How to Turn Parents’ Evenings into Real Conversations with Joined-Up Data

Parents’ evenings can be incredibly powerful — but they can also be stressful. With only a few minutes per family (often now virtually), you don’t have long to get to the heart of a student’s progress. If the data isn’t clear, you spend most of that time explaining why things don’t add up instead of discussing what really matters.

And with estimates suggesting that around half of secondary parents don’t attend parents’ evenings at all, the families who do turn up deserve meaningful, confident conversations — not confusion.

That’s why having joined-up, reliable data is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s essential.

From data to decisions: A real-school perspective

In our recent webinar, From Data to Decisions, Anna Hayes, Assistant Principal at Orchard Mead Academy (TMET), explained how disjointed their data used to be.

Different subjects were tracking progress in different ways. Teachers were building their own spreadsheets. Leaders were spending hours trying to reconcile conflicting numbers — and parents were often left with mixed messages.

One source of truth changes everything

By using Sisra Analytics and Pupil Progress together, the trust now has one clear, consistent picture of progress:

• Sisra provides the whole-school view.
• Pupil Progress breaks down the curriculum details behind each grade.

Parents’ evenings have shifted from stressful to purposeful.

Instead of: “Your child is on track for a 4.”

Teachers can now say: “Here are the exact areas they’re finding tricky — and here’s how we’ll help them reach a 5.”

After the trust got their data aligned, the impact was immediate — calmer conversations, clearer messages, and families who finally felt they understood the “why” behind the grades.

What they learned along the way applies to any school preparing for parents’ evening. Whether you’re already using joined-up systems or still wrestling with spreadsheets, our practical tips will help you make every conversation more focused, confident and meaningful.

Top tips for more impactful secondary school parents’ evenings

Parents’ evenings shouldn’t feel like a marathon of quick-fire updates. With the right preparation — and the right data — they can be calm, confident, and genuinely useful for families. Here are five practical tips to help you make the most of your next parents evening.

1. Plan your evening (and your data) ahead of time

Before the first parent walks through the door, take a moment to review your schedule and your data. With Sisra and Pupil Progress, you’re not scrambling for last-minute spreadsheets or chasing down grades. You’ve already got a single, reliable source of truth — meaning you can focus on structuring your evening, not hunting for information.
Check for gaps in your timetable, note where you might need a breather, and use the extra headspace to prepare mentally. Organisation isn’t just practical — it makes the evening calmer for everyone.

2. Prepare with purpose

Feeling nervous is normal — it simply means you care. A little preparation can make the whole evening feel much smoother. Review students’ work, jot a few key notes, and have the essential data ready so you’re confident in the picture you’re presenting.

You can also ask students for a quick self-reflection beforehand. It gives you useful insight into how they feel about their learning and adds valuable context when speaking with families.

Parents’ evenings in secondary schools are often virtual or tightly timed, so make sure you’re comfortable with the format your school uses. And if you’re on site, giving families the chance to look over their child’s books or work folders before their slot helps set a positive, informed starting point for the conversation.

3. Be warm, clear and confident

The start of the meeting sets the tone. A smile, a thank you, and a quick check-in go a long way. What really boosts confidence, though, is clarity. When your data makes sense at a glance, you can focus on the family in front of you — not on rifling through pages of notes. Teachers across TMET described this as feeling supported: the data doesn’t contradict itself, so the conversation feels steady, honest and human.

4. Keep the conversation on track

You’ve only got a few minutes with each family, and the time goes fast. Keep an eye on the clock so you can stay on track.

Start by asking parents if there’s anything specific they want to raise. It brings any big concerns to the surface early, gives them space to be heard, and helps you manage the conversation. If something needs a longer follow-up, you can note it and keep the meeting moving without overrunning.

5. Make it personal and positive

Even the most data-heavy conversations should feel personal. Sisra and Pupil Progress make that easier by giving you the specific “why” behind each grade — the exact skills or units the child finds challenging.

This turns generic comments like: “They need to try a bit harder.”
into meaningful insight like: “They’re confident in writing, but multi-step problem solving is still tricky — here’s what we’re doing next.”

Data doesn’t replace the personal touch; it strengthens it.

6. Work in partnership with families

Whatever their views on school, most parents ultimately want the best for their child. Keeping that shared goal in mind helps the conversation stay positive and focused on progress.

If other staff support the student — such as form tutors, subject specialists, or intervention teams — bring their perspective into the discussion where relevant. They often see different sides of a student’s learning, and sharing that insight can give families a fuller, more accurate picture

7. When it’s all said and done

After the parents’ evening, give yourself a moment to breathe. Whether it’s a quiet drive home, a takeaway, or switching off for an hour, do something that helps you reset. You’ve just handled back-to-back conversations and put in a huge amount of work — you’ve earned it.

Ready to make your parents’ evening more meaningful?

If you want to walk into parents’ evenings with joined-up, reliable, confident data — the kind that supports real, actionable conversations — we’d love to help.

Let’s review your current processes, see what’s working well, and highlight where Sisra Analytics (supported by Pupil Progress) could make things smoother for your team.

Book your free data review