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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 The system of arranging slots on a piece of paper seems outdated from the outset.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:
QueenoftheSilverDollar12 · 09/02/2018 21:10

I hate to piss on your bonfire @User32243535 but I wouldn't bloody bank on it....

MyFavouriteChameleon · 09/02/2018 21:10

MrsLandingham

I apologise, I did misread what you wrote - I was hasty - sorry!

Original poster
User32243535 · 09/02/2018 21:13

Queen...not banking on it, so don't worry about pissing on my bonfire. However, I do feel a hell of a lot better for expressing my view via e-mail on this crappy system which should indeed itself, be chucked on a bonfire.

OP posts:
Mistressiggi · 09/02/2018 21:15

To see the parent of every pupil I teach for a five minute slot would take me 44 hours in total. So maybe a full week off timetable (need to shut the school) so I could speak to them all?

QueenoftheSilverDollar12 · 09/02/2018 21:16

Do keep us posted on the school's reply @User32243535 🙄

Hesburger · 09/02/2018 21:16

How ridiculous - do you honestly think teachers let the bigger, pushover kids get first choice at appointments. I know I make sure I give everyone the same opportunity and do some shuffling to make sure I see everyone I can.

I always make sure I contact any parents that are unable to attend or cannot make an appointment but want one. Similarly if I'm worried about a students progress I would have made contact before a parents evening!

It worries me that you seem to think we're resistant to change. We have had to adapt to many with each change in Government! Especially the new GCSEs!

Why can't you email the core subject Teachers for feedback?

Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 09/02/2018 21:17

but disorganised and disruptive kids are deemed worthy of special treatment and appointments handed to them on a plate
erm...however nice a teacher is surely appointments are not designed to be ‘rewards’ for good work Confused

SuperPug · 09/02/2018 21:18

Yes 8wheels. Completely agree and that sounds awful.
A core subject means teaching a lot of pupils. It is reasonable for the teacher to communicate by phone/email but impossible to meet other parents on separate evenings. Do you think the teachers should have to meet with 80+ sets of parents?
Perhaps this is a good lesson for your dc to become more organised.

Original poster
User32243535 · 09/02/2018 21:19

Hesburger...not all teachers are resistant to change there just appears to be maybe... one or two. It sounds as if you do a great job x

OP posts:
Original poster
User32243535 · 09/02/2018 21:21

Queen... it's lovely of you to show so much interest in my endeavours xx

OP posts:
Shimmershimmerandshine · 09/02/2018 21:21

A core subject means teaching a lot of pupils. It is reasonable for the teacher to communicate by phone/email but impossible to meet other parents on separate evenings. Do you think the teachers should have to meet with 80+ sets of parents?

No teachers who teach core subjects teach fewer children not more. And if a teacher has 2 classes in one year group they are very likely to have 2 year groups that they don't teach at all.

Yanbu op I don't think, parents evening iso pretty basic imo I'd be disappointed by that.

TeenTimesTwo · 09/02/2018 21:21

The OP wants a system that ensures that she/he gets all the required appointments.

Stuff the other parents.
Stuff who the teachers want to see.
Stuff the cost of an online system.

Added to that, any pupil struggling at the Grammar should be made to move schools. (Unless presumably that struggling pupil should turn out to be his/her own child).

ElanorGamgee · 09/02/2018 21:22

That’s about it Teen!

bettyboo40 · 09/02/2018 21:23

Myfavouritechameleon
Of course I realise that. My post was in response to a Pp who suggested that we should simply do 2 or 3 parents' evenings for each year group. This is a massive increase in workload. Speaking to 30, 40, 50 (or whatever it may be) sets of parents after school after a full working day is very, very intense. It's not a competition.

southboundagain · 09/02/2018 21:25

"But User, you can’t just kick a kid out of a Grammar for not being smart enough"

I thought it was quite odd that St Olave's made the news, because my grammar school had a policy that you had to have minimum grades to pass from AS to A level in a particular subject, plus a minimum number of A-level subjects in total. They also "encouraged" students out in y7-9 if they weren't doing well enough.

SuperPug · 09/02/2018 21:25

Shimmer, that completely depends on the school and groups you are allocated. I teach 70 Year 9s in a middle school. I also teach other year groups and have to be there for every parents' evening.
Most pf the parents are reasonable. The minoriy are not and blame everyone apart from themselves and their child.

SuperPug · 09/02/2018 21:25

Middle sizednot middle.

QueenoftheSilverDollar12 · 09/02/2018 21:25

Nail on the head @TeenTimesTwo 😃 well put.

@User32243535 I'm just awaiting how they break the news to you that they've thought about what you're suggesting and decided against it. And I'm a nosy cow. That's what makes me a good teacher - am like a dog with a bone.

Shimmershimmerandshine · 09/02/2018 21:26

A middle school superpug has fewer year groups. Some were suggesting that they'd have to do 2 evenings for 2 groups across all year groups plus sixth form at secondary. Only if you were teaching for 60 hours a week.

MyFavouriteChameleon · 09/02/2018 21:27

My DD school has this appointment syste, but only once have Ibeen unable to see the teachers I wanted to (and I wanted to see pretty much all but the PE teacher...). I found that:

  • Not all the parents show up, so there aren't as many appts needed as pupils
  • the time slot system quickly breaks down with people just queuing to see teachers instead, which is a bit tedious, but seem to work on the whole (as you tend to pick the ones with shorter queues, and the long queues eventually dwindle to shorter ones).

It's not my favourite night of the year, but it seems to work.

The only time I couldn't see a teacher was when the teacher applied these kind of calculations, decided there were too many to see, and picked which she would see. My DD was not picked, despite her grades having dropped that term, and having chosen that subject for A level the following year. No alternative was offered if we really wanted to discuss something. It was annoying, and I suspect she wasn't really too busy to see more then the chosen set of parents (due to the number that don't turn up) - but we survived ;-)

Original poster
User32243535 · 09/02/2018 21:27

Teens...but the current system isn't fair is it...in fact life isn't fair...

No, children should not be MADE to move schools..support should be offered. But I know of some children who have discovered a particular school (including grammar is not for them for whatever reason) and have indeed changed schools. Likewise, if my child was extremely unhappy at school, I would be open to considering another school for them.

OP posts:
Shimmershimmerandshine · 09/02/2018 21:28

Okay it isn't middle but the point is you don't teach 2 classes in every year group

QueenoftheSilverDollar12 · 09/02/2018 21:29

As long as it's fair to you though, eh @User32243535? Fuck the rest of them.

GreenTulips · 09/02/2018 21:31

The point is .... it's only not fair because you'd didn't get what you wanted and are now throwing your dummy out the pram!

If you had the appointment some other child wouldn't have. Nothing you suggest makes more time slots!

Toomanytealights · 09/02/2018 21:31

No she wants a system that is fair to all and accommodates all parents.