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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

Home Visits prior to starting Reception .....

20 replies

bodiddly · 01/09/2009 21:54

Ds has his home visit tomorrow morning and starts in Reception the following day - does the teacher focus totally on the child at these visits or is it about checking out where you live etc?

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thegrammerpolicesic · 01/09/2009 22:07

I imagine it's to see them on their home turf and also to check for 'social issues', to get a feel for the sort of family you are etc.

But hopefully one of the teachers will come along soon and give a better view as I'm guessing.

Are you going on a cleaning frenzy? I so am before ours!

Aranea · 01/09/2009 22:09

At ours they spoke to whichever of us was being communicative. So to start with, mostly me. Then they couldn't shut dd1 up, so they had to talk to her

cumili · 01/09/2009 22:09

DS has his next Monday, very keen to find out what to expect. Oh, and how long are they normally, anyone know? Is it just his teacher or the head as well?

Original poster

bodiddly · 01/09/2009 22:10

I've tidied and cleaned up downstairs and ds' bedroom isn't too bad should they venture up there! I have heard so little from the school so guess I can ask a few questions tomorrow. I haven't had to fill in a single form to date yet everyone else at different local schools have had loads!

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Original poster

bodiddly · 01/09/2009 22:11

I think ours is just the teacher cumili but apparently he has 2 part time teachers so I am not too sure how that works out! I just hope that the teacher that comes out is the same on that will be there on day 1!

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pixiblue · 01/09/2009 22:30

DD1's teacher came to visit before the school hols. She brought a bag of bits and bobs for her to play with (playdough/puzzles etc) along with school forms.

It's mostly so the child can meet the teacher in an informal setting and get answers to any qs either of you have. Also gives you a chance to get a feel for the teacher.

hocuspontas · 01/09/2009 22:42

It's a good time for you to ask any questions in a sane environment as it's a mad house at the classroom door for a week or so!

Teacher and assistant/nursery nurse attend from our school and it's a two-way introduction that's all. (No poking about in bedside drawers and checking cleanliness ). And a time when you could reiterate any special diet/medical needs/religious or cultural needs/etc. Although things will be on file they won't necessarily filter through to the class teacher by the first day.

Obviously hide all your porn unless you want to be guffawed at in the staffroom...

thegrammerpolicesic · 01/09/2009 23:08

So religious needs....must hide the Dawkins given it's a CofE school (we are devout atheists...)

sarararararah · 02/09/2009 08:58

I'm a reception teacher and we do our home visits next week. It absolutely is NOT an inspection! God, if any of you inspected my house I wouldn't score too well! It's a chance to meet the child and you in a setting in which you all feel comfortable. You can then ask any questions you like as it can be very chaotic in the classroom at the beginning of term. We collect in forms that we have sent out previously and check contact details etc.
It's very useful to see the child at home. Last year we had a child who wouldn't speak at all at school at first but was a whirlwind at home visit! It was useful to know what she was really like! It is also useful to have seen the child's home and get a feel for the family set up as the children often tell you things about home without very detailed explanations. If we have seen where they live we can ask better questions to understand what they mean IYSWIM. One more example - I once had a boy in my class who really struggled with being inside. Because I had seen where he lived - big farm house, loads of outdoor space, lots of mud to dig in, stream at the bottom of the garden - I totally understood why and was able to support him much better.
So, it really is nothing to worry about.
HTH

deaddei · 02/09/2009 08:59

Are these a new thing home visits- I didn't have them with my dcs?

sarararararah · 02/09/2009 10:54

Not particularly new in some areas - I've been doing them for six years. But Ofsted like them A LOT so more and more schools are doing them. It is good practice.

Scarletibis · 02/09/2009 13:16

No they're not new - my aunty (yr R teacher) used to do them years ago. She said the philosophy was along the lines of the child being more accepting of the teacher in class, having seen them in their own home environment.

Definitely not an inspection, although she was rather an inquisitive person.

Original poster

bodiddly · 02/09/2009 13:29

thanks everyone ... it all seemed to go ok. One of his teachers and a TA turned up and spent 40 mins with us. The TA went up to his bedroom to play with him whilst his teacher and I had a chat and filled in the forms etc. Just tomorrow to deal with now ....

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mosschops30 · 02/09/2009 13:32

Its about seeing where you live, what your house is like etc etc.

Anyone who tells you its about the childs educational welfare is a LIAR

FWIW though we all have to go through it, whip hoover round and you'll be fine

kathyis6incheshigh · 02/09/2009 13:34

Gosh, never heard of these, what a lovely idea.
Come to think of it my dd's new teacher has in fact seen every room in my house because she came to see it when we were trying to sell it a few years ago. And it was clean and tidy - ha!

sarararararah · 03/09/2009 19:49

I'm not a liar. It IS for the child's educataional welfare.

SolidGoldBrass · 03/09/2009 19:52

Luckily we didn't have one. TBH I would have probably refused it (don't like strangers in the house, don't want to do any more housework than necessary.) You don't have to accept this, do you? It seems remarkably intrusive to me.

theDMplagiarisedLeonie · 03/09/2009 19:58

This reply has been deleted

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Wilts · 03/09/2009 20:00

We didn't get a home visit but they did visit the children at their nursery/playgroup.

InTheseBeautifulPurpleShoes · 03/09/2009 20:38

My Mum is a reception teacher and has been doing this for years. She goes to see the child in their home so that they know her a little bit before they come to school, so that the parents/carers have an opportunity to have some one to one time with her and ask any questions/get reassurance. It also enables her to see if children are settling well at school - whether how they are presenting themselves at school is similar to in their home environment. Most teachers ARE actually interested in the welfare and well-being of children, not in the levels of dust on the mantlepiece or where they got their wallpaper from.

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