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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Will school plays and in-person parent evenings return post covid?

109 replies

Jobseeker19 · 29/10/2021 09:02

My children have parents evening online again this year and its not just the evening.

They have decided to close the school for the day and keep the children at home instead if doing it after school hours. No online work is being made available aswell.

This will be during the middle of November so not attached to a holiday either.

Is this going to be the acceptable thing going forwards?

All of the school productions seem to be for other pupils in assembly too. Not for parents to view and not online either.

YANBU Things should begin to return to normal or at least online parents evening after a normal school day

YABU teachers shouldn't have to spend the evening speaking to parents and some things should never return to pre covid times as it works better now for everyone

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 29/10/2021 09:05

Plays... hopefully in person. Plus sports day, leaving events and similar

Parents evening... done well these work well online and are better for a lot of people. Closing school for it... well some schools did that anyway. But many schools aren't.

Sh05 · 29/10/2021 09:05

Our school harvest service was cancelled last week because of rising cases and local authority guidance.
Our parent consultations are also online but post COVID I know the headteacher really wants things back to Normal.
Our primary is a small outstanding school who really involve patents/ carers and in return the PTA help out alot and arrange alot of fun things for the children.

cansu · 29/10/2021 09:06

Those things definitely will return. I don't think they should be closing for the day for parents evening. It isn't fair on working parents. I am a teacher and a working parent. I wouldn't be happy.

SavoyCabbage · 29/10/2021 09:06

Different schools are doing different things. I’m a supply teacher so I go to all sorts of schools.

Some are keeping school cloud parents evenings for the long term or forever as it worked out better for them. Last week I covered an afternoon where the teacher was doing parents ‘evening’ in person.

Some are having nativity plays this year. Some aren’t. A few weeks ago I went to a full harvest festival. Only one guest per child though.

over2021 · 29/10/2021 09:06

Personally I prefer online parents evening (though think closing school for the day is silly - presume this is primary?). My DD's secondary school have an online portal with 5 minute slots that automatically cut off so there's no overrunning. It's the way forward for me.

No shows wouldn't bother me anyway. I always found them cringeworthy and mostly could only see the back of parents heads standing up filming their little darling on their iPad 🙄. I would support school getting a professional in to film it then watching it online for a fiver.

Whinge · 29/10/2021 09:07

They have decided to close the school for the day and keep the children at home instead if doing it after school hours. No online work is being made available aswell.

A school can't just decide to close for the day. Confused

My school is offering a virtual parents evening. We asked the parents / carers and the vast majority preferred the online option.

LegoLady95 · 29/10/2021 09:08

My DD's primary school has already returned to in person parent's evenings, her school does the first one at the end of term 1.

Sirzy · 29/10/2021 09:09

I wouldn’t be happy about them closing school for parents evening but I hope online lasts as an option for them as it does make them more accessible.

I think plays will return next year more but I hope they carry on offer a virtual way to watch it as it may stop rne rush for great Aunty Edna to get squashed in rne hall to see it!

TheYearOfSmallThings · 29/10/2021 09:10

DS's school has already brought back face-to-face parents evenings (and they are in the evening, after school).

The nativity is just for Reception and Y1 this year, and their parents may attend. Assemblies are still student only, but parents will be allowed to attend from Christmas.

This is fairly typical around here (East London).

megletthesecond · 29/10/2021 09:11

I don't think all parents evenings will. Maybe for reception and year 6 / 11's. But not back to the carnage that were in person parents evenings.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 29/10/2021 09:11

I should say online parent-teacher appointments are also available.

AosSi · 29/10/2021 09:11

Is this in England? Teachers there are ludicrously overworked, I'm all for the school lessening their workload by having PTMs during the day.

My school are only doing virtual meetings. We haven't consulted parents - the teachers agreed that we prefer virtual, so that's what's happening.

Bingbong21 · 29/10/2021 09:12

Our parents evening was in person the week before half term. Much better.

Why on earth are they closing school for them?

Original poster
Jobseeker19 · 29/10/2021 09:14

Had to go through my emails to find this. I also came across school winter fayre and fundraisers that are happening. So I couldn't say the online meetings are because of covid as they are happy for other in person events to go on.

Will school plays and in-person parent evenings return post covid?
OP posts:
Nogoodusername · 29/10/2021 09:14

I’ve had one in person parents evening (secondary, meet the tutor) and my primary one will be online. All performances etc still filmed

MisgenderedSwan · 29/10/2021 09:14

We have had in person parents' evenings at both schools this half term. There was also a harvest festival and there is a nativity coming up and a presentation by the school for their parents in school. Different schools are taking very different approaches.

GoodnightGrandma · 29/10/2021 09:14

On line parent evening is rubbish as you just get one teacher giving you a summary. They might as well send it home in a letter and ask you to phone if you’ve any questions.

Nogoodusername · 29/10/2021 09:15

I think it’s ridiculous to close school for a day to do online parents meetings though - they should be done after school

Oftenithinkaboutit · 29/10/2021 09:16

Absolutely pathetic
Of the school

Mine go to a prep school and private secondary

The parents have been online. You book your slot online. They are run ruthlessly and methodically. Very helpful and productive. They start at 4.30 and turn through to 7.30

Oftenithinkaboutit · 29/10/2021 09:16

I would be embarrassed to work for a school like this

Legoninjago1 · 29/10/2021 09:16

Both my boys' schools are back to pre Covid normal for parents evenings, assemblies and concerts. Very few cases at either school.
Very much hoping things hold and I get to see them in all the Christmas stuff.
One of the schools did give an option for zoom for parents meeting but very few took it up despite most of the mums working.
Schools closing for a day for parents evening is absolutely ridiculous.

Lightswitch123 · 29/10/2021 09:18

OP- your school is taking the piss . Parents need to speak up.

SirensofTitan · 29/10/2021 09:18

My DCs school (secondary) has had parents evening and an open evening for next year in person this term I'm not 100%sure but I think there might be a drama production coming up

All schools are different and I think that's fine, they all have different circumstances.

antsinyourpanta · 29/10/2021 09:18

I hope parents evening stay online. It worked much better - I actually got to speak to all the teachers for a start (previously they've scheduled appointments with no gaps for teachers in buildings 5 min walk apart. )
Sports day, I hope returns to RL format but I respect schools making their own decision based on how case numbers are. A school near us has just cancelled a large fundraising event due to high case numbers.

wonderbegone · 29/10/2021 09:20

I'm another for parents evening online was so much easier and better.