School Meetings

School Meetings

Before the meeting:

• Find out who will be at the meeting.
• You may like to bring a relative or friend for informal support (it’s helpful to let the school know).
• Let the school know if you would like them to make any adjustments for you (printouts in large font, a downstairs room, a hearing loop etc).
• Ask if there is any new information that will be shared at the meeting so that you can read beforehand.
• Think about what you would like to get from the meeting. Is there any information that you need? You could look at the school’s SEND Information Report to help you have a better understanding about how the school offers support.
• Make a list of question you want to ask in the meeting.
• Speak to your child and make some notes to share with the school. Jot down your child’s words if possible.
• What is your child struggling with?
• What makes it better? What helps at home?
• Any positive ideas you may have yourself
• Any strategies which are likely to make the situation worse.
• Your emotions are likely to be raised because this involved your child but remember the meeting will go better if you remain calm. Try and think positively and expect that this meeting will go well.

During the meeting

• Make sure everyone introduces themselves and you are clear about their roles and responsibilities.
• Check the finishing time of the meeting
• If anyone is going to take notes, ask for a copy, or take your own notes. Check actions agreed before the end of the meeting
• Ask them to explain anything that you don’t understand
• Acknowledge the schools view and experience. This does not make your own experience less valid. You want to explore the whole picture together.
• Try to focus on solutions. You could questions like:
  o What can we do to move this forward?
  o We find …. helps at home. Would school be able to offer similar support?
  o Do you have any ideas of what could help?
  o If …. isn’t possible, what could you offer instead?
  o What could I/we do to support?
• Agree to work towards the future – try not to dwell on past problems.
• If your concerns have not all been discussed, ask how this might be followed up (phone call? email? 2nd meeting?).
• Agree a date to check on progress and ask for the name of someone you can contact in the future.

Following the meeting you should know:

• Who is going to do what and when?
• How the action points are going to be reviewed?
• How are any other issues are going to be followed up?
• Who can you contact if you have any questions?

If, after the given timescales, the situation has not improved:

• If may be that the strategies in place are not successful and that something else needs to be explored and tried.
• It may be that agreed actions have not happened.

If you are not happy, you can speak to:

• The Headteacher
•  The school will have a complaints policy if you wish to take things further and this can be found on the school website.