Should we be allowed to see what work our children do at school???

[SchoolMum66]

Wondering what is done at other Primary schools???...There is always a feeling at our school that the school staff do not like parents having transparency. There is a generally hostile/defensive stance towards parents. The latest thing is a change to morning routine. My children are in year 1 and 2, and we could previously come into the cloakroom and the classroom for drop off btn 8.40 and 8.55. This was invaluable to us as we got a few minutes to see what work they were doing - seeing stuff up on walls in classroom etc, and because their worksheets from previous day with corrections to be done were on their desks, so parents could see (a) what they were doing each day (as anyone knows if you ask a child what they did at school they say "nothing") and (b) more importantly see what they were struggling with so we can follow up at home. Perfect! Now we are not allowed into the building at all (staff guarding the door). The official reason is along the lines of 'safeguarding' (laughable in a rural school of 80!) and independence. None of us believe this is the real reason.
So what I want to know is what is allowed in other schools??
And what feedback parents get in other schools?? We have two parent/teacher meetings per year, stopwatch put on as we walk in the door for 10 minutes. And one 1/2 hour per year where we can come in to see the children's workbooks (30 children + parents in the classroom at once so can't talk to teacher, just a quick flick through). Other than this we never, ever get to see their work. The only information we have about what they are doing is the brief summary of the year on the curriculum page, but not detailed or specific and not scheduled. And NO feedback on our own child, except 2x10 minutes/yr.
It is made clear that we are never allowed to speak to the teacher, at drop off or pick up. We are told instead to write a message/question to the teacher and send with child. I have done this a handful of times and more often than not it is ignored. Are you able to speak to teachers at other schools??
So I am trying to get an idea about what other schools do, and if we can reasonably expect to know/see what work our children are doing??

Our school is a bit more open than most it seems...
Parents go into classroom to drop kids/bags/water/pick lunch etc. Quick hi to staff. All classes have their own entrance or share with one other.
Weekly newsletter with 'what we have been learning'. Can look at books every Friday after school for 15 mins. Standard parents evenings and email ahead if need a longer chat.
When I first read your opening post i though it seemed stingy but loads say it's standard....I think it's all going to be dependent on building layout, size of school and teachers own approach.

I think what you describe sounds pretty standard. Back when my kids were small parents were allowed in the classrooms to drop off. That stopped a few years ago as it was such a disruptive start to the day, what with parents talking to the teachers for such a long time. Now we drop in the playground and the teachers take them in.

We have the standard once a year parents evening, with an additional quick chat in September to discuss targets for that year. We also get a weeks worth of work in a special book once a term, so see what they've been up to. That's about it.

It's a pretty friendly school and you can always catch a teacher for a chat if needed after school. Also we can always speak to the receptionist or the head whenever you wish.

Now that we are coming to the end of dd2s time there I seldom even go in the playground, let alone the classroom.

Until about 5 years ago, KS1 parents were allowed into the classrooms every moorning and it pissed me right off. I had Y1 at the time and trying to get them settled while 30 adults were faffing about was a nightmare. Then we had a new Deputy Head who dragged out school in line with the times and said it was a huge safeguarding issue. No parents are allowed into the classrooms and it's so much better. We still get the odd twit peering through the classroom window and waving, so I make sure the blinds are firmly down.

The official reason is along the lines of 'safeguarding' (laughable in a rural school of 80!)

Why? Are you so naïve that you don't think there are no safeguarding issues with 'naice' families in village schools?

Maybe you ought to check out the NSPCC child protection statistics

Parents generally don't go into classrooms but once a term we have an open morning between 9 and 10 where parents can go in to sit with their child and look at their work with them. We had one yesterday and yes it's a bit chaotic but it works well and the children love showing off their work.

Control freak much?Do you not trust teachers?

I teach Year 1. We have 2 parents' evenings a year where books are available to look through, full report at end of year, class newsletter every half term and a parents to school afternoon/morning every half term where parents attend lessons with their children and will be able to see work then too. I am available every morning if parents need to pass on a quick message, anything more involved I'll make an appointment away from class time when we can talk properly without other parents and children overhearing.

Parents in my classroom every morning checking up on my marking would do my head in and mean it would take much longer for the children to settle. Not surprised they stopped that. At my DS school parents aren't even allowed on the yard and that goes for Year 1 as well.

I can see why they do not want parents in and out.

I do find the lack of books going home daily really weird, but British people seem to think this is normal (in many other countries, it's accepted as standard that textbooks and books go home daily, and it makes it so much easier to see what they are doing and help out if they are struggling with something at school. It does make the bags heavier though!)

Kokeshi123 If I sent books home every day I'd only get about half back for the next lesson - it's bad enough with reading and homework books.

I've just thought as well if parents are in every morning looking at work some could well start nosying about in other children's work to compare theirs with their own child's which could cause issues.

When are teachers meant to mark the work if books are sent home daily?

In our school, Reception had an open door policy and we went into the class to collect the children and could talk to the teacher if we needed too.. My daughter settled into school well so rarely spoke to her but she would seek me out every now and then to show me work my DD had done...
Yr 1 and now year 2 are very different, no news is good news! Ive always felt that the teachers are very approachable though and on accasion Ive had to speak to them about stuff going on!

Textbooks go home daily. Workbooks---it depends. Some homework is done on worksheets. Parents are also expected to do a lot of the marking themselves. It works. However, the culture around school is very different here.

Kokeshi123 Isn't the main difference that school work is formalised around a text book approach (everyone does much the same work, progressing orderly through a text book description of the work)

This is quite different to the primary education in the UK where work is differentiated around subjects and aims, so the kids are very much not doing the same work, and aren't working for a text book. There's just a curriculum of things that need to be learnt, but how that's learnt is down to the teacher.

In reception we have to take the child into the 'shared area' where there in an activity ie writingtheir name, cutting out a shape, measuring, building etc, parents help their child with this and choosing lunch and hanging up coat. Then child goes into the classroom and either plays or sits cross-legged on the floor depending on what they are asked to do. Either the Teacher or TA or both are in the classroom and are available for a quick chat, this is usually about dc needing inhaler or hayfever medicine or fallen over on way in.
At the end of the day all parents collect their children from classroom, again TA and Teacher are available for a quick chat and if the teacher needs to speak to you she will ask you to wait for a quick word.

Frankly it is all a bit of a pain and I am looking forward to next year when I can just drop him off at the KS1 entrance and go.

We have a weekly home/school book in the homework folder for comments/queries or a meeting can be requested for any issues.
The week's theme is on a noticeboard opposite the entrance door and it is updated on Friday afternoon with the next week's theme.

Termly newsletter for each year group outlining what topics will be covered. Before each half term we get a mini report and before the end of each term there is a parents evening where the dc's work books are available to look at whilst you wait. Plus this half-term we will also get the full-report.

Parents are also invited in once per term for a sample lesson with their dc. This is first thing in the morning after registration to give working parents the best opportunity to attend.
One year group do the assembly each week and parents are welcome to to come in to watch - it starts about 45 minutes before the end of the school day and paents can collect their dc straight afterwards.

Your 'new' regime is normal.
I'm shocked your school has not caught up with everyone else a LOT sooner, tbh.

I also trust the teachers, and don't need to micro manage m dcs work. The idea of them even having 'worksheets' every day horrifies me, tbh, let alone some over invested parents poking through them every day.

My DC's primary has stopped allowing parents in at all, except via appointment or if accompanied by staff. Everyone must sign in and out and everyone enters via the office entrance (before children and parents could enter via any of several doors so would generally go in via the nearest door to their classroom. The school has done extensive building work to ensure no one can get in unless staff buzz them in.

This was due to Ofsted highlighting their previous setup as a safeguarding issue. It must have been seen as very serious as, despite these cash strapped times, procedure changed with immediate effect and builders were on site within a couple of weeks installing new security doors. The Head or Deputy Head are always at the gate each hometime (done that for years anyway) plus teachers bring kids out to the playground and visually check each child leaves with an agreed adult.

If we wish to see our child's work, we book an appointment with their teacher - each has a surgery day once a week and urgent issues can be dealt with in the day after school if necessary. We also get maths and writing books sent home for the weekend once every half term, then get everything for the whole year deposited on us during the last week of summer term.

All of this is similar procedure to all of the primary schools I taught in a few years ago, including a school with far fewer than 80 pupils. Speaking as a former teacher, you have no idea how many families have issues affecting their or other pupils safeguarding - I was surprised when I began teaching. Yes, even in 'nice' rural schools where everybody knows everybody. Plus there's other dangers if anyone can walk into a classroom - what's stopping a stranger?

Just to add - no teacher wants loads of parents in the classroom each morning anyway. It is really disruptive even if you think it's just a two minute pop in and kiss goodbye. And, sadly, you get parents stealing your bag (personal experience!) and classroom equipment.

Mine is in reception and with the exception of the first two weeks oat the start of school, we aren’t allowed past the schoolyard in the mornings (unless there’s a reason, I’ve on occasion gone in with her when she’s had too much to carry, etc.). I think that’s the best arrangement. I can’t imagine how disruptive it must be to have parents piling into your classroom as you are trying to everyone settled and focused on the day.

We have 2 parents meetings a year, but the teachers bring them out at the end of the day so are often available to chat then, or I can always reach her by email or could set up a meeting if I really needed one.

I find it’s perfectly easy to know what she’s doing at school though because she often brings work home when she’s finished with it, plus they get plenty of homework, so we do reading and writing and maths and all sorts of projects at home. I think if there was anything that needed to be flagged up with the teacher, it would be obvious from that. I don’t need to see every painting (god, we get piles of them sent home as it is!).

One reason is because the morning is the worst time to see a teacher! As much as it would be lovely to look at work, there would always be parents asking the teacher questions, and the morning is when we are all getting ready for the day, catching up with marking, having a meeting with other staff etc. Our school actively discourages parents seeing teachers in the morning if possible, as we are so so busy.

I have no idea how it works taking books home every day! They wouldn't all come back, and when would the teachers mark?

Much of what goes on in other schools is quite surprising to me!

DS's school is a similar size, we can pop in to see the teacher any time, after school is best, but could also pop up at drop off at 8:20. Headmistress similarly available - door always open. There are set parents evenings, no particular pressure on time, and we can look through workbooks - ask to take them home of the weekend if we want a good nosey!

Teachers are contactable by phone between 3:30 and 6 at school or by e-mail & they respond very quickly, we really feel part of the educational journey.

Isn't the main difference that school work is formalised around a text book approach (everyone does much the same work, progressing orderly through a text book description of the work)

Yes, that is basically it. I do not like/agree with every aspect of education in the country where I live, but the use of textbooks and standardized curriculum (with minimal differentiation) is one thing that I really appreciate and agree with. I think I would get very frustrated if my child was going through the UK system, but that is another thread...

Kokeshi, I think I went through the education system you describe. So I find it really difficult to adjust to UK system. At least the system with text books gives the parents ideas what their child should know/be able to do in each year group. It's very difficult to know here in UK, how much children know about history/science, etc.

It's very difficult to know here in UK, how much children know about history/science, etc.

This is pretty much exactly why I don't like the text book approach, as everyone ends up knowing the same history, and importantly the same interpretation of the history, ie that which is described in the text book.

If I want to know how much children know about history/science, I'll ask them! Obviously it doesn't work with knowing if what your particular child knows is typical, but then again to me, fact acquisition is something you can do anytime, it's skills that you need to learn in primary school. I think that is also a cultural difference with education though, many do see facts as very important.

Why would you need to go into the classroom every day? How awful for the poor teachers! The less fuss from parents the better. The kids need to line up and walk in on their own. Independent children are much better learners.

DS1 and DS2 primaries (different schools) had parents' or celebration assemblies weekly and parents were encouraged to view their child's work at pick-up every Friday. CT may have been in the room tidying up or elsewhere in the school and was happy to chat if free.

Most parents attended the assemblies (work permitting) but few took the opportunity to view books each week so the classrooms weren't crowded.

As it is accepted that parental involvement has a positive impact, teachers strongly encouraged them to take an active interest and the DC loved showing their achievements. It also took the pressure off parents' evenings.