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

My kids school did this, although you could choose for a visit to their pre school instead which is what i chose

yeah good point, fair enough

I visited a school in Harrow and they do this there. Awful imo. I'd have hated it. What's it for? It will mean that they judge the children. Just awful.

When my dm was a student mw she had to accompany a mw on home visits.
One house she went to was extremely grubby, the carpet was sticky and generally the home was basic.
As they left the mw turned to my dm and said
What a lovely little family, did you notice how much the older dc loved their dm and how good she is with them.

My dm said she learned a really important lesson that day in what constitutes a good home.

Yes, I think they do it all over England. We had a very brief visit either and I was so nervous and plastered a smile which kind of froze into a grotesque facial expression. I hate such visits also

Wow this is lovely and heartwarming. Definitely calmed me down

Omg sameee😂😂😂 I was trying so hard to smile the whole time but it started to feel forced 😂

Why didn’t they have this option 🥲

I never had this either but my DS is 16 so it was a while ago.

I'd have declined it to be honest anyway.

Our school did it. They came to my home and met us. We're at a state primary in England.

I think it's fine and i don't understand the concern as a parent?!

Its a good way for the school to see the child's environment and it picks up any issues that there may be after the health visitor role finishes for children age 5.

It ensures a proper handover and helps reduce any need for social work involvment too.

we were very lucky with the sweetest young pretty teacher and the most motherly mature TA. My home was nice at the time, tidy, aired and just withe toys, nothing else in the living room. Now I have many more things in here, including a Liddl mini pool table LOL. But they were just 5 min, so lovely and the child was sweet and ok with them. They did not look or turned their heads around. Just said few things and I said few things and they went. I was so frozen OMG

Reception teacher here. Absolutely standard wherever I've worked. I think it's much more a thing in some local authorities than others though. It's so valuable for us, because it means we've had a chance to chat to the child and make that initial connection before they're thrown into a sea of 30, which I think helps both the child and us. Also, I've found parents ask things or mention things they might have been too embarrassed to in a classroom setting. I never saw it as a chance to check out the house. Although totally understand why you'd feel awkward- it kind of is an awkward thing to do!!!!!

From an everyday perspective I 100% value these visits because of course I would love to meet the person that’ll be teaching and engaging with my child for their first time in primary school …but at the same time I just didn’t like it being at my home. Why not at the school? 🤔

We do home visits. Done 4 myself this afternoon. The purpose for us, is to check they actually live there, get to know the child a little, get an idea of their development, (although this is difficult in such a short time). Also parents have the chance to ask any questions.

There's never been any judgement from me or colleagues about people's homes. Some people live in beautiful houses, some are a dump. Most are somewhere in between. It makes no difference to me as long as it's safe. My focus is on the child and parent unless there was something obviously dangerous which would need reporting as soon as possible. This has happened twice in 15 years with me. Once, there was drug paraphernalia lying around within easy reach. Another time a very dangerous situation with an out of control dog.

When we leave, we might talk about the house and visit sometimes, things you would talk about when visiting any house 'did you notice the lovely carpet' and 'what a lovely family' or 'really confident child, nice to hear such good communication' that sort of thing.

I've also been on the other side of it and sat there cringing though

We had a home visit, DS serenaded his new class teacher and HT with his plastic saxophone from the top of the stairs (I was so proud!) DS hadn't gone to the school nursery so it was nice for DS to get to meet the teacher (although I did spend ages cleaning the house). When he started school and I met the other parents, it turns out we were the only family that had been graced with a visit by the HT. Not sure why (maybe they thought I was going to be that parent!)

It felt so awkward…not gonna lie I think I would have felt so much more relaxed if the TA hadn’t been there. She didn’t do anything wrong per se, it was just the presence of two people that I found overwhelming and she kept looking EVERYWHERE😂 like, can you at least not make it obvious😭

She had apparently gone on sick leave after having done the home visits and two induction sessions but never returned to the school and we parents weren't told for weeks that she would not be coming back.

Having met her at home and for the induction sessions, the children were understandably confused.

Hmmmm🤔

All my kids had home visits before starting nursery (now age 17, 15 and 11). I thought it was a pretty common safeguarding check?

And 28 years ago.

The ex went absolutely mental over the idea - there was no way on Earth that he'd permit 'some idiot teacher under my roof, checking up on me like a social worker'.

Wasn't his roof. It was mine.

Guess what you don't know doesn't hurt you, does it?

Omg this made me chuckle 😂😂😂😂

Wow, that's a massive over reach!!!!!!! Totally inappropriate. We're not health visitors!!!

I'd of absolutely HATED that, its not something that was ever done with my three children thankfully and doesn't seem to be done by any schools in our area.

Hmm? You're not sure or you don't believe something I wrote?

I was fine with this for my youngest DD and it all went well. She loved seeing her new teacher and teaching assistant, she was showing them all her toys really enthusiastically!

I can understand why you might feel uncomfortable but it's not too bad if it's in your own home environment, surely?