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Secondary education

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Original poster

Year 7 Parents Evening - Unavailable slots for core subjects

406 replies

User32243535 · 09/02/2018 16:26

Sorry, but this might turn into a bit of a rant.

DC (Y7) attends what is meant to be a well respected grammar school. But at the moment, I am struggling to comprehend how they have developed such a lousy system for arranging parents evening appointments.

DC is our eldest child so we were not acquainted with this system before and didn't see it coming. Basically, we received a report and then according to the report, we were advised (via dc taking a sheet around to their teachers and booking a time slot) to arrange a meeting with the necessary teachers.

DC is a scatter brain and this hasn't helped with making the arrangements but on eventually contacting their teachers for Maths and English. dc was informed that there were no available slots left. Sorry, but Maths and English are core subjects and we care about our dc's education, I am fuming that we are not able to discuss these subjects with the relevant teachers (parents evening is held on just one evening).

DC doesn't have huge difficulties in these areas but reading the report there are one or two areas for improvement and I think it is important to discuss these two subjects in particular.

Anyone else experienced similar? The system of arranging slots on a piece of paper seems outdated from the outset. I e-mailed the head teacher regarding my concerns about dc not securing appointments a few days ago and I haven't received a response and I'm not able to discuss with anyone as the school office is now closed (dc has just informed me of the situation, which I believed would be resolved today.) Quite frankly not impressed with the schools communication either right now in regard to replying to my e-mail. Grrrrh...just so frustrated!

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 12:28

I'm reminded of the episode of Teachers where the PE teacher got all dressed up in a suit for parents' evening and no one wanted to see him. Even the OP is only interested in core subjects and she cares about education.

AlexanderHamilton · 10/02/2018 12:32

I saw every single one of ds’s teachers & have always seen all dd’s teachers too except for art in Year 9 (she tried hard but was hopeless)

drumandthebass · 10/02/2018 12:35

We have the same system at
My ds school. When he first started I thought it was a ridiculous system as ds is also quite forgetful. Last parents evening he made appointments for 6 different teachers within 25 minutes. That was exhausting

His school has the ability to upgrade to an online booking system but I suppose they have to pay for that upgrade and probably feel the money could be spent on something more worthwhile, which I have to agree with

TeenTimesTwo · 10/02/2018 12:42

I've never seen a PE teacher, nor a music teacher, nor an Art teacher. Grin
One year I didn't even ask to see the maths teacher. Shock

AlexanderHamilton · 10/02/2018 12:46

IN Year 7 I nearly walked out in tears after seeing the English teacher, never to return. Thank goodness the music teacher was next.

Shimmershimmerandshine · 10/02/2018 12:47

I'm sure the teachers aren't that bothered, there is plenty they can be getting on with during their gaps I'm sure. That'll be 2 hours prep time the popular ones have to do on top.

RainbowDashed · 10/02/2018 12:53

You are clearly more involved with your child's education than ANY other parent in your dc's year and deserve an appointment more than anyone else in that basis, is that correct?

And even though your child didn't manage to complete a simple task that many others did, he shouldn't be expected to?

And the school should pay for an online system because it suits you even if it wouldn't suit others, is that correct?

I work in a secondary school but don't teach and shit like this is one of many reasons I haven't gone ahead with my initial plans of doing a PGCE.

I wish I could see the face of the person who has to deal with your worthy and well worded email.

Good for your DH, paying all that tax! Hurrah for him!

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 12:57

there is plenty they can be getting on with during their gaps I'm sure

Have you ever tried to get on with work in the gaps between appointments at a parents' evening? It's not great being constantly interrupted.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 13:02

As it happens, I have always seen music teachers for DS - all the way up to and including 6th form - and art teachers for DD. However i do appreciate that some departments like these are 'minority interests' and so despite being small and everyone doing them for the first 3 years of secondary, will niot tend to be overburdened with appointments.

That was why I made my example MFL - a core subject for many, in a school where the vast majority do at least 1 language for GCSE and many do 2 [and a very few do 4, including after school study for extra GCSEs], and all do at least 1 (with 90% doing 2) until the end of Year 9. The teacher doing one of the 'second' languages as well as the core 'first' language genuinely is swamped come parents' evenings.

QueenoftheSilverDollar12 · 10/02/2018 13:15

What @RainbowDashed said. Entitled parent whose needs overrule everyone else......

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 13:20

The languages teacher might be swamped, can't but would there be footstamping and emails of complaint if a parent couldn't get to see the French teacher? Not convinced, especially given the MN apathy towards languages!

XmasInTintagel · 10/02/2018 13:39

I've never seen a PE teacher, nor a music teacher, nor an Art teacher.
Art teacher at my DCs school used to say he didn't have his notes, and couldn't remember anything about DS Hmm.
DD did art GCSE, and we were told she had already passed at parent evening (all coursework, no final exam). But it turned out he made a mistake, and DD had actually failed...lucky they were both more into sciences then!

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 13:49

Noble, to be honest, in my experience of 9 years of parents' evenings at the DC's school, it is the area around MFL where the sharpest elbows, sharpest 'nick someone's slot' practice, most hassled staff and greatest grumbling about lack of appointments are always to be found!

I appreciate it won't be the same everywhere, but where the phalanx of English / Maths teachers are dealing in a steady but orderly way with their appointments from at maximum a couple of sets each night, the small corner of MfL teachers (and to a lesser extent the History corner, again a relatively small department with a huge takeup) are where the scrums are taking place.

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 13:56

My observation is that some teachers are just way too chatty. Brutal business-like efficiency is what's needed and as a socially awkward introvert I run bang to time. Then I look over at English who are having cosy chats and laughing with parents oblivious to the queue forming and wonder what on earth they are talking about.

I think languages probably tend more towards extrovertism and that's where the issue lies. There shouldn't be a scrum if you've got an appointment sheet unless you're giving more than the five minutes and end up not sticking to time.

Danglingmod · 10/02/2018 13:58

Yep, as I mentioned up thread, a colleague teaches 6 History classes in Yr 9. 180 students. It would take 6 evenings to see them. She also teaches every other year group at least one class (maybe excepting either Yr 12 or 13), so no nights off in lieu.

Still don't understand how online booking would miraculously conjure up extra slots? Obviously it wouldn't, so I'm not sure how it could be described as an improvement to the current system.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 14:00

Nobe, because there are so many people who want to see the languages teachers, they book 2 people into each 5 minute slot and STILL don't have enough slots.

That's why it's a scrum, and why if every subject teacher in e.g. the EBAcc subjects (which I think would be a reasonable definition of 'core') HAD to see every parent who wanted to see them for a standard 5 minute slot, 3 Parents' Evenings per year group per year would be required, based on the demand for MFL and History.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 14:02

Information given in that 2.5 minutes by the MfL teachers? Current attainment in speaking, listening, reading and writing; general attitude in class; recommendations for improvement and, if relevant, recommendations for whether continuing that language is viable / sensible.

They are brutally efficient talking machines ... but there aren't enough slots.

GreenTulips · 10/02/2018 14:05

We have 5 min slots then a 5 min gap to see the next teacher

We are allowed to see 7 in total included HOY and form tutors -

So an hour and 5 mins assuming you have slots that run together

Add in twins and I'm there a good 3 hours

I don't get much other than grades doing well pleasure

I'd rather the teachers decided who they really needed to see

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 14:09

I've done the 2.5 minute slot thing before, I don't any more. I say if parents couldn't get a slot and want feedback then please could they email and I will happily give it to them. 2.5 minute slots don't work for teachers or parents.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 14:10

Noble, usually the MfL teacher in question - she has taught both my DCs - will see 72 parents in the evening and e-mail 30-50 more, depending on year group.

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 14:13

Is she only responding to requests from parents who have emailed asking for feedback? If not, then she could probably cut that back quite a bit.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 14:14

I happened to pass her at a recent A-level parents' evening. She had nobody at her desk, and she and I joked it was the first time in about 12 parents' evenings that I had ever seen her like that.

She's not too chatty. Everyone DOES want to see her. She DOES e-mail large numbers of people already.

The point i am trying to make is that if, like the OP and several others have posted, it is 'outrageous' that someone in a 'core' subject who everyone wants to see cannot accommodate everyone, then at least 3 Parents' evenings a year would be required. That would, at my DC's school, be driven by a very small number of small departments, rather than by the larger ones.

cantkeepawayforever · 10/02/2018 14:15

Sorry, X-posted: yes. She e-mails everyone who asked for an appointment but couldn't get one.

noblegiraffe · 10/02/2018 14:21

IME people often make appointments just because they're going to parents' evening anyway and might as well. A bit of gate-keeping could restrict it to those who actually do need appointments and reduce workload.

Olivo · 10/02/2018 15:51

Oh, and we mark on reports whether we would like to see parents or not - a simple column with a Y or N. Lots of ignoring that though!!