Rationale
Our aim is to provide a safe place for all the children in our care to learn and play. As teachers, we accept the duty of care which devolves to us. In Scoil Naomh Buithewe make every effort to ensure that the children given into our care are adequately supervised.
Roles and Responsibilities
- The deputy principal, in consultation with the principal, is responsible for drawing up and updating the supervision roster which is given to all staff, displayed in the staff room and the main office, and saved onto the school server.
- In the event of an absence which is covered by a substitute, the supervision is undertaken by the substitute.
- Pairings have been pre-arranged to cover in the event of absences that do not have substitute cover.
- It is the responsibility of the relevant teacher to notify their yard duty partner of a planned absence.
- In the event of an unplanned absence, when the teacher concerned rings the Principal to inform her of the absence they must also inform the principal if they are scheduled to do yard duty that day. The principal will then inform the substitute/yard duty partner of the requirement to do yard duty.
- The secretary will remind the substitute/yard duty partner before 10.45am on the day.
Policy Statement
- During the mid-morning break, one teacher supervises the Infant yard (Infants and First Class) and one teacher supervises the basketball courts where the more senior pupils play (2nd to 6th Class). SNAs are also present in the yards during these times.
- During the lunch time break one teacher supervises the Infant corridor/yard, a second teacher supervises the Junior corridor/yard (1st, 2nd and 3rd Class) and a third teacher supervises the basketball courts where the senior pupils play (4th, 5th and 6th Class). SNAs are also present in the yards during these times.
- See appendices 1 to 4 for details of who plays where, and the location of all adults.
- On wet days the supervisors patrol the classrooms.
- Teachers and SNAs on yard duty wear high-vis vests and teachers will also have a whistle.
- The Rules for the yard are revised and reviewed regularly and are well known and repeated often to the children.
- Teachers must go to the yard immediately when the bell rings at the start of break.
- Children must always play in their designated play area.
- Children who are not allowed out for medical or other reasons must take their chair with them from the classroom to the lobby and sit in full view of an adult. They will only be allowed to keep a friend with them if otherwise they are the only child in the lobby.
- In general, no student should be allowed into the school during break time as there will be no supervision available once they leave the yard. If a child really needs to go in to use the toilet this should be reported to the class teacher via a note after the break.
- Persistent or serious incidents of misbehaviour in the yard should always be reported to the class teacher, as he/she is best placed to follow up on patterns of misbehaviour and identify bullying behaviour.
- If a child has a minor accident in the yard and requires first aid, the teacher on duty will send in the child with an SNA.
- Doors must always be kept closed to keep heat in the building.
- An electronic bell rings to signal the end of breaks and children should line up without delay. If necessary, teachers on duty can then blow a whistle to signal for quiet.
- The teacher on yard duty remains with the classes until they have all been picked up by their own teacher. All teachers are expected to pick up their classes on time, as the supervising teachers may also need to pick up their classes.
- Great care should be taken with doors, especially on windy days.
- Children should always move in and out quietly and in single file.
- In the mornings, the gate will be open to receive children at 8.30am. No responsibility is accepted for children arriving before that time. The bell rings at 8.45am and class teachers collect children at that time. Children are expected to arrive at the school as near to that time as possible.
- Children arriving after 9am must sign in with the secretary in the main office.
- Classes will end each day at 1.30pm (Infants) and 2.30pm (all other classes). Teachers ensure an orderly dismissal and that all classrooms are vacated at this time. Parents who wish to have their children escorted home should make their own arrangements to have them met at the school gate and the person to escort them should be at the school gate not later than 1.30pm (Infants) and 2.30pm (all other classes), as the school cannot accept responsibility for the supervision of children after that time.
- In the event of a parent/guardian being unavoidably delayed, the children are constantly reminded to come back into the school and inform a member of staff. The parent will be contacted and an arrangement will be made to ensure the safety of the child.
Ratification, communication, monitoring and review:
This policy was ratified at a BOM meeting on 25th March 2019. It will be communicated to staff and the school community as appropriate, and will be subject to review every year in September.
Signed: Chairperson BOM Date
Appendix 1
WINTER PLAY ARRANGEMENTS (Dry days)
SMALL BREAK (Infants to 2nd)
10.45am – 10.52am JI/SI – Soft Play Area 1st/2nd – Eat Inside
Teacher on duty, Eileen and Kathleen all outside
Monica inside, plus Siobhán who goes to 2nd class
10.52am – 11.00am JI/SI – Eat Inside 1st/2nd – Soft Play Area
Teacher on duty plus Monica outside
Eileen and Kathleen inside, and Siobhán back in JI
SMALL BREAK (3rd to 6th )
10.45am – 10.52am 3rd – 6th Eat Inside
Teacher on duty, plus Cassie 3rd and Catherine 4th
10.52am – 11.00am 3rd class – Near Basketball Court (school end)
Cassie in that half of the basketball court
Plus keeping an eye on the lobby
Concerns to be sent across to teacher on duty
4th class – Near Basketball Court (road end)
Catherine in that half of the basketball court
Concerns to be sent across to teacher on duty
5th class – Far Basketball Court (school end)
6th class – Far Basketball Court (road end)
Teacher on duty to supervise both halves
Nobody on the tarmac at the top
WINTER PLAY ARRANGEMENTS (Dry days)
LUNCH
12.15pm – 12.25pm All classes eat inside
**************************************
12.25pm – 12.45pm
Junior and Senior Infants plus 1st class
Small yard - see diagram below
Teacher on duty at the far end with 1st class.
Siobhán and Kathleen on the top end. Concerns to be sent down to teacher.
Eileen and Monica both go to basketball courts.
2nd class – Near Basketball Court (school end)
Teacher on duty in that half of the basketball court
Concerns to be sent across to teacher on duty
3rd class – Near Basketball Court (road end)
Cassie in that half of the basketball court
Plus keeping an eye on the lobby
Concerns to be sent across to teacher on duty
4th class – Far Basketball Court (school end)
Catherine in that half of the basketball court
Concerns to be sent across to teacher on duty
5th class – Far Basketball Court (road end)
Eileen in that half of the basketball court
6th class – On the tarmac at the top
Monica up there
Concerns to be sent over to teacher on duty
Appendix 2
WINTER PLAY ARRANGEMENTS (Wet days, both breaks)
All classes Eat Inside
Games/DVD/etc at teacher’s discretion,
as children eat and/or after children have finished eating
All SNAs remain in their classrooms,
. except Siobhán who goes to 2nd class
Teacher on duty (basketball courts) patrols the “Senior classes” corridor.
Teacher on duty (small yard) patrols the “Middle classes” corridor.
Principal will patrol the “Infants” corridor, thus ensuring that we have a teacher on each corridor.