If you missed your kid's parents' night because you were on a term time holiday, would you expect the teacher to allow another appointment when you return?

[Purpleturtle46]

Just that really. Parents night same week every year and parents informed 2 months in advance.

YABU-yes the teacher should arrange to see you at an alternative time on your return.

YANBU-no, you booked and holiday and missed it so that's on you!

Totally agree. Plus if parents choose a holiday over parents evening, then that's on them & school shouldn't be obliged to facilitate another app

The level of

Course it was

So logistically how does that work?

Because I can't offer more than 36 x 5 appointments per evening. So where are you proposing I fit in the 20 extra appointments for separated parents? Will you be covering me while I meet the parents?

Again, thank goodness for directed time.

*posted too soon!

Schools shouldn't have to facilitate!

The level of entitlement these days is ridiculous!

No. Absolutely not. But by the same token, I don't expectation have to sit till midnight for 3 nights in a row to accommodate the double appointments. Teachers have families and lives too. Abuse is different but most separated couples can manage civility for 10 minutes.

Thankfully, "most" separated parents are able to work this out between them.
But that wasn't the question asked by the OP. This is about re-arranging due to a term-time holiday.

no

I don't know what the solution is but I resent being lumped in with the crowd that take their kids on term time holidays as they are not comparable situations.

I don't think you are being lumped in.

However, taken to the extreme, if every separated parent did request a single appointment, schools would have to consider this with directed time and work around it. The outcome would likely be fewer or shorter parents evenings so they can fit everyone in.

There is always a level of flex built in to the mutually agreed Working Time Agreement every year to accommodate extra duties that arise. It’s up to your SLT to manage your time accordingly to ensure you can meet your contractual and legal commitments with regards to reporting to parents.

I'm surprised by these responses! I would say yes to a telephone one or a quick meet straight after school. It does benefit the child after all and it's not their fault. Although I am primary so I have less parents to think about than secondary.

Agree.
Poor kids with parents who won’t communicate together regarding their dc’s education.
Unless there is abuse these parents should just get on with it.

Can you offer an online meeting on the same day as everyone else so that you're not inconvenienced?

You've not seen our directed time budget then! Seriously every minute is accounted for.

Obviously as a one off I'd do it. But this flexibility doesn't exist in my secondary with directed time.

Why is your child so unimportant to you you that you take a holiday during a school term?
Surely your child's education is more important than a holiday.

I would have in my first ten years of teaching. In the last ten years I've been less accommodating and more protective of my own mental health.

I know I'm at risk of getting shouted at by a lot of angry teachers but I don't think it's 'rude' or 'entitled' to ask if there is anything specific the child should cover whilst out of the classroom. If it's a matter of taking 2 reading books for the week or doing an extra 10 minutes on TT Rockstars it's a pretty easy message to convey.

Most people don't live an all or nothing life. It's perfectly possible to care about your child's wellbeing and progress and to also take them out of school for a few days as part of a family holiday. But the dominant hegemony right now is that missing a week of school in year 1 is going to result in that child failing all their GCSEs and living a life of unfulfilled potential on benefits.

But to OPs question, if a child needed intervention then I would have expected efforts to have taken place to speak with the parents outside of parents' evening.

if you booked a holiday and missed the slot, that’s on you. Im not a teacher, but have teacher friends and they struggle immensely with the work load.

You shouldn't expect it @Purpleturtle46 , but unfortunately a teacher can't refuse to meet a parent.
If it was me I'd offer a telephone interview - five minutes only.
If face-to-face was insisted on I'd do it but end the meeting after five minutes due to other matters.

Lots of levels of entitlement cheekiness there

Right but how are the teachers going to known if there was abuse or not? People aren't having seperate appointments for a laugh

Teachers have lives FFS. Parents evenings are in school calendars months, sometimes a whole year, in advance. Work round it if it's that important you see a teacher.

No you shouldn’t expect a teacher to stay after contracted hours because you were on holiday. They have their own families to go home to. Contracted hours also included the parents evenings they do, after school training etc. so if it’s not actually one of those that’s been scheduled they won’t be being paid for it, so if you do ask- ask very very nicely as it will be up to them, not the school to decide, and personally I’d say no as your reason for missing the parents evening is not good enough

Because I think it's a reasonable thing to do and the right thing for the child. They didn't use their 10 mins on the night so it makes little odds if I give them 10 mins on another night when I'd be in school anyway. There's loads of crap in teaching I resent doing but parents' eves are normally about telling parents about the great things their child has achieved, so I really don't mind. We have very very good relationships with parents and it makes teaching so much easier.

Parents' evening are not the venue for these issues.

Nope.