Newport N.S.
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School Handbook


 
   

SUPERVISION OF PUPILS


Background: Circular 18/03
‘Rules 121 (4) and 124 91) of the Rules for National Schools oblige teachers to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils and to participate in supervising pupils when the pupils are on the school premises, during school time and/ or school activities. Accordingly, the responsibility of all teachers individually and collectively to provide a duty of care at all times towards the children in the school in which they teach, including periods of supervision, is not changed.’
General Principles—Duty of Care:
The school has a duty of care to all its pupils. The primary responsibility/ duty of care for pupils falls on the class teacher. Systems are in place to supervise pupils in the playground on a rota basis (see Appendix). This does not alleviate, diminish or reduce the duty of care placed on a class teacher for his or her class. Our school takes care for the safety of our pupils when pupils are under our charge. This applies not only to periods during break or play time but also to the periods between the pupils’ arrival at school and the start of the school day and from dismissal in the afternoon until the school buses leave. The Board of Management has informed parents that the school accepts responsibility for the supervision of pupils during official school hours, i.e. 9.20 a.m. to 3.00p.m.
Teachers ensure that their pupils safely leave their classroom at dismissal time (3.00p.m.). If children are not collected after school, efforts are made to contact the parents. If unsuccessful, transport is arranged to bring pupil to neighbour’s/ friend’s house, pending contact with parent.
After-school activities are held on Tuesdays (Irish dancing lessons by Caroline O’Malley),Wednesdays (Speech and Drama lessons by Ursula Freiss), and Thursdays (Music lessons by Geraline Mc Namara) immediately after school closes at 3.00 p.m. Those named instructors have their own insurance cover and assume full responsibility for their pupils during their instruction time. (See Policy on Rental/ Use of School by Outside Groups.)
Mid-morning break time is from 11.00-11.10 a.m., and lunch break is from 1.00-1.30 p.m. The school has four play areas for the four class divisions—Junior and Senior Infants, First and Second Classes, Third and Fourth Classes, Fifth and Sixth Classes. Mrs. Smith with Fiona Hopkins (secretary) drafts supervision rota and circulates it to each teacher. When a teacher knows in advance that he/she will be absent on his/her supervision day, he/she arranges a swap with another teacher. Otherwise, another teacher takes on the duty and will be repaid on another date. There are always two teachers on supervision duty, along with the four SNAs; the Principal, in consultation with senior staff and BOM, has decided that this is sufficient for effective supervision. There is adequate supervision also when pupils are moving from classrooms to play areas and back again, with the Principal assisting the class teachers in ensuring safety on the stairs. Rules for ascending and descending stairs: Walk slowly and quietly—Look Ahead—Hand on the banisters—Single file.
The following are guidelines for yard supervision procedures and related matters:
All areas of the yard should be supervised by two members of the teaching staff at all times, with the assistance of all four SNAs, and should, under no circumstances, be left unsupervised.
A yard duty rota is circulated to all staff at the beginning of each month;
Children are not allowed to remain in classrooms during break times except on days when weather prevents outdoor activity;
Children are not permitted to engage in boisterous behaviour, rough play, or dangerous games;
Children are not permitted to leave the yard without the permission of the teacher on duty;
All pupils must remain within the designated area for their class grouping during break times;
In the event of serious injury, the class teacher is sent for to attend to the child; details of the accident including date, time, location, nature of the incident, names of witnesses, and action taken afterwards should be recorded in the accident book. Parents should be infirmed immediately; where contact cannot be made, qualified medical treatment should be sought for the child where necessary.
If a child needs to use the toilet during break time, he/ she must obtain permission from the teacher on duty.
Play ceases in response to the bell, and children proceed to their line.
Strategies are in place to minimise risk of accidents and to encourage good behaviour: No ball games are allowed for Infant Classes, football games are organised for classes 1st to 6th, and structured activities/games for other classes and pupils, while simple rules are regularly reiterated at Assembly and in classrooms. The school’s Code of Behaviour / Anti-Bullying policy covers incidents that may occur in the playground, and there are clear sanctions for misbehaviour. Teachers communicate immediately with details of incidents of misbehaviour that occur in the yard to the class teacher(s) involved, who then deals with the matter. Serious incidents are referred to the Principal, who records them in the Incident Book.
Our school secretary deals with minor injuries from the yard by administering first aid. The class teacher gives assistance if necessary. Injuries are noted in the First Aid book.
On wet days, pupils stay in their classrooms. Decisions for this are taken by the teachers who are on supervision duty that day. Each classroom has board games, colouring books from home, and other resources for occupying the children on such days.
Supervision away from school premises (school tours etc.): Supervision levels vary according to numbers of pupils, different age groups and different types of activities. If adults other than teachers are being acquired for extra supervision, they are briefed on the structure of the day/activity and expectations with regard to behaviour and given specific groups to mind. Teachers are clear about the procedure to be adopted if a hospital visit is required (see our Safety Statement and Tours Policy).