State secondary parent evenings - what does your school do?

[fruitbomb]

I know there was a thread on this a while back, and there are lots of opinions, but I'm really just interested to know how typical our school is compared to other similar schools. So if yours is a state secondary, for years 7-11, please can you tell me:

• How many appointments you can book,
• How long the appointments are
• Is it online / in person / hybrid?
• Is it after school or during the school day?
• If you're in touch with other parents, are they generally happy with it?

I'll start:

• 6 appointments
• 5 mins each
• Online
• After school
• Parents complain if can't get their 6 appointments, or if they have tech problems. Some think there should be more/longer appointments. Some think they should be in-person, others prefer online.

5 minutes, after school, in person.

Its first come, first served for booking so the fast finger editing could get appointments with everyone but just an hour later just two or three.

In person, 5 mins, priority appointments for disadvantaged students (bookings open early for them), online booking system so you do need to be organised and get in there quickly.

Pre covid.

Paper booking system in planner.
Teachers could write in a slot if they definitely wanted to see a parent.
Relied more on child and teacher than parents.
5 min slots.

Always got to see the teachers I wanted.

I have mine this week. If I get on early when the appointments open I can make an appointment for all of DS's teachers (yr 8). But they are spread out over a couple of hours. 6 minutes per teacher. It is run brilliantly to be honest and we can buy drinks and secondhand uniform (run by the PTA). SLT are always around too.
It's quite a big school - 240 per year, but I have been so impressed so far.
We also get an online chat with tutor twice a year.
Any issues, or if you couldn't see a particular teacher at parent's evening, you can email them directly.

• 9 appointments
• 4 mins per slot
• online
• after school

I know lot of parents don't like online only but honestly it suits both dh and me as we can dial in from wherever we happen to be.

How many appointments you can book, none
How long the appointments are as long as needed
Is it online / in person / hybrid? in person
Is it after school or during the school day? after school - 3.30 -7 ish
If you're in touch with other parents, are they generally happy with it? I think we'd find issue with any system!

It's a free for all shit show, but I'm not convinced appointments would be any better, as they are never stuck to. I did like the online ones, but equally, it's lovely to actually go into the building the kids spend do much time in and see it, and all the kids & parents. There is no perfect system.

After school, online, 5 minutes for years 7-11, 10 minutes for sixth form.

9 appointments.
5 mins each.
In person.
After school and evening.
The online booking system allows us to say when we want to go, who we want to see, and then arranges the appointments within that time. ie. Within the hour that I select. I was happy with it. Haven't heard of people being unhappy but there might be people who are who I don't know

All subjects, 5 minutes, online. Can usually book slots from 3pm onwards.

Works much better than in person where you’d be hanging around for hours as appointments overran.

Unlimited appointments as long as there are time slots available
5 minute appointments
In person
After school
Not heard any complaints

Main complaint from me would be some parents must not bother booking appointments or the appointments run out and school always say turn up anyway. Then a couple of teachers always overrun which throws out the whole schedule. I've always seen the teachers I wanted to but sometimes it's a case of waiting until they're free. I think they would be better off getting rid of the appointments and parents just turn up and wait their turn with each teacher. It's in the school hall so you can see who's free.

I wouldn't want it online, I prefer having face to face contact. It's only one a year so it's not a big deal to leave work a bit early.

I'm a secondary teacher not a parent. We do:

-unlimited apps from 3.30-6pm
-5 mins each
-1 online and 1 in person per year
-booked online

Everyone seems ok with it!

Ours are:

Online
After school
5 mins ( and you get cut off promptly)
One or two appointments per subject (depending on how teaching is divided).

This is vastly preferable to the pre-Covid system, which was in person- still the same time allowances and slots, but you never got to them on time because so many parents kept going over their time limit, leaving you wondering if you should just give up on the possibility of a chat with the English teacher and go straight to Mr Frog the Geography teacher. It was very stressful 😂

You mean you do 2 parent consultation evenings per year for each year group? That must be unusual because teaching union guidance is that there should only be one per year group.

@fruitbomb

Yes I think it is unusual that we do two. Lucky parents I guess!

Ours is the same. Spread over 3 days after school as some teachers work part time. So not all teachers available on the 3 days. Those quick to book get best choice.

The school brought in online parent meetings during Covid when my dc was in year 7 so have no other secondary formats to compare it to.

We like it as we can be at home and be assured that we will see the teachers at the correct time. Other parents find it a pain because they forget to book online and want to just turn up on the day!

5 mins online automatically cuts off. I've got twins so h and I divide and conquer he does one child I do the other.

Ballot for what subjects you get.

Completley pointless exercise. Not teacher bashing h is a teacher.

Academic review with form teacher, 10 minute slots in Autumn and Summer term to discuss term report

Parents Evening, in person, all in a hall everyone talking at once a nightmare for autistic DD. 5 minute slots, you can book as many slots as you like.

Both start at 2pm and end between 7-8pm.

As a teacher the online version that cuts you off at 5mins was better, you could have a proper conversation with parents without the wittering of the person next to you and you couldn't over run.

Ours is up to 8 appointments, 5 mins each, in person after school. I much prefer in person, it allows you to connect with the teachers much better. I find 8 appts is fine because eng lang and lit is the same teacher, science is only one in KS3 and we never bothered about PE, art, music etc.

Very large state comprehensive, system is all online with 5 minute appointments

You book the appointments the week before (I block out space in my diary and set alarms as it's first come first served). You can book as many appointments as you like - some subjects have multiple teachers but only one available to book, some have both teachers available. You can book with both.

Appointments start at 4pm and run till about 8pm iirc.

Think everyone is pretty happy with it. You can arrange calls with teachers who aren't available or if there are issues that need more than 5 minutes to discuss.

Personally I love the system. It's always worked really well and much better than traipsing into school and queuing.

Very large state secondary comp. It's 5 mins each with appointments for all subjects (so 9/10 appointments). We're on School Cloud at the moment, but I think we'll go back to face-to-face next year; I'm not massively happy about this because it takes me back to the days of sitting in a windy, freezing hall knowing that I'm staying a good hour over the directed time because the appointments overrun. Whilst its been online, we've just arranged separate emails or phone calls if we need longer with a parent.

We have our first ever secondary school parents evening this week

we were on the ball with the appointments, booked online

5 minutes each, we have 10 of them in a row. I predict chaos. Apparently nobody keeps to their appointment time. We are prioritizing 5 or so teachers to see and as both dh and I are going we will divide and conquer if necessary

Oh and they are 4 until 7 or thereabouts

We've gone back to face to face and we are alloted 5 minutes for all of their subjects.

After school, all on the same evening, from about 4 till 7 pm.

Online
After school (5-7 I think)
5 mins appointments with automatic cut off at the end

We book online: y7-9 you get maths, English, science and then after that it comes down to how quickly you book/ how popular teacher is as it's first come, first served for non-core subjects.
I think year 10 and 11 you get all of your GCSE teachers.

I didn't have any kids in secondary pre-covid, but comparing it to my own chaotic in-person secondary parent evenings, I think this system is better. In person for primary and online for secondary I think works best.

2 schools. 2 systems

School A. Book online for f2f appointment at school, after school. Some teachers you cannot book an appointment woth because they have entered no onto a system for your child. I've learned that this means there are no issues. Some appointments are booked for you because the teacher has entered a yes onto the system and wants to be 100% sure they will see you. The first appointment could be 4 and the last 7. And you may only get to see 4 or 5 teachers. Parents get annoyed in the queues because it looks like you're pushing in of you rock up to that line 3 minutes before your booked slot and they have been waiting for 30 mins.

School B.
Turn up on the evening and wait in a line to see the teachers you want to see. If you get there early and do core subjects first you can be in and out in an hour and have got round a good 6/7/8 teachers. Turn up after 4 and you'll be there to the end and may have only got round 3/4/5 teachers.

One is a ss grammar, the other a small boys secondary school.