To think this is normal practise in most schools?

[Edenspirits]

My kids school have always used ‘grown ups’ rather than mum & dad so this isn’t actually unusual - the mail kicking off about it though (probably because its Brighton) in

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10527267/amp/Parent-fury-Brighton-primary-schools-tell-students-NOT-say-mum-dad.html

And even in the 70,s in my very middle class school ,they used parents or guardians
Every official letter I have received about my kids it's always been addressed to the parents or guardians of xxx

I’ve taught in four schools over the last 15 years and we have always used “your grown up”. It’s personal to them but broad enough. This isn’t anything new though.

@Gingernaut

Letters home from school used to read "Dear Parents or Guardians" and spoke of "your child/ward".

Yes it’s still the same but some add in Carers as well.

I work in a school and we use grown ups. We use inclusive language. Not everybody lives with mum and dad. Some live with other family members such as grandparent, aunt and uncles. Some have one parent. Some have mums or two dads. We cannot always know the family dynamics, so it is far more inclusive to use 'grown ups'.

It is such a simple adaptation to use and makes such a difference to the kids who do not live with a mum and dad.

Should parent's evening be renamed to something more useful?

Such as feedback night? Information evening?

I have no doubt renaming it will upset certain people and certain media outlets - but it's not just an evening for parents. It's an event to give feedback to people who need to know about the children they are responsble for.

I understand this may be very unusual but using anything other than Mum or Dad would be strange in our school

So are all your general letters addressed 'Dear Parents' and all teachers just refer to 'parents' when talking to the class?

Teachers who move or arrive at your school will have to adjust their language as that is unusual for every child in the last 13 years to just live with their parents and to have no one in care, no one living with LGBT parents, no one being fostered, no one who has lost a parent, no one who lives with another family member..

DS1 went to one of those schools in the early 90s and I am pretty sure they used "parents and carers". Teachers knew their pupils so they would use whatever was appropriate to that kid. Brighton has always been so diverse, having two mums or dads or an alternative home situation never made anyone think twice.

Our letters say "parents and carers" and at home time the teachers will say "can you see your grown up/adult?".

I think all the DC in DS1s class live with a parent/s but quite a few get picked up by gran/a friends mum/teenage sibling.

The DC aren't stopped from saying "mum" or "dad" though and will shout "I see my mummy!" (year 1, still keen to see us at the end of the day!)

As a teacher, I've taught children with single parents, same sex parents, grandparents as main carers, adopted and foster children. So for that reason, I've always referred to them generally as 'your adults at home'. Grown ups would work too. Nobody ever suggested to me about doing this, it just made sense.

Also, I've always asked, who lives at home with you? Rather than make assumptions that they live with parents.

Letters are normally addressed to parents and carers.

As with most others, if speaking generally I say "your grown up/adult", but if a child said mum/dad/whoever else, that's fine.

The only confusion comes because in my world nanny is a grandparent, and in my school it's a chilcare person. I still have to remind myself of this.

Parents and Carers here

Parents and carers here too. I guess 'your grown-ups' is fine for primary school, but would sound very babyish at secondary.

I ask my class to put their hand up when they see their 'grown up' at the end of the day. Some will say mum or dad, but lots have relatives, friends, foster carers , neighbours, brothers or sisters who are older, etc. Not an issue. Just stirring, as per usual, for that rag of a paper.