It is almost time for Ethan to start school but before his first day at school his teacher is going to come to our house for a visit.  I think this is a fantastic idea as it will really give him a strong connection with her and I'm sure that it will give her a good idea of what he's really like in an atmosphere that he's comfortable in.  But I'm still incredibly nervous!

As a teacher I never actually worked at a school that did home visits, so I'm just as nervous as anyone!  So I asked around and found some great advise from teachers who do home visits:



"I have done home visits and my one piece of advise is be yourself don't worry if there is toys everywhere . They are not there to criticise but to get to know you"  Jessica from Beauties and the Bibs 

"I think any parent is going to feel nervous and with that it is so easy to forget things, so I used to tell my parents to have a think about (and write down) what their child's favourite things were (fave song, book, comforter, toy, outdoor games, character etc) This meant that the teacher has a mutual common 'interest' with the child and it's a good starting point for settling in. I didn't focus on the academic side at all as I always think that the PSED side had a lot more importance. I always used to say to parents to write down any questions they had or any concerns and we could discuss them at the visit." Tori from Finding Tori


"I teach reception and have done hundreds of visits. I always remind parents it's informal. I'm not there to judge their home. I like it if there are toys out. It's a great way to engage with the children, especially those who are a little shy about having their teacher in their home! I love it when parents ask questions so ask away." Amy from This Little Life

"Do not worry - you never know the teacher may be as nervous as you! The teacher will not be judging you on how clean your house is, how your child behaves or what you are wearing. They are there to find out about your child and how best to settle them into school. I found sessions easier when the children had their favourite toy or book to show me. It instantly put the child at ease as they could focus on something. Do not be afraid to ask questions - no matter how silly they may seem." Emma from Adventures of Adam

"I've done lots of home visits (nursery) the main objective is to get to know the family and child in their own environment, learn about your child's likes/dislikes, comforts and any health or medical issues etc, It's pretty straightforward and usually a great ice breaker for the child to become familiar with their keyworker/teacher. It's also a good opportunity for the parents to ask any questions and to get to know the staff." Shahnaz from Mummy Be Beautiful


All of the advice from these brilliant teachers really does seem to emphasise that we shouldn't be nervous and the best plan is that have lots of Ethan's favourite toys out so that he's comfortable and shows what he enjoys doing at home.

I've also found this really sweet transition booklet to give a child's new teacher on Twinkl.  I think it's a really nice idea of something that you can sit down to do together before the teacher comes over so that you can talk about all the conversation topics that they could have with the teacher and it's also something nice for the teacher to take away with a little extra insight into your child's interests.


It is all happening so quickly and now it feels like school really is starting soon, but building a good relationship with Ethan's teacher couldn't be more important and we can't wait to have her over for a chat.  We actually did run into her one day in the playground as well, and she happened to mention that she likes cakes, so I think we'll be doing a bit of baking the day before too!

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* We were provided with a premium membership to Twinkl in order to try out their resources.*