End of Year Parent/ Teacher meetings & sudden change of schedule?

[PastSellByDate]

Good morning:

As many will know it's been an interesting 6 years at our glorious educational institution - lovingly known as St. Mediocre by friends & familiy.

The HT of St. Mediocre in her July missive has informed parents that after months of advertising parent/ teacher end of year 'drop in' meetings on a certain date the are now to be held tomorrow - without changing school website diary.

I know most parents do not bother to read the St. Mediocre Propogandist - lot's of 'our happy family' - 'our successful school' - 'endeavoring to bring out the best in your children' - etc....

so this is my AIBU moment....

Last year this great educational institution only managed to produce 62% to NC Level 4+ in Maths/ English. Many of us (not in Y6 myself) are seriously concerned about the declining KS2 SATs results at the school and very eager to know how Y6 did. [This is a school which used to get 90% + to NC Level 4 under previous HT and now struggles to break 70% over last 5 years - character of area/ pupils has not radically altered].

My understanding was that parents had a right to discuss SATs results (KS1 Y2 or KS2 Y6) with teachers. (Is this true - maybe I've misunderstood? What do teachers think on this?)

Am I being unfair (AIBU)? Or is this all a bit odd?

They gave 24 hours notice of a change to an important event?

That is utterly inexcusable.

But was there any attempt to justify it?

Surely the whole point of the evening was to discuss sat results? Sounds vair fishy to me... I bet they've had the papers back and seen they're not great.

So you want to discuss the SATs results of other people's children with whom exactly? Have I misunderstood?

If your child has not yet had SATs - the school will publish a list set against targets for the year. Never heard of people discussing the results...

Hi MadeOfStarDust:

no I don't want to discuss SATs results specific to children (obviously with the exception of my own DDs) - However, I do want to understand what they were for 2013 cohort overall and am perfectly happy to wait for city council to issue results, tracking FSM & mobility as well for that cohort Dec/ January time.

However, I've got friends with Y6 DCs saying how can they give us SATs results (which they've had confirmed by the school) when 'boundaries' for NC Levels aren't available until 9 July? (one has a S-I-L who teaches in this LEA) [I accept this boundary thing may be wrong - it's only hearsay from school gate discussion on this].

In essence I'm asking: Can schools give provisional scores and not discuss actual scores? Are schools required to give parents actual scores reported to LEA?

If you're o.k. with the provisional score thing MadeOfStarDust that's fine - I'm just asking. The school has confirmed they're sending home end of year reports Friday with SATs scores for Y2/ Y6.

It seems more useful to discuss the confirmed (& reported to LEA) SATs results - which if I understand correctly wouldn't be known until after 9 July and could also be disputed at that point.

MadeofStarDust - I am asking on behalf of myself and fellow school gate mutineers whether this is normal? Because we think it's odd - but don't know if it is or isn't.

If you think it's normal (maybe even can refer us to a document which says this is best practice following DofE guidance xxxx) that's perfectly o.k. I'm just asking.

Thanks

Hi scaevola:

No change of date to parent/ teacher meetings is just two lines in a box - page 2 (midway through, inside column - so not obvious if thumbing through).

"Teacher drop in sessions will now be held 4 July between 3:00 - 6:00 PM. Parents do not need to sign up - just come along to talk with your child's teacher about their work this year".

This is before end of year reports come home (sent home this Friday 5 July apparently, confirmed by office this a.m. to two mutinous Mums)

and

Office has confirmed SATs scores are included (they've been printing these out & stuffing envelopes for Y2/ Y6).

No explanation from school - but repeatedly confirmed this a.m. that we can meet with teachers only on this date, before reports sent home to us.

Again - is this what happens at your school?

From my point of view (regardless of the SATs thing) - I'd prefer to talk to the teacher once I've read the end of year report on my DDs.

We had our parents evening 2 weeks ago - before SATS results are out.. end of school report will have actual results -

Y6 parents consult was about my daughter and her progression on to secondary school - where she has been strong in the year, things she needs to watch out for.. it showed us the work she had done that year, from artwork through to her maths work, it showed us a yearbook full of photos of her and snippets of her best work from that year.

SATS results are just results - no one can change them, you know fairly well where your child stands going into SATS, the kids tell you how they think they got on in the test, so the results should not be surprising in any way. If they are, nothing can be done about it anyhow.

So no - I would not think it was odd.. most schools round here don't even have a parents evening/consult at this time of year (and by most I mean ALL the other 4 local primaries)

Thanks MadeOfStarDust:

really interesting.

I'm not sure what to say to that - very unusual procedure in our area.

Quick survey of colleagues at work has end of year reports sent home first, parents read & are asked to comment & sign. (all state primaries - within city in about a 3 mile radius) Various opinions of usefulness of end of year reports.

parent/ teacher meetings generally scheduled in window 16/17/18/19 July & 20/21 July. Although many schools are taking 20/21 July as inset days.

Can I ask - MOSD - is your DC doing very well and therefore the report is just a formality?

This is a school where 30% - 40% over last 5 years have failed to attain NC Level 4 in Y6 KS2 English/ Maths SATs & many only just scrape it. parents are deeply worried here.

Our school keeps the Y6 parent consultations back until after the SATs boundary scores come out on the 9th. Changing the date at such short notice does sound a little bit odd, as though they're hoping not many parents can make it. I'm not surprised so many are worried.

PSBD yep my DD is doing fine - she has met her individual targets set by the teacher and I expect she has done well in her SATs - though if she hasn't I'm not sure I could do anything about it anyhow....

If you have such a low number reaching expected end of Y6 targets what is Ofsted doing about it? (not sure I'd keep my kids at a school you call "St Mediocre" .... for 6 years!)

No parent consultations at any of our local schools in this summer term. Surely the obvious thing to do is for parents with concerns to make a further appointment to see the teacher once SATS results are handed out.

I am also sure that Ofsted will come calling soon if the SATS don't improve.

Hi MadeofStarDust:

All I can say is we've tried transferring DDs - local schools full.

Couldn't move for a few years because of job scares for me & then DH.

Out of that troubling situation now - but DD1 is just finishing Y5 - not sure it is worth rocking the boat to make the point. She's otherwise happy - and we just know that education happens at home - not school.

We just want to know how she's doing on optional SATs/ by teacher assessment against NC Levels (we also have friend who teaches in Senior school assess her in summers) - so we can apprise ourselves of whether what we're doing is working or not (we're focusing on core skills - reading - writing - arithmetic) - although have started preparations for 11+ as well (but not hugely intensively - more because DD wants to do what friends are doing/ we're aware 12 tried last year and only 1 from school made it. Real shock for many parents because in years past (pre this HT) school regularly sent 3-4 pupils to local grammars at least).

Thanks sittinginthesun

I suspect I'm the only one out there who's rooting for OFSTED to be tough on their school!

actually my real fear is the trend of schools like this to be made academies - not a huge issue for DD1 - but DD2 would be affected.

But these things are definitely out of my control...

Tbh the parent teacher consultations or drop ins are not there for people to discuss the percentage of level 4's the school has achieved. If you want to discuss or complain about what you see as the decline in standards you should write to the school governors. The meetings are for parents to speak to their child's teacher about concerns etc.

the schools can't be sending out actual SATs levels as no one knows what they will be until the 9th. We have had our reading and maths papers back and know their scores. We know roughly their levels based on previous thresholds but the are subject to change so certainly wouldn't tell any children their scores yet.
SPaG and the level 6 maths and Reading papers can only be viewed -online-on the 9th, so it is not possible for the school to even approximate these levels.

perhaps they are sending out Teacher assessment levels-that is what I always put on the reports anyway.

I would certainly complain about the short notice though. What is the reason they have given?

My understanding of he OP was that the original date was to be after 9th with a view to discussing results but, having looked at their returned papers, school can see the results aren't going to be very good and decided to quickly change the date of the meeting so results can't be discussed.

cansu:

absolutely. I go and talk about each child with their teacher. I'm really only interested in the academic side - strengths/ weaknesses/ what to work on next - what to work on over summer, etc....

I think you're misunderstanding my query regarding SATs - which is specific to Y2/ Y6 parents (who are also wondering about this).
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What I'm trying to find out (so we can make a collective complaint - because governors at our school will not address individual complaints) is whether parents of Y2/ Y6 pupils who have sat SATs exams should:

1. receive official scores (as in scores actually submitted to LEA) in advance of parent/ teacher consultation

2. have the opportunity to discuss SATs scores & what to work on next with teacher who taught their child that year.

I think it fairly fundamental but fully accept that parents have different points of view/ values on this.

I am just asking (for those who might know what the overarching policy is) whether parents in Y2/ Y6 are entitled to discuss SATs results with that year's teacher (which seems a sensible thing to organise) but have absolutely no idea whether English schools are required do this or not, whether this is considered best practice but is optional, etc....

So if someone out there knows policy - please let us know.

(PS I'm involved in this because when DD1 is in Y6 (next year) - I jolly well want to know how she performed (OFFICIAL RESULTS) on her SATs and discuss them with her teacher - so I want it to become policy at this school).

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Glad a few of you find last minute change weird - still no explanation from school but confirmed it is not a mistake - it's tonight.

Sadly I can't make it but I'm certain (much like MadeOfStarDust) - I'll hear all is well, doing fine, meeting targets etc... - because that's what I've always heard regardless of whether DD1 could read/ subtract/ etc...

Perhaps I'm a miniority of one - but I'd prefer an honest conversation which was about DD1 being a disaster with spelling (see these tests she's taken throughout the year Mrs. PSBD) and what I'd advise is over the summer you consider doing X or Y. (But that's clearly a pipe dream!).

In answer to your question there is no legal requirement for school to offer a parents evening for discussion of sats scores. Parents will be given their own child's sats levels but are not usually provided with the cohort percentage. I think that you are confusing two different issues here. If you wish to make a domains aut standards across the school you would need to raise this in writing with the head teacher or the governors. If you have a particular concern about your dc progress and their sats levels then you need to ask for an appointment with the teacher to discuss. However, as a parent and a teacher I would be more concerned with how my child has progressed in their class work rather than how they did in their sats.

cansu:

here's the legal back up to requirement to give parents opportunity to discuss SAT scores - see page 38.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/187455/Assessment_20and_20reporting_20arrangements_20-_20Key_20Stage_202.pdf.pdf

HTH

By the way - link supplied by LEA who I rang about this and who are visiting school to discuss this today.

But Year 2 pupils haven't "sat SATS exams".

In our school, reports go out next Friday. Then if we have any concerns we still have a week of term to talk about our own childrens' progress.

SATs results are firm now for KS1 (teacher assessment) and for writing component of KS2 (again, teacher assessment).

Our school has never historically made a big deal of announcing how the year 6s have done. I think that they usually mention it in the last newsletter of the academic year. In order to see where the school stands in relation to floor standards (other schools, national average and so on) they need to have a level to compare to IYSWIM. That isn't ready yet.

BUt reading your OP I think you saw the meetings as an op to discuss performance of the school as a whole, whereas the school saw the meeting as a time when if parents had concerns about their child's progress or results they could see the teacher.

We don't have a formal parents' evening in the summer term.

The end of year report should give sats levels for end of KS1 and end of KS2. My own take on it is if I ever want to talk to the teacher about progress I can, whether that's before or after SATS or end of year report.