Parent Evenings

Forthcoming parents evenings Sept 2010 - July 2011

Year 7 - Wed 29th Sept 2010

Year 8 -  Thur 10th March 2011

Year 9 -  Wed 12th Jan 2011

Year 10 - Wed 23rd March 2011

Year 11 - Thur 11th Nov 2010

Year 12 - Wed 16th Feb 2011

Year 13 -  Thur 25th Nov 2010

Parent Evenings  are one of the best opportunities for you to meet teachers to discuss how your child is doing; it is important for you to attend Parent evenings. At Allerton Grange School we operate an appointment system and it is best to make sure you are armed with questions! Remember, Parent evenings are a two way process ~ while parents want and need to know how their child is doing, this is also an opportunity for teachers to learn how your child acts at home, for instance their approach to homework, and to make suggestions to parents on how they can help with their child's learning.

Tips for a successful Parent evenings:

• Read your child's school report or other relevant progress information before you go to talk about your child at school
• If possible, look at some of your child's work beforehand.
• If the teacher says anything that you don't understand, don't be afraid to ask them what they mean.
• If you feel nervous about meeting teachers, remember they probably feel the same way about meeting parents!!!
• Try to come away from the meeting with some positive steps that you, your child and the teachers will take to help your child succeed.
• If there are any points of conflict, try to talk about them with teachers 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 meeting might be difficult, take another adult such as a family member or friend along to give you support and help bring a different perspective to the situation.
• Make a few notes of the meeting if it will help you remember what was said and what was agreed.

Here is a checklist of questions you might want to ask at Parent Evenings:

• What are my child's strengths?
• Has my child shown any special talents?
• What is my child finding difficult? How can I help with this?
• Can you show me examples of these?
• Does my child try hard enough?
• Does my child join in class discussions?
• How can I help with my child's school work in general?
• Has my child made sufficient progress since his/her last report?
• Is my child happy at school?
•  Has my child made friends?
• Does my child's behaviour give any cause for concern?

You might want to get a copy of the superb booklet from the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) called "Making the most of Parents' Evenings"

 This booklet will help you make the most of Parent evenings. It looks at preparing for Parent evenings, making the most of your time with teachers, setting targets and helping your child after Parent evenings.

updated 7th Sept 2010