Parent teacher evenings: how many does your school have?

[sarahs999]

Just that really. I’m thinking arrangements at our DS school are woefully inadequate - once a year.

We have full-on parent teacher meetings twice a year and grades published once a term, sometimes more.

I really like the parent teacher meeting - they are actually parent-child-teacher and are really more geared to teacher giving student direct feedback with the parent present. This works better in terms of message being heard by child.

It's probably different in primary when you know the kids and can write personal stuff about them,

Would agree with that - though, as I say, they take FOREVER to do well.

My school does one per year group except year 11 with 2. Some teachers teach all year groups, I have 5 late nights for parents evening a year, plus 2 open evenings, a 6th form open evening, an options evening and at least 3 late night twilights plus weekly after school meetings and training. Is that not enough?

Once a year parent’s evening. Then termly report that for terms one & two are just grade and effort, no comments - then final term of the year more detailed. Works for me. I frankly don’t have the time to see teachers every term and if a report comes back with something I feel I need to query then the individual teacher is good at responding via email.

Once a year in secondary is fairly standard for the overwhelming majority of pupils.
ds's school did also have an opportunity to 'meet the form teacher' in about October of Yr7 or in our case a TA.

Our pupils also have a review day when no pupils go in on the first day of term after Christmas, but it has always been perceived as a pointless waste of time by all pupils I've met. They only meet with one teacher, sometimes one that doesn't even teach them, and are supposed to set targets to improve themselves.

Once a year in secondary for parents evening.
Once a term for current attainment, behaviour and attitude grades sent home.
Phone calls when necessary.
Meetings again when necessary.

One actual parents' evening per year for each year group, plus a more informal "meet the teacher" event earlier in the year which is open to years 7-11. The latter is a bit of a scrum, but it's great for putting faces to names and getting an overview of how things are going.

Plus three reports, with current attainment and attitude to learning scores.

Once a year is usual isn't it? Was for me at secondary and is for the dc.

It's rarely much use anyway. They want the children in with you, which is fine at years 10/11, but in the younger end listening to them asking the children how they think they've done could be done without me there.

Our school had comments on one report a year until now but has decided to get rid of it and just do grades. It was nice reading the comments, but it's probably a good thing if the school is looking at ways to relieve teacher workload as they are more likely to stay at the school then!

One a year at every school I've worked in.

We do a full written report once a year (which I'd see binned at ks3) and then termly progress updates.

Not really sure why one a year is so woefully inadequate if I'm honest. We call if there is an issue and parents call us if thry want a chat after the progress reports. It works well.

One a year, two for years 11 and 13, so I (teacher) attend nine.

Grades only report autumn term.
Parents evening spring term.
Written report end of year.
Seems reasonable to me. Can email teachers if need to and I've done that once.

Parents eve once a year, there is a limit to the number of teachers you are allowed/able to see. We get grades every half term so 6 sets of effort and achievement grades. Two written reports which I find really useful as they give a great deal of info on areas that need work and also where your child has done well.

Thank god I'm not expected to waste my time transcribing stuff that the kids should already know and have in their books into a report for parents, most of whom won't do anything about it.

noble
I don't mind them for KS4 bit KS3 it feels a but much.
Most HODs of English and Maths seem where i've worked have often tried to keep us out of one year group a year to reduce the burden so i don't mind doing 30 y7 reports but for colleagues in non core subjects who have multiple classes for an hour or 2 a week (lilr music, drama, art, geography etc) it seems like such a waste of time because so much copy and paste goes on it is a meaningless exercise. That's no criticism of the staff by thr way. I couldn't write 150 personalised reports in the same time frame I do my 30. And i couldn't know thr pupils as well as i do my groups if I had them an hour a week.

1 parents evening
5 short reports
1 long report