Purpose of Reception home visits

[TheMitfordsMaid]

My DS is starting school in September and we've been told that his reception teacher and TA will visit us at home during the first week of term. He'll actually start school the following week, once the teacher and TA have completed the home visits. I have no problem with this, but wondered what the purpose of it is?

We've already completed a zillion forms, so can't imagine there'll be any of those. Are they coming to talk to me or DS?

The teachers at our school visit the kids in their pre-school settings. I think that has 3 benefits 1) can get 'soft' information from pre-school staff which they might be unwilling to commit to paper! 2) See how they interact with peers and staff 3) Can do several children at once.

They've been to our pre-school as it is attached to the school, so the home visit is an extra. DS has been into the school for 3 induction sessions, so they'll know each other very well indeed!

I think DS is wondering what on earth the big deal is. As far as he is concerned, he is only moving into the room next door with mainly the same friends he has in pre-school. He is remarkably chilled about it.

Oh dear. This is a new practice I had not heard about before.

It sounds like just another "tick box" scenario to me and is really getting away from what teaches should be doing - teaching. Wouldn't the time be better spent lesson planning or marking? There are so many problems in education without lumbering staff with such a pointless exercise; I'm sure the vast majority of teachers can assess a child very quickly without seeing them in their home setting. I just wish GOV would forget all this PC nonsense and buckle down and let teachers teach. All the A* business is rubbish too and everyone knows it. Standards are way below what they were. I look at my children's books and it makes me want to weep.

Humourme it isn't a new practice many schools have been doing it for over a decade and it doesn't prevent teachers from teaching because many do the visits outside of school hours (in their own time).
The purpose of the visit isn't to assess the child, it's about answering parents concerns and getting to know the child in their own environment

So -am I to assume that you teach nursery or reception -LittlePushkin and that you have done or declined to do home visits?

I haven't, but it is my feeling that I would like time away from school, in a relaxed setting to visit. I do however agree that the money could be better used elsewhere.

I still maintain that people don't know how lucky they are because it was very different years ago. When I started teaching parents and DCs didn't even know which class or teacher they were having until the first day of the new school year!

That is why I didn't do home visits when I taught reception TheMitfordsMaid. In a Foundation Stage Unit (combined nursery & reception) the nursery children and their parents know the reception staff very well.

Mrz _ thanks for that info. My youngest child is 10 and I've not come across any incidents of this ever in my area. Of course when one moves on from any area of schooling one quickly loses touch with the latest developments - glad I missed out on this one though it would probably have rattled me!

I think if a parent has any concerns (as I would) they should be able to raise the matter by just ringing up or making an appointment. Wouldn't that be the most logical thing to do - or we do we all need our hands held all of the time?

Teachers shouldn't have to feel obligated to work outside of their hours. There's enough to do with marking etc etc. With approx 25 kids in a class, say 30 mins an appointment plus travel - that's roughly equivalent to 2-3 days in the classroom for both Teacher and TA. Is this unpaid work really justifiable so parents can have a chat that they could quite easily arrange if they had genuine concerns? As for getting to know a child in their own environment I'm not sure how much benefit there is to this or how much a teacher would learn about the child who has probably be told to be on its best behaviour, plopped in front of the telly with biscuits so the "chat" can take place without interruptions. I just feel a good teacher can assess a child easily in the school environment and I would be very interested to see a survey of teachers and see how valuable they think this practice is.

I've just noticed you are a teacher and you say you didn't do these visits because you felt you knew the children well - which is credit to your strength of character and faith in your judgements - but I'm sure there will be many teachers who feel obligated. With all the problems in education I'd like to see things made easier for teachers to concentrate on teaching. Too many good teachers move on from teaching and I'd like to see that change.

Ps - I am not a teacher but I have strong concerns about education:)

I've just noticed you are a teacher and you say you didn't do these visits because you felt you knew the children well - which is credit to your strength of character and faith in your judgements - but I'm sure there will be many teachers who feel obligated.

Not all teachers work in a school where there is an attached nursery though; if there are several feeder schools, obviously the reception teacher won't know any of the children at all.

I know a school nursery that finishes its summer term 2 x weeks early so staff can do home visits in school time. Lots of mutterings from parents with kids currently at nursery apparently.
I had a home visit for ds 1 and I did feel uncomfortable about being 'judged' on my somewhat cluttered home. Ds enjoyed it though.