Does your primary school do this? Home visit on Day 3 of illness

[Moonshinebaby]

So my son (4 years) is off with chicken pox at the moment. This is his 3rd day of illness.

Since he's started reception in September, he's only had 2 previous sick days due to vomiting.

It's in the school's policy that they will visit a child on the 3rd day of sickness.

I thought they are bluffing, but they actually have just been around.

The lady said that it has nothing to do with my parenting, but that they need to do spot checks.

I asked and they said there are a few cases of chickenpox at the school at the moment.

Does your primary school do this?

Ha! Just tested the new Reactions.
Yay. I've been using Thanks when I want to agree or applaud.

I'm not sure it would even do that, tbh. Easy enough to claim your DC was taken ill when staying with family and you're staying somewhere else. As you say, if people know in advance, it's not random so there's time to prepare a lie.

What a shitty job. Imagine having to visit all of the most poorly and contagious kids on your school inventory and naff off their parents at the same time?

My two dc are in y5 and y2 and I have never been visited but we have been extremely lucky health-wise and not been off school for any length of time. The longest was 3/4 days with a stomach bug I think. They both had chickenpox in the summer holidays a couple of years ago.

No, I have never heard of a school doing this. However, given how there have been children living in a home with abuse, and it could have been stopped, if someone had been proactive in checking, those children might have not been killed at the hands of their parents. It might sound intrusive, but I don't think parents who have children genuinely off unwell, would complain. It's a safeguarding measure to help protect all children.

Yes, you'd catch everything going!

Wtf but I am not surprised.

The level of intrusion into private life you are suggesting for people who are doing nothing wrong is not acceptable.

This with fucking 🔔🔔on.

YABU.

My kids' school doesn't do this, but I think it would be fantastic if all schools had the funding to do so.

Yes they started this. Said all the schools on the same board ??? have to do it. I wasn't aware and was shocked!! No safeguarding issue / prolonged absence / low attendance and I phoned all 3 days.

Can't really see what it would achieve? There's no obligation to let the school in. Parents who choose to do so might still be abusive, since it wouldn't be difficult to frighten a child into lying in a bed quietly.

I was ill too and had messy hair and pjs and she said "yes you don't look good" 😂😂

But it is such a waste of time and money.

You have to target where it is needed, not just knock doors where it isn't needed.

It is done to make people think something is being done, but is not useful.

What we need is real investment in social services. Look how many social worker posts are vacant.

The ill kids were probably more contagious before they felt unwell - viruses and bacteria are smart!

I wouldn't object to a school sending someone round, but I would not be getting a sick child with chicken pox out of bed for their benefit, so not sure what it would achieve. That I wasnt on holiday with them, perhaps!

The poor child has cigarette burns on her which were noticed but never challenged in court, despite her already being under a care order.
The existing systems need to be more rigorous and accountable. The solution isn't to send school teachers round every 3 days.

We don't have that here, but then if we say DC won't be in next week as we're going on holidays they just say "Have a lovely time!".

I think it's fine if it's safeguarding. If it's to do with absence stats then I'd be rolling my eyes.

This seems like a massive waste of money and resources to me. What about the 5 years before school where no one checks up on you? Surely the money would be better utilised by social services?

True true, but I'd still rather not get up close and personal with one who'd just been sick anyway!

What are you on about? 3 days’ absence means from school. If school isn’t open, it isn’t absence. Don’t be bonkers.

Agree. Seems like a pointless waste of resources that we'd do better to use in a more targeted way.

That had me confused as well.

It is a school policy, so why did she call it a spot checks?

Probably because of the chicken pox..

I don't believe in lazy, blanket policies like this.

It's very easy to go and visit a child with cp from a loving family.

I doubt there is any link between these policies and improved outcomes for children. Happy to stand corrected.

Well mine are only on day 2 and they tried coming round today!