenting and mental health, work WITH people.'

@theschoolonthehill

That's so sad you feel that way. I care very much for all of my learners, in no way is calling them a box ticking exercise.

For me it is about keeping them safe and ensuring they know that they matter to me and where I work.

We get an general email from the school once a week and that's it :/ there's also a Facebook group, tbf. Are we unusual?!

I thought they could have spoken to my 16 yo when they called about her, but the staff member didn't seem keen and despite being the person who has been allocated to call her doesn't know her.

I feel I'm being very cynical writing this. Firstly, we don't get phonecalls nor would I want them. My children's teachers are very nice but I don't for one minute believe they truly care about my children

If a school or teacher has behaved badly or been poor I'm quite happy to call that out. And have done on many a thread. But to be fair I dont think teaching is something you can do well if you actually dont give a shit about the kids. The only other kind is the power hungry ones who get a kick out of being an arse and having authority over the kids and i havent come across any like that at dd2s school and they usually make themselves known.Probably be better paid in aldi and at least know you are signing up to be sworn at or verbally abused.

Besides does it really matter. Shes no longer worrying about returning if it's in year 5 and speaking to her teacher has cheered her up a bit. Frankly that's good enough for me

We've been told to email all our form. Those who don't make contact back have been telephoned.
My own children have both received an email (secondary) and a phone call ( primary)

From my own experience I found out a number of issues relating the students, mainly related to IT and have helped solve problems and its good to touch base and check all is ok.

@mayawaya

My priority is the well-being of the child. We have a duty of care. If a parent asked me to stop calling my establishment guidelines would be that I would have to involve safeguarding which would up the level of contact rather than reduce it.

@theschoolonthehill
You nailed it. We do actually care a lot about our students when on the job interacting with them and that is beyond the 'job description', but I'd say about 75% of the PAID job is safeguarding our jobs by box ticking and fulfilling criteria set up by external bodies or management. You are NOT wrong on that.

We have no welfare issues and DS2's primary have been calling every week to check in. I think it is a nice thing to do tbh

Also, our school deliberately didn't set any work - we were sent links to helpful resources and strongly encouraged to access Oak National Academy, but that is the extent of it. It's all interestingly variable - for good reasons, I'm sure!

No calls here, but they have just started up fortnightly whole-class Zoom calls. My DS would definitely respond better to an individual call but the staff are obviously really busy. They encourage us to email in with details of work done, any issues, etc, and have been very quick to respond (and, more importantly, helpful).

Youngest DD school phone once a week but not over Easter. DD IS 5, they talk to her but its not a long chat but hearing how they loved her number lines work (for example) really motivates her. Her teachers are also sending videos.of them reading books to the kids which have gone down really well.

Middls child, DS has SEN and attends a special school, they have class dojo and up until end of Easter were messaging at least 3 times a week to check up in how children were coping, DS has now gone back in 2 days a week so obviously they no longer do that as they have contact with him.

Eldest DC is in year 3, they have google classrooms so we can reach the teached daily and submit work with feedback, i presume if we were not engaging with the google classroom they would contact us, however they have emailed and said that if DC could do with a phone chat with the teacher then they will arrange it. I have asked for one for next week as she is struggling with her motivation at the moment.

I do not find it intrusive, they need to check thst children are safe