Parents' evening sign up

[chutneypig]

I'd like to propose a new system of signing up for parents' evening at my children's school as I feel there are issues with our current system where parents are asked to sign up on sheets inside the classroom door, which are put up at 8.45.

I'd be very interested to hear how your schools handle sign up and whether you feel it's a fair system. I'm guessing none are perfect but there must be approaches which work for most families and the schools as well.

A letter goes out saying that sign up sheets are on the wall, messages can be sent via children to the office or by phone call and are added. Any not signing up are given a slot!

Sign up sheets in reception causing a mass of parents panicking and barging on day 1 of them being there. If you do not put your name down it goes unnoticed.

I just go on day 2 or 3 and take whatever is left, they do it over two nights and there are loads if slots so always spares.

Our school sends out slips in book-bags and you need to tick your preferred three slots and send them back. Slots are then allocated once everyones slips are in (or after the deadline). Seems to work, I've always got the slots I wanted.

We send home letters with a selection of time slots (e.g. 3.30-4.30 ect) and parents send it back with slot marked. We then try to give a time within this slot (for the first few days we can accomadate but If letter is sent back late they get what is left) we also ask for siblings and teachers arrange appointments close together (again tricky if you get a family of 4 3 days before parents evening!)
All years on same night (primary) which parents seem to like. Only 10 min slots but offer to make an appointment on another night if they need more time.

Ours is sign-up sheets and then elbows at dawn as everyone wants the same slots.

Ridiculous and a better system and teachers being prepared to stay past 6pm is definitely needed!

We get the times sent out and have to respond either on the letter or via email with our preferred time and are then allocated a time. The earlier you are in replying, the better the chances of getting your chosen time.

DD1: letter in bag. Circle time range ideal for you. You get an appointment within that time range.

DD2 & DD3: Spread over two days. One evening and one afternoon. You circle the general time slot best for you. Then they notify you which time slot you've been allocated.

Ours sends an email out, with the letter attached. I usually reply within 5 minutes and my choice ("as early as possible") has never meant I get an early slot. They always overrun, the latest I've been seen for parents' evening was 8.40pm

Always got sent a table of times and you were encouraged to tick as many slots as possible. Then got allocated a time within a slot you'd ticked. Much better system than your school's

Ours have parents' evening over two evenings. They send a slip home and you indicate your preferred three slots and normally you get one of those (we did once get a completely different time).

We get a list of times and you pick 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice. There is room on the form to write what times you have requested for siblings. Get form back about a week later with time you got highlighted. Always got one of our 3 choices - 7 years for Dd1 (now left) and 5 years for Dd2 - 3 times a year.

They never run on time though always at least 20 minutes over.

Primary: a letter comes home with a list of half-hour slots. Parents indicate first and second choice of times. The office do their best to give parents a ten-minute appointment during their preferred slot. Works v.well but must be time-consuming for the secretary.

Secondary: during class time, each teacher hands round a list of times and the child writes their name next to a time. It is up to the child to coordinate the different times they write on all the different lists so they don't end up with clashing appointments. It sort of works, but on the actual parents' evening, the teachers run so behind that you often miss your slot and have to come back later.

Our school uses an online system

Every parent has a log on, you go on, select your child's teacher and it brings up a list of available slots and you just select one.

If you have siblings in different classes you then select your other teacher but it forces you to leave a 10 minute gap between appointments so you've got time to move around the building

It's great

We send out a letter with the times on and you pick your preferred slot, we like to get in as early as poss and put this on the form. We are nearly always obliged but if we weren't it would be ok. But this is a primary school so just the one teacher.

ThinksThisProbablyWasn'tThatHelpfulTiggaxx

We have online booking. You still have to get in quick for a good slot, but it takes seconds not twenty minutes of queuing.

Sign up sheets in the hall apparently. Not helpful for those of us whose dc get the bus to and from school however just received a letter saying dd's teacher isn't available on that day anyway

Thanks for all the responses. For those of you who have sheets in the classroom, how do they handle sign up for parents who aren't there at drop off? We have been asked to get someone to do it for us or to contact the office with the office email address. Sign up was yesterday for Monday to Wednesday next week. I had no reply to my email yesterday.

Is it very time consuming to sort out slots Wait4nothing?

We use an online system - it's really easy for parents and teachers to use, (though takes a lot of setting up by the admin staff - me and the school secretary!)

The parents are given a login code and the system goes live about ten days before the meetings. We provide a laptop in reception for anyone who hasn't got one. The parents seem to like it - complaints have dropped to almost zero.

We get a letter home with two blocks of time (3.15-6 and 7-9) and we mark which time slot suits best. We write all the names of the children on one sheet and when we get the sheets back the times are allocated on it e.g our parents night was on Thursday and the times I had were 7.50 and 8.10pm for ds and dd - I had asked for the later time slot.

I love all these civilised schools that let's you book a time slot on line. For us it's an email saying when and where the signing sheets will be and then it's the scrummage in the morning when the sheets appear. I just put my name down after a day or so where there are spaces

Have a letter out explaining how to book online and the date that the time slots will be released.

Much easier than queuing to physically write it, and a lot less admin for the school.

Infant same system writing on board. Junior schools send home a letter asking if you want afternoon or evening on a choice of two days, and to make a note of siblings on sheet,then you get a letter back telling you your slot .

I like the idea of on line booking. It sounds very time efficient for all concerned.

That's a pain SpottyTeacakes.

*a lot less admin after the initial setting up!

It is but on the plus side my school run only entails walking dd across the road and if it's raining we just look out of the window until the bus turns up