Parents evening - are they worth the effort?

[Ditto]

The discussions around parent evenings here is fascinating.

 

It's one of those things that I think is so suited to rolling all the way back to think about from first principles:

 

Why do we do them?

What is there purpose?

Does the format achieve the goal?

 

I bet most of us can remember parents evenings from our own childhood - for some like me, that's quite a long time ago! Having been involved, as a member of staff, in implementing parents evening booking systems, as a governor, being on site welcoming parents (and collaring them to complete the parent survey), to having a father who was at school until late in evening a few days a year and having been to several as a parent I think I've seen it from most angles. My conclusion is, they are for many, a staggeringly inefficient use of time.

 

I believe the legal status of parents evening as such does not exists - there is a requirement to 'make arrangements for discussing the report with the pupil's teacher'. Report here is the annual report that is a legal requirement to provide. I wonder how many schools do traditional parents evenings the way they do, because that's the way they've always done them.

 

In today's world, most schools can communicate how a child is doing in school, both pastorally and academically in many ways. My kids have generally done well in good/outstanding schools, with minimal pastoral challenges. One has a dyslexia diagnosis, which we had to fund, but it has enabled us to ensure the schools employ the best techniques appropriate to his learning. I'd say whilst the interaction with all the subject teachers is great, we are in the 'norm' on a standard distribution of kids in school. Rather than a few minutes with all the staff, I think we would be better served by a longer time with a couple of subject teachers/SENDCo to discuss the few areas of challenge. On the whole, I would much rather the staff spent more time on the children (and parents) that need extra focus, and less on those in the on-track and excelling groups. Although schools usually say 'get in touch' if you have issues to discuss, I think many parents wait until parents evening. I'd suggest scrapping parents evening as they exist today, work out what their purpose is and take the best course of action in the light of that. Controversial as an idea? Do let me know what you think.

[TechMonkey]

I wonder how many schools do traditional parents evenings the way they do, because that's the way they've always done them.

 

I believe this as well. I have suggested in the past, pre-COVID, that staff could arrange video chats with parents as needed but I was told that would add a heavy load to staff on top of Parent Evenings. No one liked my idea of making the load lighter by getting rid of Parent Evenings. I also find it odd that teachers have it drummed into them that nothing should be a surprise to parents in reports or PCEs, that the parents should have been contacted previously about things. To me this means the teachers are in regular contact anyway. It is even sillier here in that report cycles and PCEs seem to have no relation so they never get the report and go meet the teacher to discuss like in my day.

 

In my head, X number of online chats spread out across a month/term is better than trying to cram them all into one or two nights. Especially if some parents are happy with an email to say their child is doing great just keep them reading/writing/particular task.

 

I guess in schools with a lower level of engagement it has a place, that hard to get parents feel obliged to come in or can be chased up to come. I do remember teachers always saying when I was at school that it is the parents you don't need to see that turn up.

 

But as with most things in Education, it will take someone utterly revolutionary and willing to swim against the stream to do it. They will get a ton of flack from all angles, including other educator,s and then eventually everyone will wonder why they haven't all been doing it that way.

Edited November 20, 2020 by TechMonkey

[Ditto]

I do remember teachers always saying when I was at school that it is the parents you don't need to see that turn up.

I can believe that!

But as with most things in Education, it will take someone utterly revolutionary and willing to swim against the stream to do it. They will get a ton of flack from all angles, including other educator,s and then eventually everyone will wonder why they haven't all been doing it that way.

Probably also true. I believe academies can avoid the legal requirement by amending their DfE funding agreements. I don't know of any that have. As the legislation says to offer 'discussion', schools/academies can interpret that. I see no requirement for it to be face-to-face so it shouldn't be seen as so revolutionary.

[elsiegee40]

Probably also true. I believe academies can avoid the legal requirement by amending their DfE funding agreements.

The cost of trying to change from the model funding agreement is not small... it’s a legal document... and the DfE fights tooth and nail to keep it in unchanged

[gh5000]

I do remember teachers always saying when I was at school that it is the parents you don't need to see that turn up.

 

This is the main reason we still use Sims nova P and haven't moved to the built in parents evening in Edulink or others where the appointments are chosen by the parents. You advantage the tech literate and the parents that are already engaged with their child's learning.

 

We do one parents evening per year group. Subject teachers choose the 35 (5 minute slots over 3 hours) students parents they need to see and we get nova-p to schedule it all. And this year it'll be on Google meets...yay

[Guest Edugator]

Interesting post and one that will be even more pertinent post-covid.

A few thoughts. If we got rid of parents' evening, might we be ignoring:

- the positive on pupils' progress when there is closer parental engagement

- the essential P.R effect for the school, as a part of the local community.

 

But, I agree that there are reasons to consider why parents' evening may be outdated:

- If the school's data is instant and analysis of it, frequent and rigorous, why 'wait until parents' evening to stage an intervention?

- Consider the flexibility that people expect from education. How about this: MIS make a document that helps teachers monitor when and how they have communicated with parents. They should have communicated with every parent once a term.If the teachers haven't admin can follow this up. If admin are trained up to understand elements of pupil progress, does it always have to be the teacher who communicates with parents about progress? Isn't a phone call home (or three!) a meaningful way of helping support pupils - especially if the parents are, say, separated and working complicated shifts. Similarly, other forms of communication do much the same thing as a parents' evening.

- an ad hoc meeting with a concerned parent

- a Zoom call (where the teacher can share screen and show progress data, marked work etc)

- a designated drop in meeting

- a postcard home

- ongoing email communication, and so on.

 

When you start to re-imagine things like parents' evening, you reflect on their efficacy.

[stevejp]

Agree with a lot of what’s been said here, but just to add one further observation; after many many years of parents evenings, I’ve lost count of the number of times when, on meeting a parent for the first time, the reasons for the quirks and foibles displayed by the child have suddenly all clicked into place!

[mavhc]

The interesting part of parents' evening was attending it as the child, hearing your teacher talk to you and your parents was quite interesting.

 

But no, we have email, phones, it's not like this is the one time a year you can communicate with parents.

[TechMonkey]

The interesting part of parents' evening was attending it as the child, hearing your teacher talk to you and your parents was quite interesting.

I vowed to never miss a parents evening due to the year I didn't go the teachers absolutely laid in to me (unfairly I may add). Every year that I went with my parents the teachers were nice as pie with minor points.