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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

new parents' meeting

15 replies

sleeplessinderbyshire · 09/06/2013 23:28

DD1 starts reception in September. Tomorrow we are invited to a "new parents' meeting" at 9am. DH has been persuaded to arrange to go into work late so he can be there too. I assume from the tone of the letter that we are not meant to bring children (both DDs will be at nursery as it is a work day for both of us but I'm going to a conference at lunchtime so wasn't at work in the morning anyway)

How long do these things take? How useful will it be? Will we look odd for both being there? Arrrgh all this hidden etiquette stuff is doing my head in

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Tommy · 09/06/2013 23:39

You only need one parent there and IME, they take about an hour

BackforGood · 09/06/2013 23:42

DEfinitely only need 1 parent there.
I would check about the children though - if it's arranged in school time, I would assume it was for the children to have a look at their classroom / meet the teacher, etc. If it were just for the parents, I would assume they'd have held it at 6 o'clock or something.

Original poster

sleeplessinderbyshire · 09/06/2013 23:54

the letter goes on about how there will be 2-3 visits for the children later in the term (gives dates for all of them but says we will be told tomorrow which dates/sessions our children will be expected to attend the school)

arrgh I really am muddled now. I've made DH take the morning off because I was so embarrassed about being there on my own and the school thinking he didn't give a toss about school now I'm worried we'll look like real keenies (and shall die of shame if we are meant to have DD1 with us and haven't)

OP posts:

SandStorm · 10/06/2013 00:01

If you're really worried, ring the school at 8.30 and ask. There will be someone around to pick up the phone and I'll bet you're not the only one who's a bit confused.

mrz · 10/06/2013 07:16

Although it is often only mum who attends it isn't unusual for both parents to attend (and quite nice for the teacher to see both IMO) and often parents need to bring a child with them because of childcare but the meeting is for parents not the child and doesn't normally take too long depending on questions parents have

Pozzled · 10/06/2013 07:21

When we went there was a mixture of couples and people on their own. I don't think you'll look out of place. Ours took around an hour. Some of it was useful- school uniform and meeting the head and teachers- but there was a lot that was just intended to reassure.

LindyHemming · 10/06/2013 07:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DeWe · 10/06/2013 09:38

A fair number of pfb parents will both attend:

DC1 both parents attend
dc2 one parent attends
dc3 you dash in at the end of school to pick up the pack which tells you which class/induction days they're in, but don't bother staying to the meeting

We were specifically asked not to bring children if possible, and no one did, so a child would look very conspicuous, particularly if they were not a sit and play quietly type. If they're saying "visits for the children later" that implies to me that they don't want/expect children.
And sometimes there are questions you, or other parents might want to ask that it is better for the children not to hear.

Original poster

sleeplessinderbyshire · 10/06/2013 10:53

phew, there were a few kids there bit it was very much just for grown ups who were mainly mums but some dads too. The most useful bit was finding out which colour team she is in to order the correct colour PE kit and to fin out which day her half day school visit will be on in July.

The teachers kept going on and on about how tiring it is for them to do a "full day" at school (0850-330). DD1 had been at nursery 8-530/6 3-4 days a week since she was a small baby is school really loads more tiring?

OP posts:

ilovepowerhoop · 10/06/2013 11:01

it will be for the children who have only been doing 3 hours a day at nursery or those who havent been to nursery at all.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/06/2013 11:14

I find it incredible that you are this far into fretting and cogitating abd yet there's no mention of what you are going to wear!

People will have decided on outfits, weeks ago, darlink!

ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/06/2013 11:14

I find it incredible that you are this far into fretting and cogitating abd yet there's no mention of what you are going to wear!

People will have decided on outfits, weeks ago, darlink!

ilovepowerhoop · 10/06/2013 11:16

she's already been to the meeting now.

What did you wear

Tiggles · 10/06/2013 11:39

I think the 'tiring' thing is very child dependent.
DS2 went to school with breakfast and afterschool club having just attended nursery in the afternoons before. Everyone expected him to be asleep by afterschool club and he was fine, better than most of the older kids apparently!
DS3 has been at full time nursery, will be one of the oldest in the year when he starts in September, and he is always shattered by the evenings so he will still struggle with tiredness in school.

noramum · 10/06/2013 12:09

We both went and I personally saw lots of couples in our school. Most parents where only one came where the ones who already had 1-2 children in school and just needed to know if there was anything new since last time.

I think ours went for 1 hours plus 30 min where we could have a look at the Reception classrooms and chat a bit to the teacher as they did the class allocations before the meeting.

It was all about practical stuff, what to bring and not bring, when to come and what the children should be able to do. This was basically, knowing their names and how to dress/undress on their own.

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