An expert has explained what really happens at a parents' evening when parents, guardians and carers go into a school - or log into a video call - to talk to teachers about how their child is doing at school.
Richard Evans, an education expert at The Profs, has shared his top tips for parents' evenings, speaking to The Mirror.
He said: "Parents' evenings are often looked at with trepidation by parents, students, and teachers. It is a meeting of two worlds normally only interlinked by one common element, the child.
"Educators often fear misguided parental interference or scrutiny of their teaching methods, pupils fear a 'telling off', and parents are concerned about being seen as wanting in their parental duties. It should not be the case, though!
"There are no mistakes; everyone is striving for the same thing.
"These termly meetings are a golden opportunity for everyone to communicate, rather than through written messages from school to home, such as report cards, informational letters, or detention slips. Especially after the days of Zoom calls during the pandemic, meeting face-to-face and making a personal connection with your child's teacher is of fundamental importance.
"It should be a group discussion that is beneficial to all. Education does not begin and end at the school gates, so it is essential that everyone works together and knows their roles in supporting ongoing learning.
"No one is in the hot seat! It is a group discussion about what has been achieved over the last term, and the direction of learning over the next.
"Your child is letting you into their day-to-day world, so let them give you the tour and introduce you to their teachers. Relax and be the guest, but most importantly, listen before you start to ask questions or take action. Let your child explain their performance in class and respond to their teacher's feedback first. Teachers will give you useful information about your child that should be digestible to you and them.
"Your goal is to see how you can help from home, whether that be support with homework, summer school, educational trips in the holidays, or buying books to advance your child's subject development," he explains.
"Establish if your child could benefit from additional tutoring in a certain subject area or with an applicable skill, like examination time management. Make sure you come armed with questions about what you can do where traditional learning ends and look at the long-term picture. Is your child moving in the right direction to achieve their educational or future employment goals?"
He added: "Ultimately, enjoy an evening spent with your child and gain an insight into their world. Don't worry about the experience. This is your chance to see how you can help in improving your child's understanding, ability, confidence, learning, and grades! See it as an opportunity."
