Guest Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 help please!!! We are planning to do home visits for the first time . has any one out there got some tips on organisation? Perhaps some one can let me have an example of their letter to parents setting up the interviews? What happens actually at the interview/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Welcome to the forum, Mary. Hope this is the first post of many. I did a quick forum search (the blue lozenge at the top right of the screen) for "home visits" and found this thread - click here to have a look. I'm sure there will be lots of other words of advice and wisdom too! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sienna Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Welcome to the forum marycrouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Welcome to the forum, Mary. Hope this is the first post of many. I did a quick forum search (the blue lozenge at the top right of the screen) for "home visits" and found this thread - click here to have a look. I'm sure there will be lots of other words of advice and wisdom too! Maz Thanks for your tips and the links. Lots of good ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 (edited) Hi there not sure if you've already got lots of ideas now, but i thought i'd send a message anyway. Im in the thick of induction at the moment - this being my fourth. And yes, it is a lot to organise and get your head around - i was lucky as i walked into an induction already set up by a previous teacher! We offer a home OR school visit, (and nursery if parents give permission) In previous years parents have been able to fill in a form ticking when is best for them to have a home visit on selected days, but we decided this year that we were being too nice giving them the choice of time. SO this year, with the help of my senior admin lady, we decided to choose the dates for home visits and organise them by post code - so they were told to sign up on the specific day i was in their area. OR go for a school visit and that would be slotted in after! This year the parents have signed up for these visits at the first induction meeting - which meant more came than in previous years! Some days ive been doing 8:30 - 6pm if there is a lot of people in one area. i'm released 1 or 2 days a week for this term - im seeing 60 kids at home or school, and at nursery, just to give u an idea - you may need less time? Im lucky enough to take a TA with me for the visits as well, they play with the child and i chat. Not all children wanna play of course, but in my experience even the really shy children warm up as u are in their home so they are more comfortable. I ask - how are you feeling about your child starting school? how are they feeling? Tell me about their character? what do they like doing? Medical? Dress/undress independently? Toileting? Attitude to writing/reading - get a gage of where their child is - eg can write name, recognise name? happy to hold a pencil? enjoys stories? aware of letter sounds? etc Who are their friends that are coming to school? (this maybe specific to my school as we put them into 2 friendship groups until mid nov - then set the 2 classes when we know them better and get an idea of who actually work well together!!!) Any questions etc Some visits go faster than others, obviously sibling parents don't have as many questions as 1st time parents to the school, but it is a really lovely thing to do. I take photos of being there as a starting point in sept eg memories of my home or school visit. school visits take the same form, just at school! sometimes parents don;t bring their child as they know it's a adult chat - but they can bring them!!! I leave 30 mins between these appointments and 45mins between the home visits as that includes travelling time. You do really need the support of another teacher or person from the office. Since my admin lady has got involved it has been fab Hope that helps a bit Sarah x Edited June 13, 2009 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Welcome to the Forum, Sarah Congratulations on such an informative first post! I'm sure you've provided lots of useful ideas/background information to anyone considering doing home visits! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Hi there not sure if you've already got lots of ideas now, but i thought i'd send a message anyway. Im in the thick of induction at the moment - this being my fourth. And yes, it is a lot to organise and get your head around - i was lucky as i walked into an induction already set up by a previous teacher! We offer a home OR school visit, (and nursery if parents give permission) In previous years parents have been able to fill in a form ticking when is best for them to have a home visit on selected days, but we decided this year that we were being too nice giving them the choice of time. SO this year, with the help of my senior admin lady, we decided to choose the dates for home visits and organise them by post code - so they were told to sign up on the specific day i was in their area. OR go for a school visit and that would be slotted in after! This year the parents have signed up for these visits at the first induction meeting - which meant more came than in previous years! Some days ive been doing 8:30 - 6pm if there is a lot of people in one area. i'm released 1 or 2 days a week for this term - im seeing 60 kids at home or school, and at nursery, just to give u an idea - you may need less time? Im lucky enough to take a TA with me for the visits as well, they play with the child and i chat. Not all children wanna play of course, but in my experience even the really shy children warm up as u are in their home so they are more comfortable. I ask - how are you feeling about your child starting school? how are they feeling? Tell me about their character? what do they like doing? Medical? Dress/undress independently? Toileting? Attitude to writing/reading - get a gage of where their child is - eg can write name, recognise name? happy to hold a pencil? enjoys stories? aware of letter sounds? etc Who are their friends that are coming to school? (this maybe specific to my school as we put them into 2 friendship groups until mid nov - then set the 2 classes when we know them better and get an idea of who actually work well together!!!) Any questions etc Some visits go faster than others, obviously sibling parents don't have as many questions as 1st time parents to the school, but it is a really lovely thing to do. I take photos of being there as a starting point in sept eg memories of my home or school visit. school visits take the same form, just at school! sometimes parents don;t bring their child as they know it's a adult chat - but they can bring them!!! I leave 30 mins between these appointments and 45mins between the home visits as that includes travelling time. You do really need the support of another teacher or person from the office. Since my admin lady has got involved it has been fab Hope that helps a bit Sarah x Thanks sarah, lots of great ideas. Very helpful Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Oh good, glad to help ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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