KILGARRIFFE NATIONAL SCHOOL
PROMOTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
This policy can be downloaded from the links below:
KILGARRIFFE NATIONAL SCHOOL
SUPERVISION POLICY
INTRODUCTION
This policy and procedures applies to all staff and children during school hours at break times, and on all school related activities. The procedures ensure appropriate supervision of children in respect of school outings, in the yard/playground, during assembly, dismissal and breaks and in respect of specific areas such as toilets, changing rooms etc.
RATIONALE
The rules for National Schools 121(4) and 124(1) obliges teachers to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of pupils and to participate in supervising pupils during school time and during all school related activities.
Legislation such as the Health Safety and Welfare at Work Act and recent Court judgments have placed a “duty of care” and accountability on schools that must be underpinned by a policy covering all possible eventualities.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHARACTERISTIC ETHOS OF THE SCHOOL
This policy is in keeping with the school ethos of providing a safe and secure environment for learning for all pupils and the wider school community. The role of the school is to provide the highest possible standard of education and supervision for its pupils. A stable secure learning environment is essential requirement to achieve this goal.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To develop a framework that effectively ensures, as far as is practicable, the safety of children while at play on the playground or while engaged in school related activities
To observe and monitor behavioral patterns outside the confines of the classroom
To contribute to effective school management and comply with relevant legislation.
SCHOOL PROCEDURES
- Three staff, (on a Rota basis) are on supervision duty for breaks and after school duties at all times.
- It is the policy of the school to supervise the school playground at all times during regular lunch breaks.
- Rules of the school playground are reviewed and revised continually and communicated to children regularly.
- Specific toilet areas are separate for boys, girls & staff. Children seek permission from a staff member before leaving class or the yard to use the toilets. During class hours no more than 2 children (1 boy/1girl) may leave their classroom at any one time. Junior classroom use a necklace system to make monitoring easier for their teacher. Children receive necklace from teacher on leaving classroom & return it to their teacher on their return to the classroom.
- Supervision duties are compulsory and the Principal is responsible for making returns to the Department of Education in relation to the 37 hour contracts.
- If parents indicate a worry about a particular child on the playground all teachers are informed of the concern so that the particular concerns can be addressed satisfactorily.
- Children with injuries/complaints are dealt with directly by the teachers/ SNA’s.
- If children remain uncollected after school ends, the school always ensures that a duty of care is provided until a parent/guardian calls.
- At all other times each teacher is responsible for the supervision of all children under their care.
- At dismissal time in the afternoon, the mainstream teachers/ SNA’s see children safely off the premises and supervise their collection by parents/ guardians.
- Unless unavoidable, teachers should never leave their classroom unsupervised.
- Children who are withdrawn from their mainstream classroom for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Learning or Language Support should be collected at and returned to their classroom door by the relevant teacher.
INJURIES TO PUPILS
- The teacher in charge of the injury should, to the best of his/her ability, assess the severity of the injury.
- If judged superficial, first aid might be administered to the pupil by a teacher, using the school’s First Aid Kit and after consulting the pupil’s application form re allergies.
- First Aid box and Incident Book are kept as a matter of procedure. All accidents where there is injury involved should be noted in the Incident Book by the relevant teacher. Where teachers suspect that a child is un-well parents are alerted, usually by phone.
- In the case of more serious injuries, where it is judged that medical assistance is needed, the parents/ guardians of the injured child, should, where possible, be contacted by telephone by the teacher/principal.
If either parent/nominated guardian for emergency are not available by telephone the local doctor will be contacted.
- An ambulance should be called in the case of emergency or where movement of an injured person may be unwise.
- Serious injury and the circumstances should be notified to the BOM, School Insurances and INTO as soon as possible.
- If injury was caused by defects in premises/ equipment, this should be noted and corrected for the future.
SPECIAL PROVISIONS
a) Out of school activities such as games, swimming, tours, back-up provisions (SNA’s and Garda Vetted parents/Guardians) are put in place to ensure that adequate levels of supervision are available. The level of supervision is usually one adult per 15 children with individual teachers in charge of specific groups.
b) If a teacher is called from his/her classroom to meet with a parent or take a phone call, another member of staff will be asked to cover. It is school policy, however, to request parents to make appointments after school hours & phone calls during the school day are answered & recorded on the school phone answering system and dealt with at school breaks (by teacher not on supervision Rota) or after school day ends.
c) On wet days children remain in their classrooms during breaks.
d) When visiting teachers take over a class, the school encourages teachers to maintain a presence and aid supervision.
e) The school Safety Statement lists all hazards on the school yard and teachers are accordingly briefed.
f) Parents may request that their children be allowed leave during the school day due to health commitments etc. Parents who take their children out of school during the school day are requested to sign out on leaving with their child and sign in on returning to school. A special register to record these absences is kept in the foyer in the main school building. The pupil is the responsibility of the parent for the duration of the out of school activity.
SUCCESS CRITERIA AND REVIEW
- Ensuring a safe child-friendly school yard
- Providing well organised and safe out of school activities
- Re-enforcing school rules each term
- Reviewing supervision duties yearly
- Altering or adjusting procedures deemed to be inoperable
REFERENCES
1. Primary Education Management Manual – Thompson Roundhall
2. Insurance, Safety and Security in the school – Church & General
This Supervision Policy was reviewed and updated by the Board of Management on Wednesday 7th March 2018
KILGARRIFFE NATIONAL SCHOOL
CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
Kilgarriffe National School is a primary school providing primary education to pupils from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.
In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 and Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of Management of Kilgarriffe National School has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this document.
The Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without modification the Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 as part of this overall Child Safeguarding Statement
The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is: Mrs. Susan Hanbidge (Principal)
The Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DLP is: Mrs. Clodagh Nicholson (Vice Principal)
The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, procedures, practices and activities. In its policies, procedures, practices and activities, the school will adhere to the following principles of best practice in child protection and welfare:
The school will:
recognise that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations;
fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children;
fully co-operate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection and welfare matters
adopt safe practices to minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening to children and protect workers from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may leave themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect;
develop a practice of openness with parents and encourage parental involvement in the education of their children and
fully respect confidentiality requirements in dealing with child protection matters.
The school will also adhere to the above principles in relation to any adult/ pupil with a special vulnerability.
The following procedures/measures are in place:
In relation to any member of staff who is the subject of any investigation (how so ever described) in respect of any act, omission or circumstance in respect of a child attending the school, the school adheres to the relevant procedures set out in Chapter 7 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 and to the relevant agreed disciplinary procedures for school staff which are published on the DES website.
In relation to the selection or recruitment of staff and their suitability to work with children, the school adheres to the statutory vetting requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and to the wider duty of care guidance set out in relevant Garda vetting and recruitment circulars published by the DES and available on the DES website.
In relation to the provision of information and, where necessary, instruction and training, to staff in respect of the identification of the occurrence of harm (as defined in the 2015 Act) the school:
Has provided each member of staff with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
Ensures all new staff are provided with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
Encourages staff to avail of relevant training
Encourages Board of Management members to avail of relevant training
The Board of Management maintains records of all staff and Board member training
In relation to reporting of child protection concerns to Tusla, all school personnel are required to adhere to the procedures set out in the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017, including in the case of registered teachers, those in relation to mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015.
In this school the Board has appointed the abovenamed DLP as the “relevant person” (as defined in the Children First Act 2015) to be the first point of contact in respect of the child safeguarding statement.
All registered teachers employed by the school are mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015.
In accordance with the Children First Act 2015, the Board has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while attending the school or participating in school activities. A written assessment setting out the areas of risk identified and the school’s procedures for managing those risks is attached as an appendix to this statement.
The various procedures referred to in this Statement can be accessed via the school’s website, the DES website or will be made available on request by the school.
This statement has been published on the school’s website and has been provided to all members of school personnel, the Parents’ Association (if any) and the patron. It is readily accessible to parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made available to Tusla and the Department if requested.
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this statement refers.
This Child Safeguarding Statement was adopted by the Board of Management on Monday 7th February 2022.