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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

yr7 parents evening - first for us

32 replies

roisin · 20/11/2008 21:36

OK, apparently we can choose which teachers we want to see
I have no particular axe to grind, no particular complaints, and just a few comments to make.
ds1 loves school and enjoy almost all his lessons and likes his teachers.
Now obviously it would be great to see all his teachers and tell them how fab they are, but life's too short.

50% of his timetable is taken up with Maths, English, Science, MFL and Humanities, so we certainly want to see them. But quite frankly have minimal desire to see anyone else.

Most other subjects just have 1 lesson a week, and presumably the teachers have several yr7 classes and won't have time to see everyone.

Ds1's strengths are certainly not in art, music, drama, or PE, and it's unlikely he will continue any of these subjects beyond KS3. I'm delighted he's at a school with such a wide and varied curriculum, but can't see a 5 min appointment with a teacher is going to make any difference to anyone.

I'm not aware of any problems in any of these subjects.

Do you think it's fine to just stick with the big 5 and ignore the rest?

The subject he enjoys least and shows least aptitude for is PE, but I can't see a parent consultation is going to achieve anything, is it? I'd love for them to do more fitness/activities/games rather than trad competitive team sports, but that's not going to happen is it? So why waste everyone's time?

OP posts:

southeastastra · 20/11/2008 21:39

secondary parent's evening here is a free for all. you lurk round the teachers you want to see, then dive in if the seat is empty.

it's a sport

go to the teachers that are most important or the ones you want to see that are vacant

Original poster

roisin · 20/11/2008 21:41

I would hate that southeastastra - I'm not great with crowds and scrums at the best of times.

Fortunately he has an appointment card, which he has to take round classes this week and fill in appointment times with the teachers we want to see ...

Actually he doesn't have an appointment card as he was given it this morning in form and promptly lost it
But we have drafted up a new one for him, just wondering now what teachers/subjects to put on it.

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southeastastra · 20/11/2008 21:43

we always have an appointment card, it doesn't make any difference

you'll be fine dont' worry, just focus on which teachers you need to see

Original poster

roisin · 20/11/2008 21:46

Aaarrgghhh... Don't say that. I may just send dh!

And do you take the child with you?

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southeastastra · 20/11/2008 21:50

yes, so they can tell you which teacher is which.

bagsforlife · 21/11/2008 07:56

Stick to the big 5. Teachers should be behind tables with names/subjects on. Appointment system does work to a certain extent but still have to queue and they are always running late! You could do half and half with DH, that's what we do.

Original poster

roisin · 21/11/2008 14:52

Oh that's a good idea bagsforlife. If it looks very busy we'll split up and do that.

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LadyGlencoraPalliser · 21/11/2008 14:56

Is the child supposed to listen to what the teacher is telling you? At our primary they have to wait outside the classroom.

PrimulaVeris · 21/11/2008 15:11

Big 5 fine unless you have concerns about anything else. You'll need appointments for popular ones but sometimes you can sneak in earlier if there's a gap.

We didn't take our dd last year because we thought we were meant to leave her behind. We were about the only childless parents there!

AMumInScotland · 21/11/2008 15:28

IME at secondary the child is usually part of the discussion - they're old enough to take some responsibility for stuff, and it's not a question of the "grownups" discussing them in their absence any more.

piscesmoon · 21/11/2008 15:31

I think it is important to have them there as part of the discussion.

snorkle · 21/11/2008 17:55

At the dcs school the children don't go until year 10 so it might be worth checking what the norm is for your school. Agree 100% with SEA about the worthlessness of appointment cards. I'd see the main subject teachers as priority, but if there's time speak to a few others too (it's always interesting). I wouldn't avoid PE if that's his weak spot either - useful for you to know what the teacher's view of him is & what opportunities there might be in the future. You might well be surprised at what will happen - at dc's school they have to do the main team sports for 2 years, but in year 9 there is more choice to do other things which is brill for the non-sporty ones. It might be nice to know if there is light at the end of the tunnel for him, so to speak, and to size up if it's a sympathetic-to-non-sporty-kids type teacher (a few do exist) or the other type.

nell12 · 21/11/2008 17:58

We found that going towards the end of the evening helps... if you go in the first half it is a scrum, if you go in the second half, things have quietened down a bit.

snorkle · 21/11/2008 18:10

We find the trick is to figure out which teachers are likely to be very busy & either see them right at the start or leave it to the end & hope the queue has died down.

The busy teachers will be those who teach multiple classes in the year; those who teach the more important subjects; and those who are incapable of sticking to anything remotely approaching their 5 min timeslot per parent. Worst are those teachers who fall into all those categories.

seeker · 21/11/2008 18:15

Big 5. Then any teacher your child particularly doesn't like. Any subject that your child has done less well than you expected. Any subject, particularly new ones since starting secondary school, that he finds hard. And Form Tutor.

piscesmoon · 21/11/2008 18:15

I find it better to get there at the start before they start running late!

runningmonkey · 21/11/2008 18:16

Another tip: get your dc to leave space (at least 5 mins) in between each 5 min appointment so you have time to get to each one, our year 7's seem to try to put all their appointments in consecutive order which makes it a nightmare for parents trying to run between teachers in three different buildings

Other thing is it will give you a buffer in case a teacher is overrunning with the parent before you.

Original poster

roisin · 21/11/2008 18:29

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I think we will basically stick with the 'big 5'.

He hasn't particularly found any subject very difficult, and has been able to do what is asked of him. He's not particularly talented in music, art, drama and dance; but I don't think we'd find out that much at a PT meeting. And those sort of teachers often have 4+ yr7 classes, so will be inundanted by 'keen' parents who think they have to see everyone!

Snorkle, from ds1's comments we have already deduced that the PE teacher is the "other sort2

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snorkle · 21/11/2008 18:32

runningmonkey, do you really find a buffer helps? I agree completely consecutive is bad, but we always find we're lucky to see a teacher within 15mins of the appointment time and we spend most of the evening queueing. No good having a 5min gap if you're still in the queue for the teacher before last.

unless your school operates a really strict 5min policy (rings a bell or something) to change over, the appointment time system just doesn't work.

snorkle · 21/11/2008 18:35

Sounds a good plan then roisin - hope you enjoy it. Shame about the sports guy - there do seem to be rather a lot of 'that sort' around unfortunately.

Original poster

roisin · 21/11/2008 18:42

You are scaring me now. I really hate queues and crowds and things.
If it's a horrid scrum then in future I will just send dh on his own

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snorkle · 21/11/2008 18:47

Ours isn't a scrum, and there are chairs, so the queues are sit down ones and not bad, you just sit down until it's your turn, which is based on when you joined that 'queue' rather than what's written on your card.

kiddiz · 21/11/2008 19:21

At dd's school they have a pupil progress day. The year 7s get the day off but have to attend with their parent/carer (ie granparent/aunt/uncle if parent can't go) for a 10 minute appointment during the day with their form tutor who has feedback from all their teachers. You can arrange to see individual teachers separately if you like.
It's great for me as I work evening shifts but does mean dh never goes and tis hard on parents who work.

cory · 22/11/2008 09:53

We've just had the pupil progress day as described by kiddiz. 15 minutes appointments though. Hard for me to get time off from work, but it was the best parents' meeting I've ever been to in terms of information. Teacher had a screen up with results and targets and printed it all of for us at the end. Our pov was noted and we were promised that dd's request
(for extension maths) would be seen to. Very calm and uncrowded and the admin/directing people to the right place was done by pupils.

The thing that really had dd rolling on the floor was finding out that she was on a level 4 for PE (she is disabled and takes a wheelchair into school). Be entering her for the olympics next

runningmonkey · 22/11/2008 16:07

snorkle - yes it does seem to work with buffers.

One of our year groups gave out alternating time sheets to the kids so some kids had 5 min appointments at 10 past, 20 past etc, the others had appts on the 5 mins. That one was the best one of the whole year!

There are always one or two teachers/parents who overrun. If as a teacher you only have one or two classes to see you can also try to factor in some 5-10 min breaks for catch up time but I know this doesn't work for all teachers esp if they have a lot of groups in one particular year. Last two parents eves I did ran early, but maybe I just don't talk enough ;)

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