Preparing for meetings with school
What to bring, what to ask, what to expect
This section will walk parents through how to prepare for formal and informal meetings with school staff, including annual reviews, EHCP meetings, parent-teacher consultations, and ad hoc meetings about concerns. It will cover what to bring, what to write down beforehand, and how to structure your key points so that they are heard.
This section will provide guidance on what questions to ask at different types of meetings, including questions about provision, progress, social inclusion, and emotional wellbeing. It will help parents distinguish between questions that are likely to be productive and those that may put school staff on the defensive.
This section will cover the emotional experience of school meetings for parents, including the anxiety of advocating for your child, the frustration of feeling unheard, and the importance of self-care before and after difficult meetings. It will normalise these feelings and offer strategies for staying regulated during meetings.
This section will explain what to do after a meeting, including how to send a follow-up email confirming what was agreed, how to set timelines for actions, and when to escalate if agreed actions are not carried out.
Key points
- Write down your three most important points before the meeting and lead with them, as meetings often run out of time
- Bring any relevant reports, letters from professionals, and examples of your child's work or behaviour at home
- Ask for specific, measurable actions with timescales rather than vague assurances that things will improve
- After every meeting, send a follow-up email summarising what was agreed and by whom, to create a written record
- You are allowed to bring a supportive person with you to any school meeting, and doing so can help you feel calmer and remember what was said
- If you feel overwhelmed during a meeting, it is always acceptable to ask for a short break or to pause and reconvene on another day