Fleur Anderson MP highlights frustrations with online meetings, urging schools to return to traditional formats for better connection and community engagement.

Putney MP Fleur Anderson has called on schools across London to reintroduce face-to-face parents’ evenings, citing widespread frustration with the current online format, where meetings are often “brutally cut off” after just five minutes.

Anderson, speaking out after a particularly unsatisfactory online parents’ evening, shared her experience on Twitter, expressing regret over previously criticising traditional in-person meetings. “I hate online ones,” she tweeted. “The cut-off after five minutes is brutal. There’s no chance to chat with other parents, and no real connection to the school by being there.”

In an interview with The Standard, Anderson expanded on her concerns, stating that many parents across London share this frustration. She urged schools to return to in-person meetings, emphasising that face-to-face interactions allow parents not only to engage with teachers but also to experience the school environment and connect with other parents.

Despite the calls for change, some headteachers argue that online parents’ evenings offer a number of advantages. They suggest these virtual meetings make it easier for more parents and carers to attend, ensuring that conversations about their children’s progress are not limited by time or physical location. Additionally, online platforms like SchoolCloud have been used to schedule appointments, often warning parents that each session will last only five minutes. Longer discussions, they state, should take place over email or by phone.

However, some parents have reported difficulties with the complex login systems required for online meetings, and in some cases, teachers have prematurely ended sessions, leaving parents to wait before their next scheduled appointment.

Despite these challenges, Anderson’s call for change echoes a wider desire for schools to restore a sense of community and connection in the way they engage with families.