Supporting teachers at parents' evening

Reduce the stress around parents’ evenings with expert advice on planning and running the event. Download and share our top tips on effective parent/teacher conversations and a talking points template to help staff scaffold effective discussions.

Last reviewed on 27 January 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 43941
Contents
  1. Share our parents' evening cheat sheet with staff
  2. Make sure key points are covered by using our template
  3. Plan the timing to minimise stress
  4. Schedule breaks both before and between the meetings
  5. Anticipate problems
  6. Offer extra support where needed
  7. Consider teachers' comfort
  8. Don't confine discussions to parents' evening

Share our parents' evening cheat sheet with staff

Before parents' evening, download and share this handy list of parents evening dos and don'ts with your staff. Even more experienced teachers may find it a useful reminder of how to stay on track, and help everyone get the most out of the meeting.

KeyDoc: parents' evening dos and don'ts DOCX, 49.2 KB

Make sure key points are covered by using our template

Suggest a simple structure for conversations. Ask your teachers to:

  • Explain the pupil’s strengths
  • Outline the areas of concern
  • Describe an action plan
  • Leave time for questions from parents

Download our talking points template and share it with staff, for them to fill out in advance. This means they will have the information they need ready to hand, and can make sure they cover the key points during the meeting.

KeyDoc: parents' evening talking points template XLSX, 23.5 KB

Plan the timing to minimise stress

This means that teachers don’t have

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