What's this whole reception home visit thing?

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I'm a bit confused. DD starts nursery soon so it'll be next yet but I've now heard that you get a home visit before your kid starts reception? Where can I get more info on this?

My DS' 17yrs and 13yrs had home visits before they started reception.

My DD's teacher went to her nursery to introduce himself; I thought it was a really kind gesture.

I think this is a great idea and helps build a positive relationship between teaching staff and the family and also give the children a good, certain feeling about the concept of "school" before they join.

My two had home visits before starting reception and they are 17 & 14 now so it's not a new thing.

Quick chat about school, any questions and a little play with your child. No problem at all

This could be beneficial. Two years ago some arse reported me (single parent) to Social Services for something (I never found out what) and we were visited by Social Services, twice, who having looked at the home environment, announced themselves happy with the way things were. (They were very sensible and quite impressive people, quite unlike the impression one gets from news reports of SS failings.) If these teacher visits stop that kind of stressful (and it was VERY stressful) intervention it must be a good thing!

More generally, there is much more awareness nowadays that the home environment affects children's progress at school, and having a snapshot of the home environment may assist teachers in working out where to focus attention.

Our local schools do home visits for incoming Reception children. You can decline and meet with the teacher/TA at school if you don't want them round. Many children LOVE showing their new teacher/TA where they live, though, and their favourite toys. Mine certainly did. The TA generally talks to the child when the teacher and parent(s) go through some stuff.

We had a home visit last year when my son started reception but my friends with kids starting at other schools didn't have them. It was the teacher and one if the early years team, they played with him and heard ALL about his overwhelming love for lego. He liked being able to show them his stuff

I'm glad my DC are too old for this. I would refuse a visit. My home is my sanctuary.

Came on to say it's down to checking if the parents live where they say they do.

All schools in my borough do it.

If DC1 gets into the same school they attend preschool at praying he does then I will be his current preschool teacher and one of the TA's, so I'd be quite excited!!!

My kids school don't do it. The nursery is at the school though and the reception teachers and TA's often pop in to read stories etc so they are not new to the children.

How on earth do teachers have time to do that?!

Just done my home visits. My current class had a week of different cover staff whilst me and my TA were out. Not great for them at all, poor things but the school wouldn't pay us overtime to do it after school hours. With 32 visits to do (approx 20 mins each plus driving time) we werent prepared to do it for free.

As it is we ended up doing about 4 visits during our (unpaid) lunch hours as the parents werent free at any other times. We then had to go straight back into class so no lunch break on those days..

My children's primary school does this. I've always assumed it had more to do with an initial check for red flags re home environment and a chance for parents to ask anything confidentially, than for the child's benefit. I think visits to the school or nursery are more beneficial for the child.

I think thI home visits were right at the start of term whereas the kids didn't start attending until 2 weeks in