Totally child-led parent's evening at primary school - what do you think?

[BirdyBedtime]

So, school got a new head at the start of the academic year and she has changed the format of 2nd parent's evening (first one in October still 'traditional').

It was earlier this week and took the format of the DC's having a little workbook of tasks grouped by curricular areas (literacy, health and wellbeing etc) and going round stations saying things like 'ask me to tell you 3 things about x topic' ' I can tell you about the proporties of these items' and ' I can write a sentence in cursive' - no s**t sherlock, I've seen you write before and I know that you know that a cup holds liquid.

We were explicitely told teacher wouldn't be able to answer child specific questions etc. It was just a glorified open evening.

The outcome was that I learned absolutely nothing about DD's progress, strengths, weaknesses, etc and have requested an appointment with the teacher to discuss this - as have all other parents I've spoken to and many more I expect judging by some of the looks I saw on parent's faces during the event!

The Head has introduced this in her 2 previous schools and seems genuinely shocked that parents at DDs school are not happy with the new format nor with the fact that it was introduced without consultation. Apparently only a handful of parents from those schools ever requested a one-to-one meeting after the child-led one - hmm.

So, what do you think? Are we all being precious expecting to actually have some time to speak to the teacher? Would you be happy if your school introduced something like this?

Let's not even talk about the fact that I also now have serious concerns about the level of what they are learning - that might be another thread!

Gruffalo has your head given you a break down of your directed time? It sounds like these evenings could exceed the directed time quite easily on their own. I really hope you don't have staff meetings on those weeks too.

Do you have a union representative?

Yep, we do that type too Miaow! Last one was a DT day. Over two thirds my class had at least one family member in and most wanted to stay all day. It was crowded, to sat the least, and the arguments (and snatching ) of resources was a sight to behold ... and that was just the parents! Lots of parents took the day off work and if they couldn't attend sent an aunt, grandparent, etc.

Yes, we've asked for a breakdown of directed hours. Sneakily the late sessions have been counted just as booked appointments, so it just about comes out correct. Yes, all other meetings are cancelled that week and we don't have to go into daily assemblies .

DD's school has an open evening in autumn term - very informal and a chance for new parents to meet everyone in the school from teaching staff to governors, pta and other parents. There are more traditional parents' evenings in spring and summer term and a full report is issued to parents a few days before the summer term parents' evening.

There is always the opportunity to speak with the teacher in the morning or evening, and appointments with the head an be accomodated at very short notice too. I think DD's school has got it just about right. However, it is a very small village school and I know that some schools couldn't accomodate those kind of arrangements.

Indyandlara - I think the difference can be explained (at least partly) by demographics. The previous school was a smallish one in a modern estate which is very different from ours (which although mixed does has a high number of higher socioeconomic status households - and I know I am generalizing here). I know someone whose DCs are at that school and she doesn't have a problem with it.

We've now been issued with a time for our individual appointment and asked to identify our concerns in advance -grr I don't have particular concerns, just want a chance to discuss DDs progress in private. Anyway I'm pleased that the majority of posters seem to agree that this is a bad idea.

I won't be happy if the reports are as you suggest although I won't be surprised. There is more to learning than numeracy, literacy and HWB - There can be real differences across the curriculum in terms of achievement/progress so I'm assuming these are just going to be tick boxes.

PM me if you want to check if you're right!

I knew you had to be in Scotland!

Wow, this is really good.
Schools round here do one parents evening, usually at the end of the year.
More than one sounds great, whatever it consists of.
Why do you need another progress report if you had a parents evening in November?

stargirl - don't you just love Curriculum for Excellence???

morethanpotatoprints (love the name BTW) - we had a PE in early October (so only about 6 weeks into the school year) . Much of the discusion was about how DD was settling into class, some about what they would be doing, not very much at all about her individual learning.

We'd usually use the second PE to discuss with the teacher how much progress DD has made since the first one, any areas of weakness that she needs support on and how we can support that as parents, also the social side things. We have not had that opportunity this year due to the change in format and I suspect the information in the end of year report won't give us the level of info we would like.

I would actually prefer what you have - one PE but later in the year when at least the teacher knows the children and can talk confidently about their progress etc.

I'm not saying it's not good to have the opportunity to see DD's work (although I did find the format unhelpful) but more the fact that we are being made to feel we are being difficult by requesting the opportunity to speak to the teacher as well.

I'm afraid, as a Scottish primary teacher, I cannot possibly comment