Preparing for parent-teacher interviews

On this page

Building relationships and understanding progress
Before a parent-teacher interview
Share information with your child’s teacher
Year-by-year learning information for Years 0 to 8
After a parent-teacher interview

Tips for your interview with your child's teacher.

(Background music.)

(Text on screen: Your child’s learning. Preparing for parent-teacher interviews.)

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

Kia ora.

As parents and carers, we have the power to shape our child's | tamaiti educational journey.

Preparing for interviews with your child's | tamaiti kaiako or teacher is a fantastic way to ensure your tamaiti or child receives the best possible support and guidance.

(A class of primary school children writing at their desks.)

(The teacher talking to a classroom of kids.)

(A teacher talking to a parent.)

Here's how you can make the most of these opportunities.

(Text on screen: Parent-teacher interviews vary.)

Parent-teacher interviews vary within kura or schools. For example, the time of the year that they are held, the time allocated for individual meetings and whether students are present.

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

If you wish to have a parent-teacher interview without your child | tamaiti present, you are able to arrange this with your school and kura and organise another opportunity for your child | tamaiti to share their learning with you.

(Text on screen: Positive relationship with your child’s teacher.)

Positive relationships with your child's | tamaiti teacher | kaiako are critical for achievement and parent-teacher | kaiako interviews are a great opportunity to have uninterrupted time together.

(A teacher talking to a parent and looking through child’s workbooks.)

(Text on screen: Be prepared before the interview.)

Before the interview, it is good to know the purpose so you can be prepared.

(Text on screen: Write down your questions.)

Some things you could do to prepare are write questions you would like to ask, such as what you want to know about the overall learning of your tamaiti | child.

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

(Text on screen: Talk to your child / tamaiti.)

You can also talk to your tamaiti | child about how they feel about kura | school and ask if they have any worries or concerns that you could bring up with the kaiako | teacher.

(A teacher talking to a parent and looking through child’s workbooks.)

(Text on screen: Ask your child what is the best part of kura?)

If a report has been provided you may also want to ask questions regarding that.

(Primary school children writing at their desks.)

The following are examples of questions you could ask at an interview.

(Text on screen: Interview questions: How is my child doing? Are they where they need to be? What do they do well? and what do they need help with? Do they fit in with other kids? How can I help them?)

How is my child | tamaiti doing?

Are they where they should be?

What do they do well?

and what do they need help with?

Do they fit in with other kids?

How can I help them?

(The presenter is standing and talking, facing the camera.)

This time is for you, so ask any questions that help you understand your tamaiti or child's progress.

(Background music.)

(Text on screen: Parent tip. Be prepared before the interview:

Know the interview purpose
Write down your questions to ask
Talk to your child | tamaiti, how is school for them?

www.education.govt.nz/understand-learning)

Building relationships and understanding progress#

Parent-teacher interviews provide a valuable opportunity for you to build positive relationships with teachers to support your child’s learning and wellbeing. These conversations help you to understand your child’s progress, identify strengths and areas for improvement and explore ways to support learning at home.

Preparing for meeting with a teacher can help you have meaningful and useful conversations. Use the following guidance to make the most of these opportunities.

Before a parent-teacher interview#

Start by understanding the purpose of the meeting. It might be to:

meet the teacher and set goals
find out about your child’s mid-year progress and celebrate successes.

Read your child’s latest school report and the curriculum year-by-year learning guides for their year level. Write down any questions or important information about your child’s learning and wellbeing to discuss with the teacher.

Talk with your child about:

what they want the teacher to know about them
things they like about school
things they do not enjoy or find difficult
any worries or concerns they have about school that they would like you to discuss.

Parent-teacher interviews don’t just have to be about learning. If you have concerns about your child’s behaviour or wellbeing, the interview is a good place to connect with the teacher about your concerns. This gives you a new perspective from someone who is also with your child every day.

If your child struggles with learning, behaviour or wellbeing, you don’t have to wait for a parent-teacher interview to talk to their teacher. You also don’t have to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Teachers work with a variety of students and are professionally trained to help get the best out of each student.

Schools encourage families to be part of the learning team – remember, you know your child best.

It helps the teacher if they know what else might be happening for your child. Provide the teacher with any information that could help them better understand or assist your child, including health issues, life changes or learning difficulties.

Ask about what supports the school can offer, and who they might be able to refer you to if appropriate. Establish clear action items and then set a date to check back on them. 

Set goals#

As a team around your child, you can set goals and discuss strategies that the teacher will use at school and strategies you could try at home.

Remember that learner confidence is a big part of success, so choose small goals that can be achieved quickly, and encourage your child to think positively about their learning.

Nurture the seed and it will blossom.

Wellbeing for younger students#

When encouraging wellbeing for younger students, schools emphasise social skills, emotional awareness and self-management. These are often tied to school values and expectations are reinforced in and out of the classroom. If students find these things difficult, there will be systems and processes – first in the classroom and then across the school – to help them.

Many schools operate a school-wide programme that recognises and rewards positive behaviour across the school. In individual classes, teachers can focus on supporting more specific wellbeing and learning needs.

For students in Years 0 to 3, this support may look like:

being assigned a buddy to help with socialisation and friendships
working in small groups to play games and practice social skills
participating in a class reward system
using specialised equipment for learning, like pencil grips or audiobooks
having a visual timetable, or being assigned to special roles in the classroom to help self-manage and understand school routines
taking part in mindfulness activities or programmes that help with self-esteem, friendships and emotional regulation.

How to find support for your child's wellbeing

Find out how your school supports student wellbeing, and how you and your child can access this support.

Identify the person within the school responsible for wellbeing, and the process for contacting them if you are concerned. Make sure your child knows how to access this support independently, too. It’s important that you keep your child informed and involved in this support team.

Talk to them about any discussions you have with the school and any agreed steps moving forward.

Year-by-year learning information for Years 0 to 8#

Years 0 to 3

In Years 0 to 3 (phase 1), the goal is for children to thrive in environments rich in literacy and maths. For information about what they will be learning, go to:

New Zealand Curriculum year-by-year learning guide

Things to discuss

With your child's teacher, you may wish to discuss:

your child’s phonics check (Years 0 and 1) – if your child hasn't completed one yet, ask the teacher when they will
how you can support your child with structured literacy – if you are not sure what this is, talk to the teacher and ask them to explain it
how you can support your child with maths.

Years 4 to 6

In Years 4, 5 and 6 (phase 2) the teacher will focus on expanding the key learning for each year level. For example, students will be describing objects, experiences and events and retelling stories, including specific details aimed at keeping listeners interested. They will progress to:

planning and presenting a detailed argument or story
backing up their viewpoint with quotes and facts
assessing and addressing opposing opinions.

The maths focus is on helping children expand their knowledge and work together with others. They will learn to use different methods to solve problems, including word problems and different types of tables, graphs and diagrams. Children will connect their understanding of whole numbers to fractions and decimals.

For information about what they will be learning, go to:

New Zealand Curriculum year-by-year learning guide

Things to discuss

With your child's teacher, you may wish to discuss:

your child’s oral language, reading and writing progression
your child’s maths and statistics learning progression.

Find out whether there is something more you can do to support your child at home by asking:

"If my child is making lower than expected progress, what can I do, and what can the school do?"
"If my child is making greater than expected progress, what can I do, and what can the school do?"

Years 7 to 8

The refreshed English curriculum for Years 7 and 8 has been released for public consultation. This section will be updated when it is finalised.

In Years 7 and 8 (phase 3) for maths and statistics, the focus is on helping children see themselves as part of a bigger world and encouraging them to develop greater independence. They learn to think logically and solve problems, making connections between maths and statistics while exploring patterns and differences.

Throughout Years 7 and 8, students get plenty of opportunities to build their understanding, skills, and confidence in these areas. Having good mathematical skills and a positive view of themselves as maths learners will help your child in the future. They are important for things like solving problems and creative thinking. When talking to your child about maths, encourage your child to use the vocabulary that they have been using in their maths classes.

For information about what they will be learning, go to:

New Zealand Curriculum year-by-year learning guide

Things to discuss

You may wish to discuss your child’s maths and statistics learning progression. Find out whether there is something more you can do to support your child at home by asking:

"If my child is making lower than expected progress, what can I do, what can the school do?"
"If my child is making greater than expected progress, what can I do, what can the school do?"

Discuss next steps

At your parent-teacher interview, you can discuss subject choices and options when they start Year 9. This includes the school's plans for transition to high school.

After a parent-teacher interview#

After the parent-teacher interview, talk with your child. Discuss their progress and next steps and celebrate their achievements.

Support your child’s learning at home by acting on the ideas discussed at the parent-teacher interview. You can also use the suggestions provided in the curriculum year-by-year learning guides.

If you still have questions or points to discuss, ask your child’s teacher for another meeting or a phone conversation.

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