Your child's Primary School - how much info are you given?

[grammaticus]

This seems to vary a lot. My children's school has 3 parents' evenings a year and sends out a termly newsletter (which doesn't give much away). Is it unrealistic to expect, for example, a letter at the start of term with details of the topics, or a menu displayed so you know what your child has eaten? How much info are other people given?

We (poncy private in London, with some flakey parents who may need a bit of being made to pay attention) get:

• weekly menu up on the board at the door;
• letter at beginning of every term (or at end of previous) saying what the topics are for the next;
• letter every 2-3 weeks w/ details of upcoming events/reminders about where not to park/instructions to put coats on children/PLEASE REMEMBER TO LABEL CLOTHING/repetition of everything else;
• in the pre-reception & reception classes, weekly "what we've been up to and whose birthday it's been" newsletters - I loved these;
• monthly newsletters from the Parents' Assoc - usually about yet more opportunities for freeing you from your disposable income;
• a website that has most of the above on it, plus homework assignments for the older ones;
• home/school book per child, used as applicable - dd's has an occasional smiley face in it, ds's is dog-eared with correspondence going back & forth from us to teachers;
• this last term, amazing wonderful devoted school reports (for ds; dd's was a bit perfunctory, but that's understandable); and
• formal parents' evening once a term, but a really genuine "open door" policy if you need further meetings.

It's all rather good (if more enthusiastic than organised, if you know what I mean), but I do have to have a special file.

Oooh Bink, I hope that sits next to the "Ocado receipts file" .

We get (low key London private):

Weekly newletter from head for whole school (ages 3-11);
Random additional notes from PTA - virtually always involve an invitation for you to give them money and them giving or providing something you really don't want.
Termly meetings with teacher;
Curriculum meetings (there has only been one since DS started in September so not sure how often they arise;
Communications book which is checked daily by teacher and via which we get quite a lot of info - often just saying something nice like that DS had been trying particularly hard that day and a little sticker (DS's teacher is sticker-happy as he often comes home festooned in them and is not that good);
More random notes in book bag like arrangements for nativity play;
Whiteboard outside classroom with useful reminders - eg don't forget it is harvest festival in 3 day time; nativity costumes needed next week etc.
Website which has weekly notes and curriculum issues on it.

Weekly newsletter
Termly curriculum info sheet for relevant year group
Weekly planning is on the classroom door and I get personal copy as DS has special needs and I need to pre-teach and review new vocab

No menu
1 parents eve - only given 2 weeks notice
Never given a decent school time table for PTA meetings/ttrips/concerts etc. Just given one out per term, often well into the term. Our Sept, Oct, Nov Dec one was given after half term!!!
Even inset days are organised last minute and not at start of year. Just been told that there are 2 in Feb which has annoyed me as I could have saved money on flights if booked to incl. these dates rather than in trad. hols.
Reports - none so far.
Grrrrr
Great school - pants communication

Anchovy. What can I say, except that presumably the Kitchen God would approve.

He dreams of getting me putting things in files. We actually have files of instructions for domestic appliances .

Thanks everyone. I'll now begin mustering my courage...