Parents’ evenings usually take place once a year and are an opportunity to voice any concerns that you have and quiz your child’s teacher. As they last for no longer than around 10 minutes, you should think about your questions and what you want to discuss beforehand. To help you prepare your list, we’ve teamed up with a private school in Buckinghamshire to share 10 questions to ask at parents’ evening.
How They Are Getting On
Before your meeting, you should already have an idea of how your child’s getting on from how they are finding school and the marks they have been coming home with. If not, we recommend speaking to your child as this will help you with the rest of your questions. It’s also good to hear things from their teacher’s perspective as they can share what they think will help and paint a fuller picture. For example, you can see if they’re easily distracted and speak to your child to address their concerns.
How You Can Support at Home
Homework is just as vital for their success at school as it ensures that they get the practice that they need and can carry out tasks independently. You should support them where you can, without doing their homework of course. You can run through examples and explain concepts to jog their memory and help them with their understanding. Access to quality resources can make this easier. During your child’s parents’ evening, you can raise the question and see if there’s anything that they recommend and ask for advice on how to support your child’s learning.
How Much Time to Spend on Homework
To follow on you can also discuss how long you should be spending with your child on their homework. This will allow both you and your child to manage time better and ensure that they receive enough support at home.
What Progress They Should Be Making
This will tell you about the work that needs to be done and can help you to put a plan in place to get your child up to speed.
Predictions and Target Grades
This is similar to the point above and can help you to identify where your child must be by the end of the academic year.
Specific Concerns
Having gone through their work, if you have any concerns, now is the time to voice them and pick their teacher’s brains. You can seek teaching advice and make any issues you’ve come across apparent. Additionally, there may be things that their teacher ought to know like things that they are struggling with which can allow for their teacher to make accommodations.
Participating In Class
Participation is important at school. To do well it’s important that children ask questions and engage in class discussions and exercises. Their teacher will be able to tell you whether they’re participating in class and about what they’ve gathered from their observations.
For Updates
Should you need them, you can ask your child’s teacher for updates on how they are getting on. This will allow you to be more involved in their education and for a closer eye if they struggle with special educational needs.
Their Strengths and Interests
You can also use the time to learn a little more about your child, what they enjoy and their key strengths. You can use that information to nurture their growth and find activities that expand on what they’re doing at school.
Who to Contact
If something is outside of their remit, it’s always good to still pose the question. You can ask their teacher about who you should go to with your particular concern at the parents’ evening. Remember, as a parent it is crucial for you to be a part of your child’s educational journey and support their learning.
