Parents’ evening is beneficial for both teachers and parents. It gives them the chance to talk to each other face to face, go over any issues and make plans going to forward to really help with a child’s development. It’s important that you prepare beforehand, or you might not be able to make the most of your child’s parents’ evening. Here are some things you should ask about:

• How is your child performing? Get a general overview of how they are doing in school. This doesn’t just mean asking about their subjects. Find out whether your child behaves well, concentrates in class and has a good group of friends. It’s your chance to find out how well they are doing socially as well as academically.
• Where do your child’s strengths lie? You will need to give your child career and study advice in the future, so it’s good to know the subjects they excel in. Teachers will be able to advise on subjects where you child has a natural talent, helping you to work with them to select A levels, university courses and careers in the future.
• Is there anything specific you could be doing to help? It might be that you child needs some encouragement to do their homework, or they might need to improve their reading. Ask the teacher about specific activities and products that can help you to work on the areas where your child needs to improve, whilst also making it fun.
• What are their target grades? Make sure you know what is expected of your son or daughter so that you can monitor their progress at home. If they are getting Cs but are perfectly capable of getting As, you will know that something is wrong.