To expect an appointment with all my child's teachers?

[ACTIVE123]

My only child has started High School for the first time this academic year.

Appointments have been made available for parent consultation evening (5 min zoom appointment per teacher) but despite looking at all slots, I can only get appointments with 4 out of 12 teachers.

I logged onto book only 2 hours after the email was sent saying appintments were made available.

I contacted the school and was told I'm on a waiting list as there are simply too many children to get an appointment with every teacher.

Am I being unreasonable to expect an apppointment with every teacher? Is this how it works at High School? Asking genuinely as I'm new to this and not sure if it's just me?

The school is an ofsted outstanding and is highly oversubscribed.

There just isn’t the time for teachers to see everyone in secondary. You have to get in quick and prioritise the core subjects. We get to chose 8 slots and I booked them as soon as it opened.

Teacher here. It’s just not always feasible - if a teacher has multiple classes in a year group there just isn’t time. Drop them an email asking for a brief update. Often more informative anyway.

Same at our school. TBH the zoom calls feel so rushed that by the time you’re done with the pleasantries you have a couple of minutes before you get cut off. I think a separate call with the key teachers would be more useful!

I've mostly been able to see all of my son's teachers although in S1 (Scottish system) 1 just 'wasn't available' and we got to see one language teacher, even though he did 2 languages. He's in S5 now and I got appts with all of them last time. It's a small school though and there seems to be enough time - some people do try to jump in front, which can be annoying! Mske a mental note to jump (at booking) in ASAP next time and prioritise those you've not seen this time perhaps?

At secondary really the key one to check in with is the form tutor who will have more of an overall idea with how things are going.

If you want to see all the teachers at our school, you need to log in at the time that booking opens. 3 hours = 36 slots and many teachers teach more than one class. I don’t know if teachers are allowed to save a slot for a toilet break too.

Teachers should see each parent of each child they teach. If they can't fit it in 1 night then they need to add evenings or slots.

It's shit organisation by the school and discrimination against anyone who's not bloody online at 9am. (My experience)

Used to drive me spare and they need to sort the systems out, back to old school parents evenings in person where the teacher sits in a class and the parents wait in turns.

And you wonder why teachers are leaving the profession...

Given the number of students taught by some teachers up thread ignore my post.

Perhaps it would be better to do away with general parents evening and issue invitations to the parents the teachers need to see? I always knew I'd get glowing comments for my children, but I felt that I needed to show support for their education by signing up for the appointments offered. If the system was more geared to targeted appointments, the right parents would be offered the appointments.

That’s ridiculous. Ask for an appointment on another day. But this isn’t the norm everywhere. If I respond slowly I wouldn’t have my choice of appointment times but I would still get to see them all.

Before you all jump on me, I am a teacher and in my school we do virtual zoom appointments on an inset day as well as on a different evening when we would normally have a staff meeting. All the staff are provided with lots of tea and coffee and support for those challenging parents who might become agressive. Meeting the needs of pupils and parents doesn’t have to mean sacrificing teacher wellbeing. It does require some creative thinking.

They can’t just put on another night. A secondary school teacher could teach from Year 7 - 13. That is 7 nights already. If more directed time is used for more parents evening, then it has to come from somewhere else, such as teaching time.

i can’t imagine to old sit in classroom/hall would guarantee you see everyone. There would have to be a fixed end time and some parents will take ages taking about their darling child.

It's a nightmare. I've got twins so need double the slots in the same night, which is never going to happen. I just have to hit the button and take what I can get. Maths and English are the hardest to get.

We can't divide and conquer as DH teaches at the same trust so he's hosting his own parents evenings.

@Flensburg

Well, this is something I'd not considered! DS in year 7 now. The school use synergy and parents evening is face to face.

Will I still need to book on there? I'd like to see as many teachers as possible!

I teach 4 year 7 classes. That’s 128 kids.

3 hours parents evening, 5 minutes a slot. 36 slots.

and no, I don’t have time to ring you later at a mutually convenient time. I can’t make 92 phone calls at 10 mins a go to talk to year 7 parents.

I am genuinely sorry if I can’t speak to everyone who wants it, but the reality is that I simply can’t.

There are 1400 kids in my dd school and only 78 teachers (many posts unfilled). Time and space is tight. If you have specific subjects to discuss then email the guidance or year head at any point for an update or discussion but I promise you're not losing out. Primary is so very different that as a parent it can be hard to adjust.

I’ve been teaching 20 years and done lots of parents evenings. I don’t dislike meeting/talking to parents, it’s part of the job but hand on heart I can say that 90+% of all the appointments I’ve ever had were so I could say to nice parents that their child was nice and generally working well, could contribute more in discussions (mostly girls) or take more care with presentation (mostly boys), was occasionally chatty with friends but stopped when asked and missed one homework but I’m sure that won’t happen again, will it? I would also add that every one I’ve ever been to with my own DC have been the same. Really you don’t need to see every teacher. Honestly you probably don’t need to see any. If there’s a problem I’m sure you’d know about it and if not you’re going just to hear how nice your child is, which, while enjoyable isn’t exactly hugely important.

The most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had with parents were when I’ve phoned them or they’ve been asked into school for a meeting. Never at parents evening.

I think there should be time made for all parents who want it. I appreciate it can't be done in one evening perhaps, but during each academic year there should be one appointment per subject teacher. It should allow the parents to support their children better which in turn should make the job easier for the teachers in the long run. Not in every case i'm sure, but in many.

That's such a negative approach. The parents of kids who are doing well should be spoken to as well.

Teachers aren't just there to moan, they should be praising as well.

Last year I taught 120 Year 7 students. We have 37 slots. We are supposed to give email feedback to parents who didn't get an appointment if requested, but only for KS4 and 6th form, I think. Emailing detailed feedback to the parents of potentially up to 80 sets of KS3 parents would not be manageable.

That sounds a little smug. But I think all parents should have the chance to discuss their kids' progress - not just the ones whose kids are doing less well for whatever reason.

I was one of the parents whose child wasn't perfectly behaved in Y7. It got much better in Y8. The Y9 parents' evening was a lovely experience where everyone said how well he was doing. Admittedly, I only chose to see the teachers whose subjects he was carrying on to GCSE. But still. I think I had just as much right to see the teachers in Y9 to hear the good things as the parents whose children needed more support/discussion.

DS's sixth form actually took the approach you describe, and the straight A* students didn't get to see the lecturers.

That's such a negative approach. The parents of kids who are doing well should be spoken to as well.

Teachers aren't just there to moan, they should be praising as well.

It's lovely to be able to tell parents that their child is doing really well, but it's of limited practical use. Talking to parents about strategies for their child to improve progress is useful and is not 'moaning'

It is very clear practical use. The children are there (at secondary) and should hear the praise.

OK maybe "moaning" was the wrong expression. But it's not just about the negatives.

I am actually surprised that teachers still concentrate on the negatives so much when people do much better when their strengths are praised.