Parents evening..how would you feel if..

[seeker]

....one of your child's key teachers said they couldn't attend parent's evening at all because it clashed with their own child's parents evening at another school?

[Hullygully]

Re list, do you mean your dc compared to peers? Don't the teachers tell you?

[orangeandlemons]

We're not allowed to go to our child's parents evening if it clashes with one that we have to do. It's part of directed time, am surprised that the teacher in the op is allowed to do this tbh

[seeker]

Of course not, hully. These are state schools we're talking about. Nobody is allowed to be better than anyone else in state schools-it's a one size fits all education, after all.

[landofsoapandglory]

I wouldn't be bothered about the teacher not being able to be there of mY DC was in YR7, TBH. I probably wouldn't even follow it up!

Hully she's reading the list to see the other DC's marks/grades! Our school cover them up to prevent nosy parkers doing that.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

I should say a bit more clearly that I'm not really advocating sneaking around, and nor am I consumed by the desire to know how every other child is doing, honest

I will 'fess up to looking in a planner when an anxious parent of PFB in reception year, when I was desperate for dd to be given the books with actual words in them - but I've grown up (a bit) since then.

Yes, IME teachers will sometimes say 'that's a great mark and I don't think anyone else got it' or 'she's definitely in the top/middle/lower third of the set' or something.

But a huge list with lots of names and numbers on a few inches away from you can be a bit tempting to allow your eyes casually to sweep across

[seeker]

It's all right, TOSN- I don't think anyone is taking this seriously (I hope).

[seeker]

But if I'm wrong, I am sure we will find out on some thread in the future....

[Hullygully]

mine are at a state school and they tell us where they are in the class...

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Ah, we get it more through tactful hints and inference at ours - though of course the pupils always know pretty much where they are anyway, just as they know darn well at primary whether the yellow or the blue table is 'top table'!

[Hullygully]

quite

[JenaiMorris]

My upside down reading skills just confirmed that everyone in Y7 ds's year is working at L7 in everything. All of them. In everything.

I've learnt my lesson.

I don't think I'd be too bothered seeker - just email them. You'll probably get more out of them that way (although I did enjoy having ds sat between dp and I whilst teachers spilled the beans - was fun watching him squir )

[JenaiMorris]

squirm that is.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Well my y7 isn't level 7 in anything, if that helps!

[seeker]

Neither is mine. But I can tell you how many of his peers are after next Wednesday, if you like!

(Except in Spanish, obviously- because the teacher won't be there.......)

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Our parents' evening isn't until June, so I remain on tenterhooks!

[JenaiMorris]

This is what the lists look like, only you'll have to stand on your head to get the full effect:

Cuthbert Smith 7c
Cassandra Albright 7b
Desdemona Potemkin 5c
Jenai Junior 4b
Darius Poulet 3a
Didier Constantinople 4a
Persephone Corbid 7c
Carolina Pumpernickel 4a
Gallactica Horseradish-Smith 7b

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Imagining the baby names thread now: what do you wise MNers think of Gallactica, nn Ticky? Would be a sister for Elastica, nn Tacky?

[sandyballs]

Level 7 in everything in Year 7!! Bloody hell, what sort of school is that?

Surely Year 7 parents evening is quite important as it's the first one and a chance to meet teachers and iron out any problems. Or am I being naive? It's my first one tonight, apparently you get a 5 min slot and then a bell ring and even if you're mid conversation about something really important you have to move on.

I haven't got appointments with all mine as some teachers were over booked.

I'm just curious to know why DD's written report was glowing about "a child who has settled in really well and is an asset to the school", yet she has accumulated 24 detentions since start of Sept. Do you think they've muddled it up with someone else?

[Hullygully]

It'll be that computer sandy

I am just so pleased I don't know anything about stupid levels.

[JenaiMorris]

It is possible that I overstated the number of L7s.

They just kind of leap off of the page.

I probably should have changed the names in that list though. I'll report my post to MN and ask them to delete it.

[Iamnotminterested]

Seeker - you and I share a lot of views (and worries and niggles too) but had to come on to say that my DH is a HT in a different secondary school in a different area to DD's and we had her first parents evening this week; it happened to clash with a year 7 parents evening at his school but he came to DD's, it wasn't an issue and if a parent had wanted to talk to him he can be contacted by phone or e-mail. Plus I would have broken his legs if he hadn't come to his own daughter's first one.

[Iamnotminterested]

L7's by the way!! Jeez, I thought dd was doing well with her couple of 6's and lots of 5's!

[JenaiMorris]

Also they might have been target grades.

Upsidedown reading of class lists is dangerous.

There are a few L7s in maths though, I do know that. And a couple of teachers mentioned that this was a particulalry bright class (they're still taught in their tutor groups - don't get set until Y8).

[Iamnotminterested]

L7 in maths isn't that daft, is it? What about other subjects?

[seeker]

Ismnotinterested- I'm not bothered, just a bit surprised. I've had to do a lot of parents' evenings alone because do just couldn't get away from work. And, actually more importantly, I just cannot imagine what it must be like to try to make arrangements to speak to a lot of parents not on an organised evening!