School coming to home to view sick child - Normal?

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I'm feeling really sensitive right now due to work stress so please be kind.

My 5 year old is off with chicken pox right now. He got the spots on Sunday, he's been quite poorly with it Monday - Tuesday, very sleepy, then very uncomfortable Weds waiting for the scabs to form. He's just started to feel better today but the school have an INSET day tomorrow anyway.

We just had a knock at the door, and it was a teacher from DS's school! He was very reluctant to come downstairs because he's only in his pants and thought the teacher was there to take him to school. She was very nice and said it's sad that they have to do this in this day and age but it's completely normal and they do it for everyone who's been off this length of time.

He's been off for 4 days? His older sister is at school so we've still done the school run every day. To be fair as it's an inset day tomorrow it will be over a week by the time he goes back on Monday. But I've never had a teacher come unannounced to our house to check on our child. Can someone reassure me it is actually normal and they don't think something bad of us! My poor boy is just ill. I've called him in and updated, updated again this morning saying he would be back on Monday!

I actually mean I'm stressed this particular morning due to something I cocked up, and the stress of this unexpected visit has compounded it. I've also been covering a role the last 2 weeks (my old role) so am only just winding down from a big workload increase. It's definitely not a long term thing, I WFH with a flexible pattern in a job I like so am usually very happy!

I've now got all sorts of thoughts running through my head, like, are they going to phone SS because DS was reluctant to come to the door? Because he was sitting in pants only while off at home?

Did you see the doctor - if so get a letter and send it to the school, so there is a record your son is genuinely ill. If you did not go to the doctor, can you write to the practice (I would include a picture of the spots), ask if an appointment is needed and ask for the illness to be added to his medical notes. Then also request a note.

If I were you I’d ask for a face to face meeting when your son is better. I’d want to know why they’ve flagged a safeguarding concern.

I think the most important thing here is to try not to be too upset (not easy I know). Work with them, put across your side of the story, and address things like lateness.

Do they send people through the school holidays? This is reduculous!!

I would complain, I don't believe for a second they do this for every kid off for a week with CP! That's quite a normal revocery period imo.

Having seen parents coming in on my way out I can definitely no later in time or frequency than quite a few other kids in KS1

That’s very unusual, I’ve never heard of school doing that as routine especially as after Covid, many children will easily be off for a week if they catch it. I feel it might be a safeguarding concern or something. What’s his attendance like

I'd find that incredibly intrusive. I would contact the school and complain. Getting the poor kid out of bed. I can't imagine how lateness would trigger a visit such as this. I'd definitely be questioning it.

The only time our school would do a home check is if no one has been in contact with them to report and absence and phone calls home had gone unanswered.

My kids have been off for ten days before and no one came to visit as we had contacted them to let them know they were unwell.

Yep, they do this at our school now, and you have to ring in every day your child is off now, even if it's obvious they will be off for more than one consecutive day.(i.e. having a sickness bug/chicken pox)

It's because there's been an awful lot of unauthorised absence/people taking term time holidays etc.

Ypu need to phone the school to clarify this, of course this isn't normal.

I think it largely depends on the sort of area your school is in. Some schools have a policy to go out and do a door knock after a few days of not seeing z child, just to make sure everything is OK. Other schools never would. It just depends. The other thing to take into account, which you wouldn't know, is whether there's been any sort of safeguarding incident with another pupil that might have made them a little overcautious.
If you've nothing to hide I think it's fine.

This unusual, home visits are normally done for very persistent absentees but that doesn't sound like the case here. I wonder if they school itself has decided on this policy as it's overall attendance figures are very poor and rhey are worried ofsted will say they aren't doing enough.

Please don't worry about what they will do next. Hopefully they will feel rather foolish having seen your dc covered in chickenpox spots. Hope he feels better soon.

It’s normal for a member of pastoral staff to call around to check the child is actually there and is unwell. It’s unusual for it to be a teacher.

I have never ever heard of that, and there are kids in my childrens school that would be off for a lot longer than that, it sounds very strange, and i would be ringing the school asking what their policy is and why did they call unannounced, thats not part of a teachers job i would imagine.

I’d definitely want to follow up with school. You clearly aren’t on holiday if elder child is in school taken and picked up by a parent.
Sick children aren’t always at home - I used to go to my grandmas as my mum was a teacher and couldn’t miss work.

it is a safeguarding check
Totally normal.

Quite impressive really and says a lot about the school. Too many don't do it when they should.

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong at all but the school seems to think there is an issue and persistent lateness may contribute to it.
Something stupid DS14 said at school a few weeks ago caused a safeguarding concern so I fully understand that often there is nothing actually going on but schools have an obligation to look into things

Agree with the PP, the only time this would happen was if the child wasn't reported as off sick that day. Did you call in each morning?

It's never happened to us (though can't think of anything other than COVID which ever led to more than 48 hours off as I shove them back in as soon as I can) or anyone I know, as far as they've shared.

But ds did once not turn up to nursery because we went on holiday and I completely forgot to tell them he'd be off that week. I know the nursery manager and staff very well and have for years, so I have no reason to believe they would genuinely have any safeguarding concerns. Where we were on holiday didn't have any signal until we went down the lane a ways. They had tried ringing about 3 times after he didn't turn up and I only got the messages about mid morning. When I spoke to them and apologised (and we all laughed about it), they did mention they were hoping I'd ring soon because they would have had to do a home visit if we hadn't made contact my midday or so.

Could this be it? Even if you did ring in that morning, was it not communicated properly and so he was flagged up on the register.

I think let’s agree it was a safe guarding check. Now you need to find out why they decided your child might be at risk. I would be emailing the school and asking to have a conversation with either the teacher of a member of the safeguarding team and find out what they’re worried about.

Unusual but makes me think if something has happened historically to a child in that school to make this a procedure....not all kids have good homelives, you have nothing to hide so nothing to worry about, but this could save.kids who have no voice other than the.adults paid to look out for them.

I wonder if it's this. It would be silly to think we are on holiday as my older DD has been in every day this week with either me or DP bringing her!

I might message to clarify. I wonder if I have slipped up, I called on Monday to say that DS had just caught chicken pox, that he would be off and that I didn't expect him to be back in tomorrow or the next day. I had meetings all morning this week as I had a bunch of workshops, so I messaged on Dojo upon realising I hadn't called daily (though had explained on Monday not to expect him back the next day) to let them know he was obviously still off, and they responded and thanked me for letting them know. I also messaged this morning to say that he would definitely be back in on Monday, might be spotty, but shouldn't be infectious, hope that's okay.

Perhaps it's because I didn't phone every morning? It's so odd though as I phoned, messaged, and they have seen me in person each morning this week.

That said, yes, I think it does make ridiculous assumptions about who cares for children when they are ill. I was ill a lot as a child (or 'ill' as I hated school) and I don't recall a single sick day home with either of my parents. I was always deposited at my grandparents like 20 minutes away because, of course, they needed to work. Would not being literally at home flag up an even bigger issue with the school?

I am definitely happy to accept that, but if it's not routine I can't help but feel bad that they would consider me the kind of home where my children would be in trouble instead of sitting in bed with chicken pox.

I'm a TA in primary and have not heard of this. Yes, we hear a lot of concerns about persistent absence but not a one off like this. Even with persistent absence, it's more likely to be a letter or a phone call. Never heard of a teacher going around to the house.

That's a really good point. She literally said they needed to physically see him. What would I have done if he was at his nan's?