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Original poster

How much contact has your primary school aged child had with their teacher?

241 replies

georgedawes · 07/07/2020 22:17

Please can you tell me how much contact your primary school aged child has had with their teacher since March. I'm specifically asking for kids not yet back in school and not about emails with work set etc, but actual direct contact (telephone, zoom etc etc) with their teacher.

OP posts:
Grapesoda7 · 07/07/2020 22:56

Year 3 and 6, no contact from school at all the entire time they've been off. No emails or phone calls, no work checked. Not given the answers for the worksheets to check at home either.

My year 8 child has had weekly phone calls, emails, a teacher posted us some booklets at home and wrote a note seeing how my son is as we don't have a printer. He's had credits given, virtual assemblies, his school have been brilliant.

I've been so disappointed with our primary school, especially for the year 6 kids who are leaving. The school are only having reception and key worker kids in.

I feel that now Sat's are cancelled, they have no use for them.

TW2013 · 07/07/2020 22:56

Yr5 one phone conversation with ds but only because we asked, it was going to just be with me. Has commented on work uploaded.

milkjetmum · 07/07/2020 22:57

None (y4) bar delivery of hardcopy worksheets and access to a learning app. Daily allocated worksheets take about 10min.

But... I am not unhappy about this. DD is awaiting asd assessment and needed space to adjust to being at home, and a rigid school schedule would have added a lot of pressure to a time when she was already stressed.

Tbh if they did provide more work our ability to deliver it would be quite limited as both working ft from home.

Do plan to try and keep some daily work going over the summer weeks though.

DelurkingAJ · 07/07/2020 22:58

Comments on uploaded work. Videos on Tapestry. No direct contact but I know they have for vulnerable children or if they’re not seeing work. Y2.

Original poster
georgedawes · 07/07/2020 22:59

We've actually had loads of work set milkjet, but no feedback or marking on it. At times it's felt like the worst of all worlds as it's been so stressful working and trying to get through reams of work, that isn't even looked at.

OP posts:
pinkcattydude · 07/07/2020 23:00

Year 5 weekly calls (now zoom) weekly writing tasks with optional extras. Daily maths subject and 2 books for comprehension a week. The maths and comprehension are marked online as you do them. The weekly task is handed in by Friday and marked for Monday,

namechange30000 · 07/07/2020 23:00

Quite a lot,

ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson · 07/07/2020 23:00

@Grapesoda7, our school doesn’t know it yet, but if DD gets into the selective school I have in mind, I’m letting her off SATs next year. They don’t give a stuff about DD, I don’t see why she should do the SATs for their benefit.

VashtaNerada · 07/07/2020 23:01

I’m a teacher. We phone every child weekly (at least once a week, some get more depending on need) and have now started zoom calls too. Inner-city state primary.

sunshinesheila · 07/07/2020 23:03

Year 2 and 8. One three minute phone call in the last 2 week's for each child. Other than that none at all

ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson · 07/07/2020 23:03

That’s great, @VashtaNerada, DD would have felt so much better with some evidence that her school wanted to know how she’s doing.

Ugzbugz · 07/07/2020 23:03

Some of these teachers are also in school teaching, or also have many young children themselves at home.
Yes not ideal but I dont think we can expect miracles from teachers.

My DC is year 6 so we are very fortunate he is back in school but lessons are basic, a couple of days he has watched films and played outside, but I feel lucky.

The loss if education has been badly planned and not supported let alone for September.

I often wonder what would have happened pre internet when I was young? It would have been 6 months entertaining ourselves in the 80s.

It does astound me though how apparently a week off to go on holiday destroys a child's education but apparently they will all catch up, although I am not confident on this for every child.

AudacityOfHope · 07/07/2020 23:07

None directly.

My DD has had none, and when she emailed to ask how to access something she got no reply.

My DS's teacher phoned to see how he is doing but spoke to him and not me. That was the week of the Easter holidays.

wowhagaian · 07/07/2020 23:08

A friend had parents complaining work wasn't marked, so they started marking it. Then when it was marked they had different parents complaining that marking was making more
work for the parents as students were asked to revisit things they got wrong. Marking is essentially pointless unless they do this. I've seen threads on here from people complaining that they have been contacted by their kids teacher regularly and others complaining that they haven't. No matter what schools do you can guarantee someone is going to have an issue with it - hence your OP 🙄

pleasestoprainingplease · 07/07/2020 23:08

Year 4 - no direct contact. Work set weekly and marked by random teachers in a very generic well done. Actually a little disappointed as DS has worked so hard and really struggled at the beginning of lockdown. A nice direct well done & check in on him would have been nice. Especially as so many kids have gone back now and like to talk about school and what happens each day. Bit shit really. I expected more but maybe I'm in the wrong for thinking that.

wowhagaian · 07/07/2020 23:08

A friend had parents complaining work wasn't marked, so they started marking it. Then when it was marked they had different parents complaining that marking was making more
work for the parents as students were asked to revisit things they got wrong. Marking is essentially pointless unless they do this. I've seen threads on here from people complaining that they have been contacted by their kids teacher regularly and others complaining that they haven't. No matter what schools do you can guarantee someone is going to have an issue with it - hence your OP 🙄

wowhagaian · 07/07/2020 23:08

A friend had parents complaining work wasn't marked, so they started marking it. Then when it was marked they had different parents complaining that marking was making more
work for the parents as students were asked to revisit things they got wrong. Marking is essentially pointless unless they do this. I've seen threads on here from people complaining that they have been contacted by their kids teacher regularly and others complaining that they haven't. No matter what schools do you can guarantee someone is going to have an issue with it - hence your OP 🙄

wowhagaian · 07/07/2020 23:09

No idea why that posted 3 times - sorry

balloonsintrees · 07/07/2020 23:09

Just to make it absolutely clear, once again, why teachers are loathe to do online learning, here is the guidance from the government.
The key concern is not for those who have easy access to technology, or parents who are happy to hover over the child to deal with all the issues that will crop up such as not having the correct pencil; but for all of those students who don't have this.
As teachers we tend to know about these students and will do anything to protect them from the prying eyes of others. Those of you who are quick to judge what the house looks like, how much noise there is in the background, or any other issues that don't fit with what you, yourself have at home.
I teach in one of the most affluent areas of the country, yet there are still very large pockets of severe poverty and inequality. I have sent out lessons with audio tracks, I have done one teams call with my sixth form...the audio has to be recorded at 10pm ish when my children are in bed so I have peace, the teams call, I had to beg my husband to take a 20 min break from his work so I could do it.
I'm sorry that none of us are good enough for you, I will try not to dwell on any of this the next time I spiral off and feel suicidal and that everyone is better off without me here. At this time I am going to look after my family and my students. I will focus on the face to face classes and supporting the others as best that I can. They will continue to feel confident that they will sit an exam next year and be fully prepared for it. I refuse to let you bully my profession any longer for what you think are our inadequacies. You are the ones causing the problems and the issues we face with lack of independence in children and their disdain for teachers. Take responsibility for how you discuss us at home and consider that we are exactly the same human beings that you are and we deserve the same respect we extend to you as parents.

How much contact has your primary school aged child had with their teacher?
BravoSalut · 07/07/2020 23:11

Hardly any contact at all which has led to many parents making complaints about the lack of communication or checks on wellbeing. Work set has just been in the form of a list of websites to access 'try one of the set tasks' type of things - nothing actually purposeful or monitored.

Johnny1963 · 07/07/2020 23:13

Initial contact and home learning was non-existent apart from headteacher blogs about wellbeing, taking time out and how the staff were enjoying the sunshine with their families Hmm Lots of parental complaints and as of this term we now have a weekly call and a class assembly. Work is now set though not marked but it's all much improved. It's definitely worth going back to school with your concerns and complaining if necessary.

Makegoodchoices · 07/07/2020 23:14

No calls. One email in response to a question I had.

Every piece of work marked with personal comments. Some work set with videos recorded - including maths lessons and stories.

ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson · 07/07/2020 23:14

balloons, you’ve read posts as a personal attack when people are commenting on what they’ve had from their children’s schools. Personally I said nothing about wanting online live lessons; I want work meaningfully marked,and I want the school to check in with DD from time to time so that they know she’s OK. Why exactly is that unreasonable?

Oh, and my DD’s school is showing us zero respect, so by your logic we’re entitled to return the favour.

Hamsterriffic · 07/07/2020 23:14

None... v v poor

Nobodyputsdaisyinthecorner · 07/07/2020 23:14

Emails and feedback to work every day. Calls to parents every few weeks. A letter in post.