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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

visit from reception teacher on monday - what is the purpose of this? Anyone have a visit recently?

35 replies

Sunnysideup · 02/09/2006 09:47

Just wondered! DS' reception teacher is coming on Monday, just wondered what the teachers are thinking really when they come, what are they sussing out and analysing or am I reading too much into it?

Anyone have a vist recently? How long did it last, what did they do, say etc?

As you can probably tell I'm getting nervous about ds starting school!

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hulababy · 02/09/2006 09:51

Good luck. I am sure it will be fine. She will be coming to talk with your little one, and a bit to you to. Find out his likes and dislikes, etc. andmaybe see examples of any colouring he has done, etc.

I know round here some schools do home visits. DD had a nursery visit instead, when her teacher went to see her at her nursery.

Original poster

Sunnysideup · 02/09/2006 10:03

thanks hula! It's interesting that it's mainly to talk to ds; that won't be a problem, he will talk her into submission!

showing her things he's done....hmmm..despite my best intentions, he has had 6 weeks of being a savage really, running round the garden in pirate gear and the main topic of conversation being ways of 'deading' villains...nice little pictures to colour in aren't things pirates are concerned with

blimey, both sides will have a struggle settling in to the school routine I think!!!!

good luck to your DD too; it's a bizarre time isn't it. I can't believe it's school time already!

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indignatio · 02/09/2006 10:07

I have the same a week later sunnyside. I was talking to another reception teacher ( not ds' to be) who said that it was often a way to make a bond with one of the parents. ds's teacher is also coming round with the TA. DS is really looking forward to it. The teacher did say that they weren't coming to inspect whether the parent's had hoovered - which whilst reassuring - still means that i am going to have to hoover !!

hulababy · 02/09/2006 10:08

I wouldn't worry about showing her things too much anyway. The teacher will ask what she wants to know anyway.

DD's nursery visit involved the teacher chatting to DD, and then watching her at play whilst she spoke to her nursery teachers briefly and looked through her work folder.

Hoep his first day goes well.

DD starts on Tuesday - just 3 days away!

SoupDragon · 02/09/2006 10:12

DS1 had a home visit for reception and DS2 had one when he started the school's nursery class.

DS1 had to draw a picture for the teacher, she read him a book of his choice from a selection and he got to keep that book to take into school when he started. The picture was up on the wall in the class so he could see someething he'd done.

DS2 had to draw a picture too. I think that's all he had to do! He didn't have a reception home visit as h'ed had the nursery one.

I think part of it may be to have an idea of whether you really live there but it's mainly for your child and the teacher to get to know each other on a 1-1 basis which they won't get in class.

Original poster

Sunnysideup · 02/09/2006 10:13

me too Ig, I shall be cleaning till 1am no doubt

Hula, good luck for next week! What I can't get my head around is that realy now is when life really changes; school for all those years, then college or work; only holidays will we have the whole day together as we have done for 4 long years

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Twiglett · 02/09/2006 10:15

hehehehe .. this wasn't in place when DS started nursery but came in the subsequent year ... and friends with older 2nd children reckoned it was so nursery teacher could have a good old nose at your house (but I think that's just 'cos there was already a relationship there and we get on quite well with her)

SoupDragon · 02/09/2006 10:23

Snort! I've just remembered - I decorated DS1's bedroom especially for his home visit! The headmistress had talked about them at the new parents meeting and said "sometimes the children like to show their teacher their bedroom". I thought "@@@@. DS1s bedroom is pink and girly, it has to be painted!" Needless to say, I painted the room and he didn't show his teacher

Original poster

Sunnysideup · 02/09/2006 10:32

ha! at the thought of soupy's mad diy escapades!

Twig, that is one of the things I am convinced they are doing; it must be interesting to them to see which kids are coming from which type of social background...I shall have to shut the dogs in the garden, hide the gin and try to stop ds smoking when she comes

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Twiglett · 02/09/2006 11:11

Big warm welcome . .nice cup of tea .. offer a biscuit or even better home-made cake

then nobody notices the state its in

TinyGang · 02/09/2006 11:24

It's just to say hello and remind the children who they are before they start.

We've got 5 teachers coming round monday cos dt's are in two separate classes and I think the TA's come as well.

Lol at hiding the fags and gin How else do they think we've survived the Summer holidays?!

My dd said about the visit the other day (in her most grown up voice) '...and if Mrs Teacher needs to go whilst she's here visiting, I will take her to the toilet.'

TheRealCam · 02/09/2006 11:30

Gosh, I've never heard of this home visit thing, is it a normal part of the state system nowadays?

Polgara2 · 02/09/2006 11:32

Ours was just to chat really, the girls never had to do anything for them. They showed them the pe kit and book bags and gave us the school info and just chatted.

alexsmum · 02/09/2006 11:33

gosh- never had this !!!! thank god! would hate the teachers comingn here!!!!!!! i could never clean enough!

Gem13 · 02/09/2006 11:40

Ours lasted about 10 minutes. They (teacher plus TA) sat on the floor and tried to talk to DS but got waylaid by DD (2) instead who admired their painted toenails! They brought him a book bag and a book to fill in about what he thought school would be like, pictures to draw, etc. and asked him in a roundabout way what he thought school would be like.

I think it's a great idea. They now know who lives here (we are typical nuclear family but others may not be), and how far DS has to walk to school, etc.

Basically it was a chat. We still cleaned though!

admylin · 02/09/2006 11:49

Home visits are unimaginable here in Germany. People don't even let their friends in their home sometimes. It is quite hard to get past the front door in alot of cases.

I think they are a good idea because the teacher can get some idea of the home atmosphere, social background sort of thing, are there any books, games etc in the house or just TV and video games etc.

TheRealCam · 02/09/2006 12:04

I'm not sure about this, I'd be concerned that the teachers could label the children by their home in some way (even inadvertently?)

singersgirl · 02/09/2006 12:14

We had one last year for DS2. The teacher and TA came, and the teacher chatted to me about DS2/any questions I had while the TA did a number puzzle with him. They also took a photo of DS2 so all the pictures were on the classroom door when the children started.

julienetmum · 02/09/2006 13:11

No home visits here and to be honest one would not be possible as we work from home anyway.

I can't really see the point, I much preferred that dd spent some time with her teacher at the school (though it is the same as where she went to nursery anyway)

Tommy · 02/09/2006 13:16

We have a nursery teacher visiting us on Monday. Ds1's teacher came to. I think it's probably to see the children more at ease in their own surroundings rather than nervous and shy in a new place.
Agree with realcam that it could be a labelling thing but, tbh I reckon teachers have gopt better things to do than remember what each child's house was like.

BettySpaghetti · 02/09/2006 13:22

Don't worry about it -as others said its just to meet the child and get an idea of their likes/dislikes, interests, make them feel at ease etc.

When the teacher came to see DD we were up to our eyeballs in chaos -extension being plastered so living room was temporarily crammed into dining room, no hall/stairs carpet, DS was a few days old etc

Hope its the same teacher when DS starts school , at least then she'll see the house finished and less chaotic then (hopefully anyway as we've got a few years to finish it in )

UnquietDad · 05/09/2006 11:19

It's partly for all the reasons cited here - to put them at their ease, for the child to get to know the teacher, and so on. I think finding out about their social background in order to label them in any way is unlikely.

However, we did wonder if - in these days of catchment wars - it's also partly a way of checking that the child lives where they say they do and isn't just using a relative's address.

coderoo · 05/09/2006 11:20

its what i call a "slum check"

she will bring white gloves

bakedpotato · 05/09/2006 11:29

I think it's a great idea. This procedure got introduced at DD's school fairly recently and, according to staff, it makes for a more settled start of term. Hopefully some sort of proper connection with the teacher/ta has been established during the home visit so there's less doorstep howling on first day.

ComeOVeneer · 05/09/2006 11:32

We have one tomorrow. We were told that it is so the teacher can have a one to one meeting with the child in an environment that the child feels most relaxed in (but this is a very popular school so we too are wondering if it is in part to check on the residential status). As such I have called the estate agent to remove come and remove the "For sale" sign from outside our house .

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