Parent-Teacher communication

[SantasChestnuts]

How much communication would you expect or do you have with your KS1 children's teachers?

Both of my children have started school during the pandemic and I don't know what to expect.

Currently we have no communication. We drop off and pick up at the gate and only see the teachers from across the playground. We've had two 10 minute parent evenings for oldest child and one for the youngest. Generic whole school email once a week. We can email the reception who pass on messages but don't always get a response.

I have a specific concern about one of my children that I expressed at parents evening but haven't been able to follow up.

Is this what we should expect from primary school?

We are able to message teachers directly on the seesaw app and they always respond the same day when I’ve messaged with any questions or concerns.
We see the teacher at the end of the day from a distance and would be able to speak to them then if given prior notice, or have a quick word of something small

I did find it disconcerting that I didn’t even know what my my sons teacher teacher looked like for about a month

That's how much we have at an outstanding over subscribed school. However I would expect the teacher to respond to an email about a specific concern or to be willing to book a time to discuss it, fortunately I haven't needed that so far.

That's about the same as we get. I would email re concerns and ask for a follow up meeting with the teacher. Then wait a couple of days and start phoning the office if you don't get a response.

Is this normal or is this Covid?

I'm finding it difficult to reconcile that this is the norm! I'm by no means a helicopter parent.

Pre-Covid, in KS1, the teachers were on the door at the end of the day, available for a quick word. Each class exits from a different door so no crowding.

I would expect you to be able to request a conversation with a teacher about a particular issue, either by phoning or emailing the school.

You should be able to email and request a phone call. Pre covid it would be a face to face..

I get you OP. I'm sure if I had an issue the teacher would make time for me to discuss so I'm not concerned about that but yeah I don't feel like I even vaguely know my child's teacher. I don't want to be her best friend or anything weird and I don't need to talk to her everyday but I'd like to have exchanged more than about six words with her considering she spends more of my child's awake hours with her than I do! Our parents consultations are once again 7 mins on video chat then cut off. Last time I did get the full amount of time but one of my friends only got about 2 minutes due to tech issues. My child isn't likely to give a reason for further interaction to be required but it just seems so strange and remote. Additionally I was a teacher up until last year, so this is even more strange as I don't feel it was this way for me with my students and their parents so I feel covid has really changed things and not for the better in this regard.

Where there are no issues, what you have sounds fine, HOWEVER, I would expect a response to a message with concerns.

What you have described sounds fine normally, but if you have concerns then either ring or email again and ask them to get back to you.

When DS started school (just before covid) I did find the change from nursery handovers (with details of activities, what he’d eaten, when he’d been to the toilet etc) to just getting chucked out onto the school playground a bit of an adjustment! But if you have a specific concern I’d definitely expect to be able to speak to the teacher, making an appointment via the school office if necessary.

I've emailed the school twice about my concerned but haven't received responses. I approached the teacher on hand sanitiser duty at the gate and was told she'd pass the message on but still nothing.

I'm thinking of contacting the PTA chair or the governors but wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable.

Even if I didn't have a concern I think I'd still like a bit more interaction. Similar to @IndigoTinsel, I don't want a full preschool style run down but to actually say hi to the person who's looking after my child would be pleasant.

I'm also school based but a therapist at a complex needs provision and I talk to my parents daily. I'm aware this is very different but our workload is huge and we make time for emails, phone calls, notes, face to face if parents are at pick up.

I guess it's just not what I was expecting.

It doesn't sound great. My KS1 class' parents can catch me at the door at both ends of the day, write a note in planners which are checked every day, or email the class email address and get a response by the next day at the latest. Could you send a note in with your child?

@SantasChestnuts

I've emailed the school twice about my concerned but haven't received responses. I approached the teacher on hand sanitiser duty at the gate and was told she'd pass the message on but still nothing.

I'm thinking of contacting the PTA chair or the governors but wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable.

Even if I didn't have a concern I think I'd still like a bit more interaction. Similar to @IndigoTinsel, I don't want a full preschool style run down but to actually say hi to the person who's looking after my child would be pleasant.

I'm also school based but a therapist at a complex needs provision and I talk to my parents daily. I'm aware this is very different but our workload is huge and we make time for emails, phone calls, notes, face to face if parents are at pick up.

I guess it's just not what I was expecting.

Contacting the PTA chair would not be the right approach. They have no say about what goes on in the school. The role of the PTA is completely separate to the management of the school. Governors are strategic leaders and are not involved in the day to day running of the school so would only get involved if you are making a formal complaint. I think your best course of action would be to phone the office and ask to book a meeting/phone call with the teacher. If you still get no response, then contact the headteacher to raise your concerns.

Email the head and ask about how you can communicate with your child’s teacher

Also, COVID should not be an excuse for poor communication as there are easy alternatives to face to face meetings. We have been phoning parents and using Zoom successfully throughout the pandemic, and are now back to face to face meetings. Parents have also been back in the playground, and chatting to teachers, since September.