Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Reception teacher home visit

32 replies

PragmaticWench · 14/06/2017 17:20

At our parents' meeting prior to DD starting reception in September, the school stated that over the course of the first two weeks of term they would be doing home visits to each new pupil.

I'm baffled as to what the point of this would be after they have started the term and already met the teacher, does anyone know? Also, can we politely decline the visit?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

grasspigeons · 14/06/2017 17:23

You can decline
Are you sure reception have actually started? At my sons school the reception teachers carried out the visits during the first week whilst the rest of the school was there and reception started the second week on the Thurs and Friday.

Original poster

PragmaticWench · 14/06/2017 17:27

Yes, I asked the teacher and she said that whilst they do a few hours each morning over the first two weeks, the teacher and ta do home visits during the afternoon.

OP posts:

Original poster

PragmaticWench · 14/06/2017 17:28

The two weeks of messing about with a few hours each day is a whole other gripe!

OP posts:

CaliforniaHorcrux · 14/06/2017 17:31

Haven't experienced this thankfully and don't agree with it, so hopefully you won't have to have it if you don't want. Sure everyone has their own views on it but I think it's intrusive and unnecessary

grasspigeons · 14/06/2017 17:33

Oh dear! There are so many different settling in methods and they are all awkward.

The bonus of the home visit is your teacher sees the child in an environment they are comfortable on a one to one basis and you can ask some questions without competing with 30 other parents.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 14/06/2017 17:35

Its just to make sure your house is nice and clean

Mrswinkler · 14/06/2017 17:38

I think the real reason for this is that it gives the teachers a good idea of the home set up. It's for their benefit not yours. Our school did this prior to nursery but in the summer months as they were doing all the transition for other years.

Hulababy · 14/06/2017 17:39

My school do this over the first week or so. They do nursery visits this half term, and then home visits at the every start of term, before the children begin.

II have never been involved as it isn't my year group, and didn't have one for my own DD (different school) but the EYFS staff do say that they are very useful to see the children in their home setting, where they are more confident and settled and surrounded by their own things., even more so than the nursery visits.

becotide · 14/06/2017 17:39

They want to see if you have books or an enormous flatscreen telly bolted to the wall. And don't use febreeze, it's non-u, better to smell of dogs (labradors only)

Wh0Kn0wsWhereTheTimeGoes · 14/06/2017 17:53

It is just so they can get to know you a bit, you can ask questions privately, let them know if you have any particular concerns about your child settling in. They've got a lot of families and children to get to know all at once and it's easier than trying to get to know each other at drop off and pick up time.

Original poster

PragmaticWench · 14/06/2017 18:04

Sadly our lab has just died and the children's books are upstairs so they would have lots to judge!

To be honest I'm going to have to meet them in advance to discuss DD's health plan (before I trust them to be in charge of her!) so I feel comfortable politely declining the home visit I think.

OP posts:

Mamabear12 · 14/06/2017 18:33

Why would you decline the visit? Seems a bit silly to me. If the teachers requested to visit our home any time of year I would happily agree! I mean why not?? Gives a chance to get to know the teachers and for them to know you. I enjoyed the home visits and made me feel more at ease knowing the teachers seemed good

absolutelynot · 14/06/2017 18:43

i work in a nursery and some staff members who deliver EYFS were recently on a safeguarding course. they were given an observation crib sheet for recording things on home visits. they asked why it was necessary and that some things weren't relevant to us (observations aimed specifically at children in school). They said home visits by teachers will be more common under safeguarding regulations (as if teachers don't have enough to do!).

I don't understand why you would decline it though, it would last half an hour i reckon at most and may benefit your child, dependent upon what they do whilst there. And if DD has a health plan you want them to be comfortable with, it might be beneficial to you to have that consolidated time together in an environment you are familiar with to discuss your concerns.

Biscuitsneeded · 14/06/2017 18:50

I can't see the problem. The teachers aren't there to snoop. If your child gets to interact with the teacher for half an hour in a familiar environment then they're much more likely to be happy to go into school to be with that person. When DS 1 did this I had an incontinent 3 year old in the house, so potties everywhere, and was mid-PGCE myself so house was a tip. I explained, teacher sympathised. I don't think she referred us to social services! However if you decline the visit they might wonder if you had something to hide. If you were ill and bedbound you'd let a doctor into the house, wouldn't you?

Biscuitsneeded · 14/06/2017 18:51

Plus I think it helps teachers to know who is at home in terms of parents, siblings etc, and the family's general way of life. Not because they want to pry but because they can get to know your child more quickly if they know what to talk about with your child.

windypolar · 14/06/2017 18:54

Part of it is to see you in the home environment, OP. You are within your rights to decline, of course, but some parents find them useful.

windypolar · 14/06/2017 18:56

Non u to use febreze! What book of etiquette is that from

Original poster

PragmaticWench · 14/06/2017 19:10

I would find it intrusive to be honest, I hated the midwife doing the first appointment at home too.

I could see benefit for DD if it were before term started but not any after she's already been to school.

As for the health plan, that will have to be sorted before she starts school otherwise she won't be going.

OP posts:

MiaowTheCat · 14/06/2017 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KingLooieCatz · 14/06/2017 20:17

Why would you decline a visit? Because you will use one of your 30 or so annual leave days to wait in for a 5 minute visit where they don't even stop long enough for a cup of tea. The visit will be smack in the middle of the day and they will be late so you can't even use your day off to take your wee one on a day out. Because you had to use annual leave for this, there will be an additional day of summer holidays when you have to use childcare rather than spend time with your child.

They do it purely so they can tell Ofsted they did it. The teachers won't even remember which home was which they'll be in and out them all so fast.

Wish I had declined, relieved to now live in Scotland where they don't have Ofsted and there is none of this meaningless tick box approach to parental engagement.

Waste of everyone's time.

KingLooieCatz · 14/06/2017 20:18

Half an hour might have been worth it!

Took the day off and waited in all morning and it was 10 minutes if that, barely put their bags down.

KingLooieCatz · 14/06/2017 20:20

I'd accept a visit if they came when it suited me, but I doubt very much Sunday afternoon would happen.

Mamabear12 · 14/06/2017 20:55

Geez, Im surprised people w a couple negative comments. I think it is so lovely the teachers come around to the houses here. Where I grew up, they never did this. I think it is so nice. Lets the teacher understand more about your kids, home life and also you get to chat with the teachers in your own environment, get their full attention. It also allows your child to shine and speak with the teachers. My children both loved when teachers popped by and so did I. I wish they did it every year of primary!

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 14/06/2017 23:20

They did this with my son when he nursery. Tbh it was fine and it really helped him to settle in plus they were one on one with him to assess him.

superram · 15/06/2017 07:12

Ours did it, but in the 4 days before they started. I wasn't there as I'm a teacher. My son ran upstairs and wouldn't come down so was good for them to see what they were dealing with. He knew his nursery nurse already.......

Flip

1 2