Online school reports soon to be compulsory
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
At Shipston-on-Stour primary school, in Warwickshire, the headteacher, Christian Hilton, is tackling another kind of problem. Although the school is on track to launch online reporting by September, Hilton admits not everyone is as excited as he is. "There are parents who don't want to engage, or who are hard to reach, or don't know how to use the technology, and that's something we're having to work hard to tackle," he says.
The school offers training sessions for parents to learn how to use the online reporting system, and 120 parents have attended so far. "Interest is growing," Hilton says. "The online system will never replace me being out in the playground, talking to parents directly. But it enhances our communication. Some children come to school by bus or on foot without their parents, and this way the teachers can stay in touch more easily. At parents' evenings, parents will have already read information like attendance records electronically, so the meetings will be much more focused."
Shipston-on-Stour parents will also find daily updates on what their children are doing in the classroom. "Reception, year 1 and 2 teachers are already writing learning blogs with their pupils, and older students are doing them themselves, so parents can read exactly what their kids are up to, instead of just receiving a shrug in response to the question 'what did you do at school today?'," says Hilton.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/apr/27/online-school-reports
By: Guardian.co.uk
