Parent teacher communication

Parent/Teacher Communication   

 

Introductory statement 

 

This policy was developed by the staff of St. Aengus’ N.S.  in consultation with the Board of Management and the parents.  Its purpose is to provide information and guidelines to parents and teachers on parent/teacher meetings and parent/teacher communication in St. Aengus’ N.S.  The family and home are central to the development of the child and the nurturing of Christian values. The school and the family strive to be mutually supportive and respectful of each other so that the child’s education can be effective.

 

 

 

Parents are encouraged to:

 

Develop close links with the school

Collaborate with the school in developing the full potential of their children

Share the responsibility of seeing that the school remains true to its ethos values and distinctive character

Become actively involved in the school/parent association

Participate in policy and decision-making processes affecting them

 

Structures in place to facilitate open communication & consultation with Parents

 

Meeting for parents of new Junior Infants – mid June

Parent/teacher meetings one-to-one in the first term.

Parents receive school report of each pupil at the end of each school year

Meetings with parents whose children have special needs

Consultation throughout the year

Written communication

Through the parents’ association, parents are invited to discuss and contribute to the drafting and review of all school policies.

Decisions taken to change current policies and procedures or to introduce new ones will be made known to all parents in written format via the school newsletter

Regular newsletters keep parents up-to-date with school events, holidays and school concerns

Homework diary 1st – 6th class, used to relay messages which are signed between parents and teachers. Parents requested to sign diary each night to certify that homework has been completed

Parents are invited to masses, concerts, coffee mornings, grandparent’s Day, First Communion and other assemblies.

Parents are notified by webtext about organizational matters. Please ensure that we have your correct phone numbers throughout the year, of parents/guardians and those designated to collect child in case you are unavailable.

 

Participating in paired reading projects and station teaching.

 

 

It is vital that the school is immediately informed if family events/situations occur that cause anxiety to your child and therefore may adversely affect his/her education

In all matters pertaining to the wellbeing and education of pupils, only the parents/legal guardians named on the enrolment form will be consulted by the teachers.

 

Parent/teacher meetings 

The aim of Parent/Teacher meetings is:

 

To let parents know how their children are progressing in school

To inform teachers on how children are coping outside school

To establish an ongoing relationship and communication with parents

To help teachers/parents get to know the children better as individuals

To help children realise that home and school are working together

 

 

 

 

Informal Parent/Teacher Meetings 

 

Communication between parents and teachers is to be encouraged. St. Aengus’ N.S.  welcomes parents’ interest in their children at school.

 

Arranging parent/teacher meetings within the school day while children are in school is difficult.  However, parents are welcome to speak to the Principal or teacher(s) at a pre-arranged appointed time

 

Meetings with the class teacher at the class door, [in the school corridors or in the school yard when bringing your child to school or collecting your child from school], to discuss a child’s concern/progress is discouraged on a number of grounds.

A teacher cannot adequately supervise his/her class while at the same time speaking to a parent

It is difficult to be discrete when so many children are standing close by

It can be embarrassing for a child when his/her parent is talking to the teacher at a classroom door

 

Discussing a child’s progress outside the school premises with a teacher is not recommended. We are always happy to arrange a meeting with any parent/ guardian if you are worried about your child at school

 

Occasions occur where a parent needs to speak to a teacher urgently. Sometimes these meetings need to take place without prior notice. The Principal will facilitate such meetings making every effort to ensure that the children in the class do not lose out on any of the teaching/learning time.

 

Parents are advised to use the ‘front door’ only when coming to the school in the morning  or during school hours and when collecting you r child in the evening. In the interest of safety for the school community all other doors will no longer be used, except in the case of an emergency.

 

 

If parents wish to drop in lunch boxes, sports gear etc, this can be done through the secretary’s office as it is important to keep class interruptions to a minimum. Please leave lunch or anything else that your child may have forgotten or need at the office and it will be delivered to your child through the office.

When coming to the school to meet with a teacher or principal, to take your child to an appointment or etc. etc. please wait at the office and the child will be notified and come to you.

When bringing your child to school after an appointment OR collecting your child from school during school hours, please sign in the ‘Signing in/ Signing out Book!

These protocols are in the interest of safety of all our school community.

 

Parents are strongly discouraged from taking pupils out of school during term time in order to facilitate family holidays.

 

Formal Meetings 

Formal timetabled parent/teacher meetings take place in November. However, if a parent wishes to arrange a meeting at any stage during the year to discuss their child, they may do so by prior appointment.

 

All communication sent from the school will be sent to the child’s home address as given on the enrolment form, unless otherwise requested by parents

In the case of separated parents, requests can be made by both parents to meet their child’s teacher(s) individually for parent/teacher meetings. Policy to be signed here, by Principal and Chairperson of the Board of Management with the review sanctioning date of the policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 1

Complaints Procedure

The following is the agreed complaints procedure to be followed in primary schools.

 

 

Stage 1 

A parent/guardian who wishes to make a complaint should, firstly approach the class teacher with a view to resolving the complaint

Where the parent/guardian is unable to resolve the complaint with the class teacher he/she should approach the Principal teacher with a view to resolving it

If the complaint is still unresolved, the parent/guardian should raise the matter with the Chairperson of the Board of Management with a view to resolving it.

 

Stage 2 

If the complaint is still unresolved and the parent/guardian wishes to pursue the matter further, he/she should lodge the complaint in writing with the Chairperson of the Board of Management

 

The Chairperson will bring the precise nature of the written complaint to the notice of the teacher and seek to resolve the matter between the parties within 5 days of receipt of the written complaint.

 

Stage 3 

If the complaint is not resolved informally, the Chairperson should, subject to the                   authorization of the Board:

supply the teacher with a copy of the written complaint and

arrange a meeting with the teacher, and where applicable, the Principal with a view to resolving the complaint. Such a meeting should take place within 10 days of receipt of the written complaint.

 

Stage 4 

If the complaint is still not resolved, the Chairperson should make a formal report to the board within 10 days of the meeting

If the Board considers that the complaint is not substantiated, the teacher and the complainant should be so informed within 3 days of the Board meeting

If the Board considers that the complaint is substantiated or that it warrants further investigation, the following steps should be followed:

 

The teacher should be supplied with copies of any written evidence in support of the complaint

He/she should be requested to supply a written response to the complaint to the Board and should be afforded an opportunity to make a presentation to the Board and to be accompanied by another person to that meeting

The Board may arrange a meeting with the complainant, who may be accompanied by another person to this meeting.

 

Stage 5 

Following the Board’s investigations, the Chairperson shall convey the decision of the Board in writing to the teacher and the complainant within 5 days of the meeting of the Board. The decision of the Board shall be final.