Can parents email teachers at your school?

[OvernightOats]

A recent Ofsted inspection at my DCs primary school highlighted that parents would like improved communications. A parent-survey followed, which indicated parents would like to be able to communicate with teachers using email. However, the school responded that teachers don't have the time to do that during class.

How common is it for teachers to use email communications, and how does it fit into their working day?

I can email my kids' 3 secondary schools' teachers. Not sure I have ever emailed #1's, but I've emailed a few of #2's and #3's teachers. I never expect a quick reply (and I'm usually surprised by getting one!) - it's just a convenient way of communicating.

I could phone - but when does a teacher get time to chat on the phone?

I could send a note - not sure how a note on a piece of paper is somehow less obtrusive than a note on a screen though - and let the teacher decide how to reply if they don't lose my piece of paper ....

I could email the school office or the head of year or the head of department - who would then simply forward my email to the appropriate person I expect! No one else can answer my query about e.g. ds's maths than ds's maths teacher so that just adds in more time wasted by other people when I could just email directly.

I tend to email teachers directly if there's something I want to thank them for (or, in the past couple of months, if Vital Revision Session A clashes with Equally Vital Controlled Assessment B).

Otherwise things go through the office and presumably wend their way eventually to the right person.

I emailed the head ten minutes ago and got an immediate reply. It's primary. We don't have email addresses for the class teachers but we can always talk to them after school. But we can email the head or the office.

For things like requesting absence for doctor's appointments or music exams, or telling them that dc are returning to school after illness but will need a dose of antibiotics in school time, or requesting meetings with staff it's very useful.

I rarely emailed my DD's primary school teachers, but would send a message via the office email sometimes.
Could normally catch the form teacher after school when I picked her up if I wanted to ask something.

At secondary school, I will email some of her teachers as I rarely see them other than at parent evenings.
I don't expect immediate replies as I know they are busy, and am often surprised when I get an answer in the evening from them.

Can you email your Doctor, Dentist, Bank Manager directly and expect an immediate reply? Genuine question.

I wouldn't email anyone and expect an immediate reply.

My DD's class teacher responds to emails on the day she receives them. If she is unable to do so she apologises profusely.

Goblin,
I don't leave written notes in bags of children staying with doctors, dentist, bank managers, etc.
We are speaking about teachers who seem to be OK if the note is handed in any other form (through office or in paper).
It is part of the work of the teacher to communicate with parents. The reasons behind disliking emails particularly escapes me. Emails have the advantage of leaving a written trail of a conversation. When you hand in a note, or you have several conversations about possible problems there is no evidence left. Is that the real reason for so much antagonism towards e-mail?

We can email the office and it gets past to the teacher ifs a matter that the office can't deal with.

Either way, I get a reply from the teacher or the office within 24 hours.

Our doctors let you email doctor from website, they will ring you back at a set time

Where I work (secondary) we've had parents emailing us the whole time I've been there (over 7 years). We are told by the head we have to reply within 24 hours. If it's something which will take longer to sort out/deal with we need to reply and explain this and that we are looking into it. It's very useful tool to keep in touch.

I would be if parents expected an immediate response, as it that were always the case, we wouldn't be doing our job of teaching!

I have the email address for the head of year but I would never use it except to reply to am email. I emailed the school office and the head of year replied directly..my DCs old school would send the replies from the office email address.

Can in primary - not sure about secondary yet as have never needed to with ds. But dd starts High school after the summer - tried to set up a meeting with head of learning support and left my e-mail address as I thought it would be easier for her to contact me that way as can be done at her leisure. When I had heard nothing several days later I phoned school again and got the reply "I don't correspond with parents by e-mail". Seems really shortsighted to me.

Gosh... how rude is that haggis

I find it fascinating that not answering a serious e-mail is considered 'acceptable' and that some people can say they 'don't correspond by e-mail'. Mainly when those persons are in charge of teaching IT to kids. E-mails have been there for ages and are an essential part of our personal and professional lives (except if you are a primary teacher, apparently).

I was a teacher at middle school (y5-8) and never had emails from parents but as I had 'frees ' for prep, marking etc I would have been happy to use that time to email. Also ALWAYS called parents in the earlyish evening when needed to speak to then as many worked. I worked each night until at least 11pm.

As a parent I have always emailed teachers/SMT at kids schools (since 2001 when we got home PC) as it is quicker. I receive emails and texts from schools and very happy to do so. Saddens me when I see how late at night they are sent tho

DS2 goes to Middle School Year 5-7 and I have never seen a MS teacher past or present on here.

Really? I think there are a fair few! But I don't count now as I've had to give up work to look after severely ill dd.

I suppose I am coming from an infant school point of view where we see most parents every day, before and after school - we very much have an open door policy. I can't think of a single parent I have not see from my class this year. And often we are there quite early so even those using breakfast club we see - it starts at 8am.

I would imagine it becomes more different once in upper juniors and secondary, though have to admit I have never actually felt the need to email my own DD's teachers, especially now she is at secondary.

camaleon I teach computing, and some ICT, to my infant classes. I used to teach it to secondary school (to GCSE and A level) too.

That is entirely separate to my own email use. I use e-mail for a lot of communication myself professional and personally, just not with own school parents. As I said before - I am not convinced it is ideal communication for infant school parents, especially as we see them pretty much every day and don't have constant access to email in school itself.

If it was school policy to use e-mail then yes I would it. But I would hope the policy would be written in such a way as to not set expectations too high - giving teachers and other staff time to respond, and no expectation to answer them late at night or at weekends. In an infant school you are with the class all the time, bar one afternoon a week. The only computer is attached to the whiteboard. And not everyone has access to a computer every day - depends where they are based.

Hulababy,
I still don't get it. I guess you are a parent yourself and one who cannot be at school gates for your own children. I can't myself.

I also guess you answer written notes. Why is the e-mail different and why does it need a different policy. It is a channel of communication, not a way of communicating different content.

Why do you think email are different to any other kind of written note? (except for the fact that parents and teachers must rely on an infant passing on the information. How is that more sensible?

I guess emails are different from written notes because a) they come with the expectation of being read and responded to quickly, and b) teachers will be expected to read and respond to their emails outside of class, ie often on their own time.

To be honest, I expect the same from any other form of communication with the school.
I can use e-mails with my school. I have used it 3 times to communicate (to the office) medical appointments.
I have not had the need to contact the teacher. But I would much preferred to do it by email than handing a piece of paper to my children.
The rationale to have different expectations from a paper than a screen, is surprising. As stated before, the real difference is that you cannot claim the child lost the paper.

camaleon, I don't think teachers are that devious that they prefer paper notes so that they can plan to claim they lost the parents' messages. But I can definitely believe they see email communication as being more work. Emails are fine when use sparingly by reasonable parents - but one potential problem I see is that not all parents are reasonable... at least paper notes keep those at bay somewhat.

I think a good compromise solution is to have a school admin email contact, whose job it is to check emails regularly, and who can pass on messages such as medical appointments etc.

Chachah,

I obviously don't believe teachers want to claim they have not seen the note. I am saying the opposite! It facilitates communication and prevents this kind of accident.

I would understand all the arguments if parents were demanding direct lines on the phone with teachers. That is something that invades your space and where the caller expects 'immediate' response. This is, for instance, my only way to communicate with the music teacher hired by the school and it is highly frustrating for them and for us. None of us have works which allow room to respond phone calls at any time.

Why would a reasonable human being become unreasonable by e-mail? Parents pestering teachers will do so in whatever shape or form. Teachers deal with them on a daily basis. Isn't e-mail better sometimes to deal with someone who does not understand you have 29 other children to deal with?

If anything, the fact that teachers are happy to communicate with anybody by e-mail, but parents says a lot about their preconceptions about parents. And how much they want to avoid communication.

As stated earlier, I work in the University with hundreds of students. They hardly ever write to me directly (much more likely to just drop by my office, which is far more disruptive but I never send them off). I wish the bulk of my e-mail activity was student-related.

oh, sorry! I misunderstood your point. I guess the way I see it, email is sort of a direct line to your teacher - as opposed to written notes, which can only be given at regular times, are read in a class setting and don't necessarily require answers. It's not the same as a phone number though, agreed.

funnily enough, I also teach at uni! my students don't usually come see me during term, but I get tons of emails right before the exams. I don't mind, tbh - I just wish they were a bit more spread out, lol.