Why are they held?

Parents' evenings are held for three main reasons:

so you can talk about your child's progress at school with his teacher(s)

to discuss strengths and areas needing more support

to talk about the next steps: this may include setting targets for future learning.

Sessions held at the beginning of a school year may also focus more on how well your child has settled into his or her new class.

Do I really need to attend?

You may feel you know your child's teacher quite well already through class assemblies and informal discussions. However, it is still important to attend these sessions because at a parents' evening your child's progress is the teacher's main focus.

The education system can also seem very complicated and confusing to parents. There have been many changes during the last few years in the subjects covered and the ways they are taught. The school won't expect you to be familiar with all the subjects and teaching methods used, and attending parents' evenings will help you to understand how your child is being taught.

Parents' evenings also provide a chance for you to say thank you to your child's teachers for all their hard work during the year. Do try to attend these meetings if you possibly can because this gives a positive message to both your child and the school, and of course you hear first-hand about how he is getting on.

Might it all be bad news?

Parents often worry about talking to their child's teacher during a consultation session. They fear they will be told about all the things that have 'gone wrong' during the year. This is never the focus, though. If there had been concerns, particularly about behaviour or learning, the school would have informed you when the problem first occurred.

What might a parents' evening be like?

Schools are all different and so are the styles of parents' meetings they hold. Quite often teachers see parents in their classrooms, either at the end of a school day or during an evening. There is usually an appointments system in order to avoid long queues.

In some schools teachers see all the parents in the hall, but however the evening is organised, parents and teachers are able to hold their discussions without being overheard.

Will I see my child's work?

Many schools also hold a display of work towards the end of the year and sometimes children and parents are invited to look at work together. Looking at your child's work will give you a real sense of how he has progressed during the year. If the school doesn't hold a display session, you may be given some of your child's work to look through while waiting to speak to the teacher.

When looking at your child's books go from the beginning to the end and notice the improvement over the year. Look at the teacher's comments to find out more about how your child tackled the tasks.

Don't be too concerned about mistakes. In fact, too many ticks and 'Well dones' may mean that the work is not challenging your child enough. If there does seem to be a persistent problem, make a note of it and mention it during the meeting.

Don't dwell on handwriting and spelling, but read what your child actually has to say. Be amazed at the range of things he has covered during the year and make a note of things to celebrate and talk to him about when you go home.

Based on an article by Judith Puddick

Back to top