At Meadowdale we believe that it is important to build strong relationships with parents and carers so that we can work together to support every child’s learning and well-being. Good communication is an essential part of this.

The Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity that generates evidence of what works to improve teaching and learning, has published  research showing that schools who have good strategies to harness learning at home and at school and who encourage a positive dialogue with parents about learning have better outcomes overall for their children.

Class teachers are always happy to speak to you about any questions or concerns that you might have when you pick up your child at the end of the school day. You can also contact them using the class email addresses or contact the school office to arrange a convenient time for the teacher to call you.  You can also make an appointment to speak to our SENDCO or a member of our leadership team via the school office.

In addition, we provide a number of opportunities for you to come into school and talk to your child’s teacher throughout the year:

Foundation Stage

New starters are invited to take part in three short visits in the Summer Term before they start school, first with their parent/carer and then on their own. This gives them the opportunity to spend time in their new classroom and to get to meet the adults and children in their class. We also hold an information evening for parents/carers to share practical information and answer any questions that you might have. At this meeting you will be given a pack containing our parent handbook, forms that you will need to complete, and other useful information.

At the very start of the Autumn Term every parent/carer  is invited to make an appointment for a settling in meeting with the class teacher. This is an informal meeting that lasts about 10 minutes and is an opportunity for you to share any information about your child that will help them to settle at school – for example any health issues, likes and dislikes or worries that they may have.

There are also two parents’ evenings – in November and March – which are more formal 10-minute appointments to discuss your child’s progress.

In June you will receive a written report summarising your child’s progress during the year in each area of the EYFS curriculum.

 Years 1-6

We hold an open evening early in the Autumn Term which is an informal opportunity for you to come into school to meet your child’s new teacher and see their new classroom. 

In February you will receive a written report which will outline the progress that your child has made and set targets for the remainder of the year. The report shows very clearly what you can do to support your child’s learning at home and this is then discussed at the parents’ evenings. These Parents’ Evenings are held in February just after you have recieved your child’s report and again in June to discuss and review your child’s progress towards these targets and how you can support your child at home. 

We believe that sending a written report out in the Spring Term as opposed to at the end of the Summer Term, as most schools traditionally do, helps to create a stronger partnership between home and school that will enable your children to make the best progress possible. The feedback we have received from parents and teachers over the past couple of years has reiterated this view. We know that you will be keen to work with us to get the very best outcomes for your child.

Results of the KS1 and KS2 tests for Years 2 and 6 and the Year 1 phonics test will be sent out to you when they are available, usually in the last week of the Summer Term.

Other opportunities

We hold workshops for parents in the Autumn Term on a range of topics such as maths, reading, phonics and behaviour which are an opportunity to find out more about how your child is taught in school to help you to support their learning.

Every year group sends a weekly email to parents/carers summarising what the children have been learning that week, what they will be learning the following week and suggestions for building on this work at home.  We also send out a whole-school weekly update to keep you informed about what is going on in school. We also share news and celebrate successes via Facebook and Twitter and our school website.

Each class or year group will put on an assembly for parents which are held on Friday afternoons. At Christmas Foundation Stage/Year 1 and Years 2/3 work together to put on a performance for parents/carers and Years 4-6 take part in a carol service at the Congregational Church in town. Each key stage takes part in a sports morning/afternoon in the Summer Term.

We publish dates for all of these events in our weekly newsletter at the start of each school year so that you have plenty of notice.

We also ask for parents/carers to help with activities like school trips and volunteers to help listen to readers or change reading books are always very welcome!