No EYFS report unless you go to parents' evening

[catkind]

Is that normal practice? DC's previous school just put the EYFS bit in their normal reports, so I was a bit surprised they were only prepared to hand it over in person.

By law they have to provide a written report detailing achievement against the ELGs and the opportunity to discuss it with the teacher.

They seem to have interpreted it as you can only have the written report if you avail yourself of the opportunity to discuss it with the teacher. Do you think that's actually illegal?

No I don't think it's legal.
What if you were ill and couldn't go to parents evening?

The EYFS statutory guidance states that schools must provide a written report of how each child performs against the early learning goals, and a summary of the characteristics of effective learning. You must also be given the opportunity to discuss it. So it sounds like the school have got it a bit muddled! Many schools send out the report and give parents an opportunity to discuss it (ie a parents' evening) if they want to.

They do sound muddled. I would not like to be presented with a report them expected to discuss it there and then. You need time to read properly, digest and then think of any queries.

No it's not legal or open to interpretation

"At the end of reception year, providers should give parents a written report which: 

states the child’s attainment against the ELGs
summarises attainment in all areas of learning
comments on general progress including the characteristics of effective learning
explains arrangements for discussing the profile "






It would make me suspicious that it was a bad year tbh

Since you only get your own child's report there is no reason to withhold if school results are poor.

A general progress report was sent out, but not the EYFS bit with the ELGs on.

What if you were ill and couldn't go to parents evening?
One friend was away and couldn't. They were offered a catch up appointment, they said they weren't bothered as the general progress report was fine and they were working on the last two available days. So they didn't get their child's EYFS report. Not really any of my business, but I thought it seemed odd!

I wasn't impressed by teacher's comment that they "weren't allowed" to give Exceeding either. Though they seem to have managed to give DD some at least. I would have expected her to get several more comparing to DS at the same stage. Or have the expectations changed since 3 years ago? I wondered if they were being cagey about it because of that - they don't want to send strong students home with lots of expecteds without a chance to manage the message.

Something smells fishy about your school's reporting system, cat..

Seems weird to me.

No idea why they wouldn't be allowed to give exceeding either if the child was actually exceeding. Unless they need to boost KS1 results and are making results lower in Reception to show a higher improvement rate in KS1. This also seems dodgy to me.
DT1 got 3 exceeding and DT2 got 5 exceeding in areas where I knew they were ahead (by quite a bit) so expected it.

Oh and we don't have a parents evening at the end of the year, can't imagine what that would be like on top of the usual end of year stuff! Poor teachers!!

We have one towards the end of the first term, one during second term and report at the end of the year for EYFS (nursery and reception).

We do this at my secondary school. You can only get the report if you go along to discuss. It's so that we can get parents to come. Why wouldn't you want to go?

"Why wouldn't you want to go?" Because you see the teacher twice a day so have been kept well informed of any issues as they arise rather at the end of the year when it's too late, you have no concerns about your child's progress and the school has fulfilled their statutory duty to provide you with the results of the EYFS profile

Why wouldn't you want to go?

To be fair, for those that work it can be a juggling act. It's not like secondary school parents' evenings which are actually in the evening.

Do you go to the sports day/class assembly/school concert/school picnics where your child will be upset if they don't see you there, or to the parents' evenings where you shouldn't be learning anything new? Multiple versions of all these events if you have more than one child.

My understanding is that written annual reports are statutory, and that schools must make arrangements for parents to discuss it if they wish to do so.

A school that does not release reports - and data which it is statutory to report, such as EYFS levels, SATs results etc - except to parents coming in to discuss them is almost certainly breaking the law.

Schools may want to use this is a lever to get parents in for discussions (especially at secondary, where it is very uncommon for parents to take their children to school or collect them), but I don't think they are allowed to.

Many people manage to get to at least some events, when they work. But seeing the teacher about progress is one of the more important ones, in my opinion. Most teachers will offer you another opportunity to speak to them if you can't make the set day.

My children's secondary school offers late afternoon to evening appointments.
The primary school I work in offers appointments between end of school and around 7pm. Parents indicate which day/time is best. We try to meet those requests and liaise with other teachers who have the siblings so parents don't need to hang around too long.

No, there shouldn't be anything 'new' , but it is good practice to go to the meeting, and show support.

Notice is given at the beginning of the school year when events are likely to be. I get the impression you just don't want to. What more can schools do to get parents involved?

It's always the parents who don't really 'need' to come that show up...the ones that could do with discussing things don't bother. (Then complain about ' lack of progress' at the end of the year. )

Sorry jamdonut I cannot see any point in wasting a teachers time on an end of term meeting when there's nothing to discuss, if the report was in any way surprising then sure a meeting would be useful. But simply meeting for the sake of discussing it, no - as you say there are parents who don't really 'need' to show up - why would they?

Better to give the teacher either more time at the pub, or more time with the kids who do need it.

Jamdonut,

The thing is, every school I have ever dealt with has both written reports AND Parents' Evenings - but at separate points in the year, so you actually get more updates on your child's progress, rather than a ;'double dose' at a single point.

In primary, we do 2 'face to face' meetings (1 each in the Autumn and Spring terms), plus a written report at the end of the Summer term, so there are 3 formal chances to discuss / report progress each year. This has been the case in every primary I have ever had contact with.

Secondary varies by year, IME - either 3 numerical 'progress' reports and 2 Parents' Evenings following a couple of weeks after 2 of these OR 2 numerical and 1 'full written' report, and 1 Parents' evening a couple of weeks after one of the numerical ones. I think there may have been 1 year group with 3 numerical + 1 Parents' Evening after 1 of them - perhaps for Y8?

It seems to me a waste of everyone's time to have a full written report at the same time as a face to face meeting - why bother writing down and then saying exactly the same things? Having reports and face to face meetings at different points - or numerical reports followed by face to face meetings - seems a much better use of everyone's time, and an opportunity for much more regular progress checks.

I get the impression you just don't want to.
I did go! I'm lucky enough to work part time and with a fair amount of flexibility. If I hadn't gone I'd definitely complain about not being given the required data, as it is it's not really my business, just passing curiosity.

I'm just speculating on why other people might not. The parents I happen to know didn't make it are extremely engaged, supportive parents, dad usually volunteers in class one afternoon a week, they've been assured by the teacher their child is getting on well via the general progress report and by seeing them in passing. It's not really comparable to secondary school.

Nor is it comparable in the number of during school hours events or the amount of expectation that parents will make it. 5 yr olds want to see you at sports day. 15 year olds would probably rather not, if you're even invited! And don't get me started on the amount of notice (not) given.

I'm not generally a massive fan of being given information at parents' evenings. It means I don't have time to digest it before reacting. I usually think of the questions I should have asked just after I get home. If I'd had time to look up the criteria for the areas I was surprised DD didn't get exceeding - I'd probably have been an infernal nuisance. Perhaps that's why.