Parents' Evenings

Once a year, you will be invited by the school to attend a parents' evening to meet your child's teachers and find out how they are progressing. Most schools will have an appointment system and you will be allocated a particular time to see the teacher. Each appointment will only last for about 10 minutes, so it is vital that you are well-prepared before you arrive.

Before the Night

If you have received a report, take some time to read though it and look through some of your child's schoolwork. Go through the report with your child and discuss their strengths (what are they good at?) and weaknesses (what areas could be improved?). Encourage them to make suggestions about how they can maintain or improve their standards. Make sure you look at all areas of the report - not just academic achievement but also attendance, behaviour and other issues.

If you haven't received a report, you can still talk to your child about their strengths and weaknesses; you may find it useful to look at their coursework or homework, along with the marks they have received. Ask them if they have any emotional or social concerns, such as bullying or how well they fit in.

Check whether or not the school expects you to take your child with you to the meeting; some schools encourage pupils to attend so that they can set targets for the coming year.

On the Night

• Make sure you arrive in plenty of time before your first appointment; however do be patient if the teacher is running late.
• Make a few notes of the meeting - it will help you remember what was said and what was agreed.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions, such as the following:
• What is my child finding difficult? How can I help with this?
• How can I help with my child's schoolwork in general?
• What are my child's strengths?
• Has my child shown any special talents?
• Does my child join in class discussions?
• Does my child try hard enough?
• Has my child made sufficient progress since his last report?
• Is my child happy at school?
• Has my child made friends?
• Does my child's behaviour give any cause for concern?
• Be prepared to listen – try not to jump to conclusions or criticise the teachers or school without listening to what they have to say.
• If you don't understand or agree with something a teacher says, don't feel too embarrassed to ask them to explain what they mean.
• Try to talk about any points of conflict and find a solution that is in the best interests of your child. The sooner a problem is addressed, the greater the chance of solving it quickly and sensibly.
• If you think a discussion might be difficult, take another adult along to give you support and to help bring a different point of view to the situation.
• Don't overrun your time. If you feel that you don't have enough time to cover all the issues, arrange to talk to the teacher again either over the phone or at another meeting.
• If you are meeting more than one teacher, make sure you turn up on time for each appointment.
• Try to come away from the evening with some positive steps that you, your child and the teachers will take to help your child succeed.