using ppa for home visits.

[monet24]

Just been having a discussion with a friend. She has moved to reception this year and we're just talking about home visitis. I do mine with my support staff and we do them together and cover is put in my class. She was telling me that she has been told she has got to do them in her PPA time? Is my school just really generous?part of me thinks her school are taking the urine expecting her to do them in her PPA. Thoughts please?

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

Your school is very generous.
A lot of schools I go into expect the visits to be done in PPA time, and count it as part of the Planning, Preparation and Assessment. Because that's what you are doing on a home visit.

[LemonRedwood]

But on the other hand, PPA is not directed time, so they can't tell you to do home visits in it. You can choose to, of course.

(I am perfectly aware that it's never so simple in reality!)

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

I think it's a great idea to allocate extra time and funds to home visits BTW.
It should be standard practice.

[LucyLastik]

Our home visits take place in the first week of September. We are given 3 days before the children start to get them all done. It's the same for the nursery team.

[LucyLastik]

Should add that reception start in the second week and nursery are phased in according to age.

[cacaboudin]

If school wants home visits to be done, time should be given for them. PPA time should be for staff to do what they need to do to get by day to day.

[BackforGood]

Whereas it is 'planning, preparation and assessment', you're not going to get many done in just 1/2 a day a week. Presumably, if they are expecting them to happen over a lot of weeks, then they realise there is no official planning time for the curriculum for all those weeks if it is being used to home visits.
Realistically, if the school wants to do home visits, then it needs to either not start Reception until they are all done, and do them in September, or they need to provide cover for the teacher in the Summer Term.

[Mov1ngOn]

I don't really like home visits - I feel anxious I'll be subconsciously judged on the house/area etc. I much rather when we go into school in small groups to play in the new classroom with the teacher!