Year 7 Parents Evening - Unavailable slots for core subjects

[User32243535]

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 The system of arranging slots on a piece of paper seems outdated from the outset.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!

Ugh spelling *their

Julie...all fine in principle... the cosy handing in sheet thing.. but another aspect, I thought, was trying to get time slots relatively close together - especially if you are there to see only two or three teachers otherwise you could be waiting a very long time in between (this seems irrelevant now in the grand scheme of things)...you need to enter the scrum just to get the appointment!

You are making assumptions about who and who does not need the appointments (referring to helicopter parents booking on-line). It might simply be...that I consider my dc's education important.

But even if your child were better organised, someone else will have missed out! It's just not possible to see 90/120/150/180 parents in one evening. I appreciate it's not ideal for core subjects but there will be a way to get feedback another way.

Also, at secondary school, you can't expect the headteacher to deal with something at this level. It would be a Head of Year or maybe asst/deputy Head.

Ah. That parent. Yip, your child my be your number one priority but certainly isn't for anyone else's. Teach your DC to be responsible and get an appointment on time and stop blaming this on everyone else.
The solution is simple, ring the School and ask for feedback either orally at a mutually convenient time or via email when the teacher gets a minute to do it. It's good practice by schools to do this but by no means compulsory.
Yes, teacher here! And I'm not giving up another evening just because your child isn't organised.....even thought you're "working on it". Secondary school is all about being more responsible.

Our school uses an online system. It's great - but slots do go if you're not organised and on the system immediately it opens. I think relying on kids makes it more likely that parents end up seeing the 'nice' teachers and the subjects the kids enjoy/are good at: if I was 12 (indeed, even now) I would be much more likely to 'forget' to ask for a slot with the scary snappy lady who teaches geography and gives me very mixed grades, rather than the nice, supportive, English teacher who always gives me As...

Even dc's primary school had the on-line booking system. Agree about the school holding back the slots for those who really need them...but as I said in this instance I cant believe there were very many of those at this school.

Oh god, just saw you emailed the Head about this. How embarrassing.

In secondary the correct procedure is to email the class teacher and say 'not been able to get an appointment, please can I have some feedback'.

I think you can still queue up even without an appointment - we did this at DSs school recently. The time slots went out of the window and so we just queued for the teachers we wanted to speak to.

I’m dreading this issue in a few weeks for our first secondary school parents evening. It’s all a bit daft really isn’t it- if there’s not enough slots for all the parents then why doesn’t the school indicate which parents teachers could say something useful to and give them priority instead this crazy free-for-all? I suspect some teachers will find it difficult to even remember DS for lessons he only has once a fortnight, and I don’t need to see teachers who are just going to say ‘yes he’s doing fine, keep going’ or similar whereas I would like to see those for subjects he needs to focus on more.

Yes..nobutreally, you have raised another important reason for why these slots should be available on-line...these are still children we are talking about who may well take that view about seeing the 'nicer' teachers. Thank you, I will put that forward as a reason for bringing in the new system.

BUT obviously - whilst I agree that I wouldn't like your system - the way you are going about solving it is really unhelpful.

Polite email to HoY/subject teachers pointing out that you haven't been able to get a slot with x and y and could you catch up at another time/oh phone as you have some minor concerns.

Maybe general email to HoY asking if they've considered other solutions such as online scheduling (they will have I'm sure)

Oh and another point FYI - as a parent who is obviously new to having a child in secondary education: work on the principle of no news being good news. If the English and Maths teachers haven't been in contact with you then then have no concerns re your DC. Save yourself getting worked up in future.

Don't mind queuing Anne...it's getting no opportunity at all that I find frustrating!

Yes i agree its a stupid system

Ds1 managed to get one appointment his first year and two his second

The school changed to online booking in his third year and its awesome

So its been running for the whole of my other two childrens school careers

another aspect, I thought, was trying to get time slots relatively close together That's just luck, you cant expect teachers to prioritise yourself over hundreds of other parents. Or do you? It that really what this is about?

You are making assumptions about who and who does not need the appointments No I am saying the teachers know best who really need the appointments and as PP have said teachers accommodate them.

that I consider my dc's education important That's great, so does everyone else on MNs, why does that mean you should get special treatment and why should teachers work extra nights for free just to shake your hand?

Crazy free for all...yes this sums it up.

We didnt get appts for all of d s subjects but were able to hang about and yhey all squeezed us in. We did get core subjects booked in though. Ds is also forgetful but i remind him daily and also email his form tutor to ask id sje can remind him aswell.

Julie...But you could say that those who have secured the slots when not necessarily needed are receiving special treatment - there seems no fairness to this system but I do agree there needs to be a priority system for those who really need it.

On the plus side it works very smoothly in years 9+, parents have learnt to only book teachers they are keen to see rather than everyone has to see every teacher.

So enough slots become available for everyone when parents calm down and stop panicking that parents evening is some sort of competition to prove how much they value their child's education.

My nephews school hold 2 academic review days where you can book online to see all the teachers the day runs from 8.30am to 7pm. The drawback with this is you need to find childcare cover for the day as the school shuts for normal teaching

You could say that those who have secured the slots when not necessarily needed are receiving special treatment No its a first come first served system for most, everyone treated equally. Parents night is generally a complete waste of time, its just a courtesy that teachers afford parents, to put names to faces, it has no educational value.

It would be better got rid of and the teachers time spent directly speaking to parents of children who need it. So by all means push for teachers to work double the number of nights a week for free but knowing how tight school budgets are I would suspect schools just to cancel the whole thing. I know my DCs school is considering it.

I used to teach English. Sometimes I'd have 3 classes of 30 in one school year.

Every parent only wants to see maths and English. It would take 7.5 hours to see every child's parents for 5 minutes. Obviously what actually happens is the ones you need to see are the only ones who don't make an appointment, and all the ones who don't really need one want one.

Should have taught geography...

Realistically phone the teacher and ask for a call back to discuss their progress in the relevant subject at your mutual convenience. Tbh that's better anyway as the teacher will be thinking only about your child, and you'll probably get a longer and more personal conversation than with a teacher who's been talking non stop for hours to 40 or more parents and is desperate for a pee...

You sound very entitled. If you want guaranteed slots then pay for private school. Totally ridiculous to email the head teacher like why are you so important? All the slots were taken by other parents who also must feel their child's education is important.
If you're that concerned sort out your dcs organisational skills and email the teacher but try and sound reasonable.

I think the OP might be the parent who once emailed me 28 times in the space of a few days re arranging her DC's parents night appointments for her. I shit ye not. I contacted my link Year Head to complain about this being totally unreasonable and the parent was told to pack it in or find another school where they put up with crap like that from entitled parents. Probably a private school too. Ffs.

An online system further favours on the ball parents, one of whom sah with internet access or works in an office job...

Will the chaotic parents who want to be supportive but are struggling remember before the middle manager with a reminder in her diary? Will a care worker be able to get online to grab a booking as soon as the system opens, or will a white collar worker or a sahm get in there first?

The online booking system perpetuates existing advantage. So does the grammar school system generally of course... But like the grammar school system, the kid makes the appointment system at least advantages motivated and organised pupils, not motivated and organised parents...