Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Online parents evenings

68 replies

mightyducks · 18/03/2022 18:26

My DS’s school has emailed to say they are continuing with the online parents evenings, for at least the next year, and after having 4 minutes with each of his teachers I really want to go back to face to face. He has SEND and his progress is always concerning and we have lots of questions for the teachers, we can’t possibly do this in 4 minutes or the 3 minutes we got with some teachers due to them joining late. What are other schools doing?

OP posts:
TheHoleNineYards · 18/03/2022 18:30

I’m a secondary teacher. My school is keeping them. They’re very popular with both staff and parents.

You know you don’t have to wait for parents’ evening though? You can contact the SENCO or class teachers if you have other concerns.

It irritates me a bit when parents wait to bring up issues at parents evening. It’s a bit like complaining to the waiter at the end of a meal. I’d rather you contacted me as soon as there was a query/problem so that I could do something about it

EmmalinaC · 18/03/2022 18:53

Ours is sticking with online. Which I think is great. In person you are still limited to 5 minutes per teacher and there's always one parent holding things up by refusing to move on because they've got so much to say... Love the fact that online meetings cut out when time's up!

If you have concerns about your DC's progress and he has additional needs you can probably arrange a separate meeting via the SENCO?

Malbecfan · 18/03/2022 19:08

If your DS is on the SN register, you should have reviews at least once if not twice each year. I certainly have to give information on all my SEN students twice each year PLUS the 3x reports.

Original poster
mightyducks · 18/03/2022 19:10

Thanks yes obviously I know I can contact teachers or the SENCO at many time - I think my issue is I don’t have particular issues to contact them about, I just want updates on his progress and to know he’s keeping up and handing in his homework etc - he has 14 teachers so parents evening is important to speak to them all and get updates ,on his progress

OP posts:
AndNowNo · 18/03/2022 19:13

Email them to check? Then have a follow up at parents evening?

If i'm worried about anything in particular I email the teacher. This way I can get all my concerns out on paper and there's an electronic trail. They have always replied.

noblegiraffe · 18/03/2022 19:16

If you have lots of questions then email. You shouldn't be going over your allocated slot at a face to face parents evening either as it screws up the schedule for everyone.

superram · 18/03/2022 19:33

I love them as a teacher and parent so thankfully we are keeping them.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 18/03/2022 19:37

Online Parents Evening has been an absolute godsend for me. I'm disabled and immunosuppressed and the online system means I can safely speak to the teachers. Dd is autistic and Parents Evening in person is a really difficult experience for her too.

maddy68 · 18/03/2022 19:39

Online ones are much better. Strict times no over running , no rage at others sneaking in front.

You can always speak to the teacher at other times if you have more to discuss

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 18/03/2022 19:39

There's no way you'd get round 14 teachers in a f2f session unless your school is supremely well organised and slots are rigidly enforced.

RedskyThisNight · 18/03/2022 20:16

@mightyducks

Thanks yes obviously I know I can contact teachers or the SENCO at many time - I think my issue is I don’t have particular issues to contact them about, I just want updates on his progress and to know he’s keeping up and handing in his homework etc - he has 14 teachers so parents evening is important to speak to them all and get updates ,on his progress
If you're just after general updates, then that's no different to anyone else surely? Teachers are pretty good at giving you a short summary and then allowing time for questions to as they keep to time, I've generally found. And surely you don't really need to speak to 14 teachers? I assume he's KS3 with so many subjects, so you only really need to speak to ones that are GCSE potentials.

DC's school were strict on timings for F2F parents' meetings as well. And I don't think going to parents' evening expecting to spend 10 minutes when you only have 4 allotted is particularly fair to other parents.

Pokkadots · 18/03/2022 20:17

As a parent of 4, I have spent many hours going to secondary parent evenings. I love love love the online ones.

Hercisback · 18/03/2022 20:18

You wouldn't get longer face to face anyway. If you do you're a CFer and the parents after you will be frustrated.

Email teachers in the year if you have concerns.

Shinyandnew1 · 18/03/2022 20:20

I don’t have particular issues to contact them about, I just want updates on his progress

That’s no different to any other parent though.

You will get a longer Annual Review meeting where you’ll get more detail if they have an EHC Plan.

As a parent and a teacher, I think the online meetings are great.

LoganberryJam · 18/03/2022 20:22

Even when they were face to face, you still only had 4/5 mins, right?

I prefer online and I'm glad they're keeping them.

Madcats · 18/03/2022 20:26

Online parents evenings are one of best things to come out of lockdowns.

Sports hall parents evenings at secondary school were a ridiculous waste of time.

You should surely be able to ask for more time/appointment to discuss further?

Nellle · 18/03/2022 20:29

Gosh, with 14 teachers surely online is better. Proper timings, no running late, queues to speak to teachers etc.

Online is far better. Any conversation that cannot be had in a few minutes needs to be dealt with outside of parents evening

MaizeAmaze · 18/03/2022 20:31

The only thing I dislike about online parents evenings is not getting to actually see the building my kids spend so much time in.
Other than that, they are great because they run to time as parents cant stack up issues that should have been sorted weeks ago by contacting the teacher.
If you know 5 mins isnt enough, you need to contact the teachers more frequently. You shouldnt be overrunning f2f or online.

TracyMosby · 18/03/2022 20:35

How long do you actually want with each teacher when you are seeing 14 teachers? And how long do you want the other children in the class parents to have?

Festivalpartygirl · 18/03/2022 20:39

Glad they are here to stay, get to speak with all teachers, face to face is frustrating, appts never on time because appts overrun, becomes a bit of a bun fight to get your time.

CrabLegs · 18/03/2022 20:44

They are so much better. Our teachers were available from 2:30 until 7pm and you still didn't get to see every teacher.

Meredusoleil · 18/03/2022 20:50

As a teacher and parent, I too prefer the new online system. But what I don't like is that we are limited to 6 teachers maximum. So like the OP, my dd1 has at least 14 teachers and we have to narrow that right down to less than half. For 5 minutes each, I would like to see more than 6 teachers!

Cecilia2016 · 18/03/2022 20:53

@Pokkadots

As a parent of 4, I have spent many hours going to secondary parent evenings. I love love love the online ones.
Me too
Iamkmackered1979 · 18/03/2022 20:54

I prefer it to traipsing about the school I just email if I need to ask more and they’ll call me back if needed

AndNowNo · 18/03/2022 21:09

Online is fantastic. Gone are the queues and rushing from room to room, desk to desk, checking my watch and then not really ever knowing when to end, sense of unease the whole way through.

At least with online you can see the counter going down and you know how long you've got. All done and dusted within an hour. Perfect.

Swipe left for the next trending thread