Is there a way to get a teacher to tell you the warts & all truth about your child on parent's evening?

[Twiglett]

because quite honestly I don't like all the 'phrase it positively' guidelines

I have only had nursery parent's evenings so far .. but DSs reception one is due soon

I have a horrible tendency to be self-deprecating and it extends to my children.

I don't honestly think there's any warts but I would like know how they honestly feel about him without any sensitivities

I'd just ask them to tell you the truth warts and all.

Not sure about primary level but what is it you want to know?
How "bright" he is?
If he gets on with peers?
If he concentrates?
Maybe ask direct questions.
I would go listen first though and you'll quickly get a feel for whether the teacher really knows / understands your child or not.
Remember though he has only been there a few weeks - the real child may not yet have made himself known!

Sorry, go AND listen.

my nephews teacher once said to his parents that he didn't like him. I presume you wouldn't want that.

I once had a parent who query my report desperately trying to look for a negative in her dd. I really could't think of one as she was so lovely. She only misbehaved once (during ofsted week).
I think probably teachers speak more normally and less in education-speak face to face rather than in reports. I supppose you have to ask if theres any areas to work on/improve and see what happens.

I am a great believer that my job as a parent is to make my child not only successful and happy but LIKED and LIKEABLE. I therefore would want to help them in any areas which would make them more so. I tend at parents evening to say things like ' what do you think of his/her maturity/ability to converse with others/ability to mix' to allow the teacher to put forward more negative aspects without feeling like they are stepping out of line. Once when we had moved house and my ds was behaving badly at homei told the teacher this and though previously glowing about him she said ---' ahhh that would explain a slight slip'