Parents evening is something that many parents look forward to. An opportunity for you to discuss your child’s education and how they are doing with someone who, let’s face it, spends a fair bit of time with them. More so than you might do. Not all of us have children who will openly discuss school. You may ask them how their day was or what they got up to and be greeted with an “I don’t know” or “I can’t remember.” Sound familiar?
Parents evening, whatever time it takes to place these days, is your chance to ask some questions, to understand where there are strengths, and in some cases what needs some attention and support.
Key Stage Two
Key Stage Two is an important part of primary school. It is now that they start preparing for their Year 6 SATs and also the next chapter of their school life which is high school. It is overwhelming for sure. So while we only get two opportunities to discuss our child usually, it is important to make the most of that time. So you may be wondering how to approach it? Here are some of the questions to ask at the Parents evening of your KS2 aged child.
Their education
The main focus of the parents evening is to discuss their education and find out where they are at. It isn’t all about results or overachieving, you want to make sure that they are doing what they can. Here are some of the questions that you could ask.
Is my child meeting your expectations?
One of the first questions that you might ask yourself is whether your child is meeting expectations. Every school will have a way of understanding where your child is at in terms of expected levels. This might be at an “age-appropriate” level or above or below “age-related” levels. Knowing where your child is will help you to understand what can be done to help and also whether there is a need to be any interventions.
Are there any areas where my child is struggling?
Even though your child might not be meeting expectations it won’t necessarily mean they are struggling, it may just take them a little longer to grasp things. So it is still important to ask if there are areas where your child is struggling. From listening and reading to specific subjects.
What can they do to improve?
A teacher will always welcome this question. It shows that you understand that in some cases extra effort and work might be required. Knowing what they can do to improve will help you help your teacher as well as encourage extra support and guidance at home.
Is there anything specific they need to work on to help with their SATs?
The SATs are a tough period of testing for any pupil and although your child may have experienced them in Year 2, Year 6 is much harder and more intense for your little ones. Asking the teacher if there is any extra help and support needed to help your child through their SATs is crucial.
Do they contribute to lessons?
You might also want to find out if they are contributing in class. Answering questions and actively participating in their lessons.
Are they making progress?
Lastly, are they making good progress? Again it doesn’t matter what stage they may be with expectations but is there progress?
Social and their environment
Another thing you might want to discuss in more detail is their social skills and their environment. You might be interested to find out if they are sociable and have made friends. That they behave well or are there things they might be struggling with. Here are some of the questions you could ask in relation to that.
- Does my child interact well with others?
- How would you describe their behaviour in and out of class?
- Do they seem happy in school?
- Is there anything they have noticed, changes in behaviour, etc?
What you can do?
Finally, you may be wondering what it is you could be doing to help your child in these final years of primary school. So here is how to find out what you can do.
Can I be doing anything at home to help?
It is important to support your child at home, so asking the teacher what you can be doing or what would be beneficial will give you some much-needed guidance on this.
What do you want from me as a parent?
Finally, getting the expectations of you from your child’s teacher is also vital. It helps to strengthen the relationship between parent and teacher and will only benefit your child in the future.
Hopefully, this has put your mind at ease as to some of the questions you could be asking at your KS2 child’s parents evening.
