Reception Home Visit - felt so awkward😂

[Cheekychiq]

Omg just wanted to quickly vent - just had my child’s teacher/TA round for their reception home visit. I had been extremely nervous about this because although I had consented to it, I was really not keen on having it because I just feel like it’s a massive invasion of privacy - don't get me wrong, I know that them doing home visits serves a fantastic purpose and they get to see your child in a more comfortable and familiar setting and can definitely be a great opportunity for some parents to raise concerns that they might not get the chance to do on the school premises but still - I feel like if I had not consented then you automatically get labelled as that uncooperative parent and it might look like you’ve got something to hide 😳

the visit went well and my child was very pleased to see them and super enthusiastic 😂 but it just felt soooo unnatural to me and I just felt soooo uncomfortable throughout. It’s the first time I’ve had a teacher at my home so maybe that’s why and they were very lovely but still 😂😂😭😭 just curious, has anyone ever declined a school home visit (if it was ever offered at your child/ren’s school?) if yes, did you feel like there was any backlash? Or not? Arrrgh feel like I need to really unwind and destress after this because I noticed the TA checking out the house (she didn’t know I could see her) and her eyes were darting left, right and centre) 🥲

ARRRRRGHHHHH😂 I’m sure I’ll recover …vent complete

I get what you mean, but I used the work comparison to refer to keeping the two entities separate, not that kids have a work life. Also, this post was referring to the everyday parents that just want to keep our home private, I think what often happens is people take a rather innocent meaning post and turn it into something more sinister…this is not about parents who abuse their kids and live in squalid conditions avoiding a school home visit, it’s just normal, everyday loving parents (who very much love their kids and want them to thrive academically) who perhaps find that type of visit rather awkward and would happily have it anywhere else , that’s all 😀

Health visitors are not mandatory you know.

Yeah they're just checking you definitely live there as some people put down grannies address so they are in the catchment area of the school.

I guess I really just cannot see the problem with a policy designed entirely around my child’s wellbeing and confidence as they start school. It’s such a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, and I don’t think kids really have that distinct separation

I don't think this is always the case. That school nursery that did it to me gave the places on a first come first served basis, as most do. Where you lived only mattered for reception year.

We didn't have a home visit (North west) but my dsis is a reception teacher in London and she has to carry out home visits each year...not that she looks forward to them!

Hello OP...I share your unease with this! My children's primary school did this and I absolutely hated it. I know it wasn't the case at all but I couldn't help worrying that they had come to judge my house. I know they hadn't and the kids seemed to love it and thought it was exciting but I couldn't wait for it to be over. Both times. The only saving grace was that the first time, the teacher went to sit on a chair in my front room and I think she was nervous and missed the chair and ended up on the floor. We both ended up in hysterics (after checking she was okay) and it broke the ice but other that that....hated it!!!

But how does the school know which you are? This is WHY they ask to visit. To find out.

😂😂😂noooo

When my children were about to start school , the school wanted to do l home visit...l said no, there is no need for it. I didn't see what a home visit had to do with going to school...l choose who comes into my home, no one tells me they are coming without an invitation.....l never recieved any negativity from the school, they were fine. Alot of people think it's a must, in mycase it was a must not and they can sod off.....Moaning how busy and stretched teachers are but can make time for home visits....what a complete waste of time.

You've done an excellent job of illustrating my point that parents seem to think it's fine to be rude to teachers and question their ability to do the job, including when it comes to putting children's interests first.
What are your safeguarding qualifications and experiences? How many children have you taught?
Were you in a classroom today like I was with children with lots of needs based on ACEs? And interestingly, one whose ACEs that only came to light due to a homevist. It's nothing to do wth the make up status of a parents or clothes on chairs- as previous posters have erroneously stated- and everything to do with safeguarding and putting children's interests first.

My brother and SIL both work full time, neither wanted to waste a days A/L for a home visit so they declined. The letter came with the date and time on it and sil simply declined saying it wasn’t convenient as both were working. End of story.

Our school does them. DD would have been fine either way, but DS was quite nervous about starting school and his teacher was amazing, he wasn’t keen to talk at all when she got there, but he was chatting away to her by the end. I don’t think it would have happened if we’d just visited at school, he was relaxed at home and wanted to show her his toys etc. It was done in the few weeks before the summer holidays, so he went from not wanting to talk about starting school, to telling everyone how much he liked his new teacher, and helped him relax about it all over the summer. I have to say it never really occurred to me the teacher might be checking out my home, I was genuinely glad to get a chance to chat to her one on one and have DS meet her properly.

When DS went to reception in 2014 we had a home visit (in London). Teacher and TA came. DS had a great time showing his teacher his toys, TA went through questions with me. People that are special to DS, best ways to calm him if upset, foods he likes, what he doesn't like.
By the time DD was ready for reception, we'd only just come out of lockdown so the teacher went to the nursery (in Essex) rather than our home