A group of parents are constantly challenging me about my teaching, homework and marking. They even phone during the day. How can I get them off my back?

Ted Wragg, professor of education at Exeter University, answers your professional problems, big or small, every week. Ask him for independent advice - or offer some of your own - by writing to: Dear Ted, The TES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX. Or email: dear.ted@tes.co.uk

Ted says

The tempting reply is: “What’s your job, then? Ball-bearing manufacturer? Well, can I make a suggestion? Why don’t you make them cube-shaped?” But, unfortunately, that would bring the wrath of the gods down on you. One of the hazards of working in education is that everybody aspires to be an expert.

Your school should have a policy about teachers being badgered during the day. Except in the case of emergencies, teachers should be enabled to carry on with their prime duty of educating the children in their care. The school office should have a list of times when teachers may be contacted by phone, and the head should explain this policy to parents.

On the other matters it is important to be on firm ground. No system of assessment is perfect, but make sure yours is as watertight as possible. The same applies to the homework you set. Logical and appropriate homework assignments should be easy to defend, and your professional judgment should win the day. But if it seems to be set erratically, or be inappropriate, you will have a hard time convincing parents, and so you should. Incidentally, parents who are teachers can sometimes be the biggest whingers (again you cannot say, “I’d love to see your own perfect classroom, sunshine”).

If you are sure you are in the right and still find it hard going, a senior person, such as the head or a deputy responsible for liaison with parents, should talk to them about what is proper and what is not. The big problem is that schools operate in a recruitment market and are sometimes afraid of offending their customers. That is why it is important to establish whether you are dealing with a small group of busybodies or genuine complainants with legitimate points to make.

You say

Let them have a copy of your marking policy

Ensure that your school has unambiguous homework and marking policies and give every parent a copy. Tasks and date for completion should be recorded in each child’s homework diary, and leave a space so parents can sign that the appropriate time has been spent. Pushy parents love policies, filling in spaces and signing their names. Many of them like doing the homework, too, which is often why they disagree with the marking. Remember always to check your spelling if it’s dodgy. Uppity parents can be put permanently off any teacher who inadvertently “seperates”, “recieves” or otherwise blots their copybook.

Stick to the policies, to spell checks and to your guns. Any further trouble, refer quibbling parents to the head to hear the policies endorsed straight from the horse’s mouth.

Christopher Jackman, email

Stand up to these bullies

Do what I do with students when they claim something is boring: invite them to offer a better solution or take the lesson. Even when they do the latter they make a major cock-up quickly and have to be rescued - a chastening experience. Likewise with parents. Invite them in, get them to mark work using whatever mark scheme or rubric you use, and give them other work as a comparison (anonymously, of course).

Be proud and confident of your professionalism. Everyone has an opinion about schools because everyone has been there, done it and, if lucky, got the certificates. But would these same parents be nit-picking over the advice they were given from their tax adviser, lawyer or brain surgeon? I think not. These parents are bullies and you know what to do to bullies, don’t you? Stand up to them.

Lesley Davies, principal, Panvel International Eco-friendly school, India

Give them a taste of their own medicine

Play it back to them - hard. Ring them at 10pm during the week, and later on Fridays, Saturdays andor Sundays to discuss their children’s latest homework, “which I am just in the process of marking”. Keep them on the phone for at least 40 minutes, asking their opinion about every aspect of the work, inviting their co-operation in supervising remedial exercises, suggesting that you arrange meetings on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to discuss their children’s progress. If the parent you want to speak to is out at the pub, ask which pub and ring him or her there - I had a head once who habitually dealt with interfering parents by doing this. You are fireproof in that all you are doing is putting the child’s progress first.

Anonymous, email Suggest they join the PTA These parents may prove useful if their pushiness can be redirected. The problem is that they do not understand your marking and the rationale behind it, which is why they criticise it - ditto, homework. Hold twilight sessions for parents to come along to. When they understand the reasons behind what you do, and why, they might be more supportive.

And, as they obviously want to be involved in their child’s schooling, why not enlist their support on the governing body or the parent-teachers’

association?

Sometimes parents do know better than us, and although it is difficult for us to take as professionals, maybe we need to listen to them after all.

Vanwy Arif, Birmingham

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