Infant and Junior School Supervision Policy

This policy and its procedures applies to all children in the Infant and Junior School, including the EYFS and takes into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all our children.

Rationale

The safety of all our children is paramount and it is the duty of all members of staff to ensure that they have this as their prime consideration at all times. It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure the safety of children in our care, both within timetabled lessons, extra-curricular activities, before/after school and during breaks/transition points in the school day. In doing so, we adhere to the recommended ratios of one adult to six children from aged 4-8 and one adult to eight children from aged 9-12.  

Before School

Breakfast Club is supervised from 7.30am until 8.15am. A member of staff is on duty and children are signed in by their parent/carer. Unless in Breakfast Club, no children are allowed on the school grounds until 8.15am.  Parents must wait with them, safely, on Melbourne Avenue.  Supervision in the playground begins at  8.15am, at which time children are allowed to enter the playground and Junior children in Breakfast Club are dismissed to join their peers.  Infant children in Breakfast Club are escorted to their playground by the member of staff on duty.  

It is the responsibility of the member of staff on duty in Breakfast Club to ensure that those children are supervised. 

At 8.30am a bell is rung indicating time to line up and the start of the school day.  Children in the Infant School line up in the playground and and adult escorts them class into the building.  At the beginning of the term, Reception children are welcomed directly into their classroom, with parents bringing them to the door.  As the term passes the Reception children join the rest of Infants in the playground.  Children in the Junior School, children line up in year groups in the playground, and are invited into the school.  

Gates are closed by duty staff and any children arriving after 8.30am must enter the school by the main gate and go to the School Office.  The School Secretary is responsible for monitoring entry into the school.  

Whilst the girls are entering the Infant and Junior buildings, the rear doors may be hooked back. It is the responsibility of the members of staff on duty to ensure that this door is closed when the girls have entered. 

All teachers should be in their classrooms by 8.30am. Registration takes place by 8.40am. Registration is done electronically using the school’s information management system 

Assemblies take place either in the morning (from 8.40am) or afternoon directly after lunch.  It is the duty of the form teacher to escort their class to the hall and supervise them until assembly starts on the days that their form attends assembly (see Assembly Rota). At the end of assembly the Assistant Staff on duty will, if necessary, escort children back to their classrooms.

Morning break

Morning break begins at 10.10am. Children should take their break time snack, collect their coats (if needed) and go outside.  Reception children have their snack provided for them by school.  Duty members of staff supervise the children by circulating around the playground) and are responsible for lining the children up at the end of break and inviting them back into the building.  For all classes, wet break is supervised in the classrooms, although we do try to have the children undercover outside for some of the break. 

First aid cover is provided by the school nurse or the school secretary. Duty staff should ensure that all areas are supervised.

A bell indicating the end of the break is rung at 10.30am. The children stop play and then line up in quiet on the second. Classes or groups are then invited to enter the buildings by the duty staff, and make their way to their classrooms. Teachers will be in the classroom.  

Lunch break

Lunch break begins at 11.45am for Infants and 12.00 for Juniors – with some variations to take into account the clubs and activities, and staggering the time for groups. Children should take their coats (if needed) and water bottles outside with them at the beginning of the lunch break. Members of staff and lunchtime supervisors ensure that the dining room and playground are properly supervised.

As the children finish their lunches they go to the playground and are supervised by the staff on duty. Infant children are escorted to their playground by the designated member of staff on duty. On wet days children return to their form rooms after lunch and the members of staff on duty supervise inside the building. 

Children who need to change for Sports Clubs are supervised by the  member of staff running the club.   If a member of staff runs a lunchtime club, it is their responsibility to ensure that they are in the designated room/area in order to supervise girls arriving for their club.

First aid is provided by trained members of staff, including the School Nurse and School Secretary.  

A bell is rung at 1.00pm to mark the end of lunch break and the girls are sent in.  An afternoon registration is then taken.

In the classroom

All classes will be supervised by the member of staff who is designated to teach them for that period and the children are the responsibility of that teacher. In case of staff absence, appropriate cover will be arranged by the Deputy Head. Children should not normally enter rooms where no member of staff is present.

Specific Risk Assessments are in place for practical subjects, classroom activities and activities around school.  Teachers follow the guidelines of these.  Year 6 children crossing to the Senior School are allowed to do so unaccompanied; all other children must be escorted by the teacher in charge.  Junior girls taking additional Music lessons are allowed to go to the Music practice rooms in No 4 Melbourne Avenue unaccompanied; however all girls up to the end of Year 5 must be collected from and returned to the Junior School by their Music teacher if their lesson is in the Senior School. Infant girls having music lessons are collected by the teacher and taken to the music room or music practice room. At the end of the session they are returned to their form rooms.

When moving off-site, specific Risk Assessments are prepared and followed.

End of the Day

Reception and Infants – 3.30pm

At 3.30pm, Infant children collect their coats and belongings before being escorted to the back of the school where they are dismissed to parent/carers waiting in the playground.  Any child who remains uncollected by 3.45pm will be taken into the office to wait with the member of staff on duty or School Secretary, and parents will be contacted. If a child is booked into either an afterschool club or Rattle & Roll's After School Care (ASC) they will be escorted to club or to the Dining Hall where a register is taken by the supervising member of staff.   See the specific policy relating to after school care for further procedure.  At the end of clubs,  children are either collected by parents from the front of school, or if booked into ASC escorted to the venue with a member of staff. If they are not collected, nor booked into ASC, the member of staff will hand them over to the JLT member on duty who will then make the necessary phone calls to parents/carers.  

Juniors– 3.30pm

At 3.30pm, Junior children exit the Junior School and wait with their teachers at the front of the school until they are collected. Parents/Carers wait on Melbourne Avenue.  Children taking part in after school clubs will be collected by the leader or go to a specified venue to be registered by the member of staff.  Girls booked into ASC will make there way to the Dining Room and are registered by the staff.  Follow up is made on any child who is booked into a club, and not present.  Any children not collected by 3.45pm are taken by the member of staff to join ASC. 

At the end of clubs, children are either collected by parents from the front of school, or if booked into ASC escorted to the venue with a member of staff. If they are not collected, nor booked into ASC, the member of staff will hand them over to the JLT member on duty who will then make the necessary phone calls to parents/carers.  

Girls who Travel on the School Buses

Children travelling on the school buses should go promptly to the covered area by the back door. The girls complete a register and the member of staff on duty escort the girls to the bus stops. 

Failure to collect a child 

The member of JLT is on duty daily - with this information logged on the staff briefing.

If a child remains uncollected at 3.45pm, the Head of Infant and Junior School or a member of the Junior Leadership Team are notified and parents are contacted. The child will either be kept in the office until 4.00pm or if the parents are unable to collect by this time, they will be enrolled into ASC at a cost to the parent.  

If a parent can not be contacted, the child’s emergency contact details will  be used in an attempt to contact any adult (previously identified by the parent) with authority to collect the child. If after several failed attempts to make contact with both the parents and emergency contact details, the member of JLT or Head will make contact with the Social Care Team to report that the child has not been collected. At all times, two members of staff will remain with the child until they are collected by a designated adult, or until a member of the Local Authority Social Care team arrive.

After School Events

All after school clubs or events should have a register.  The leaders of these events are responsible for the registration and supervision of the group.  Parents are notified of the finishing times of all activities and where to wait.  In the cases of the event finishing after ASC has finished, the organiser of the event is responsible until all pupils have been collected however they will have the contact details of a member of JLT.  If parents cannot be contacted, after a reasonable waiting period, then a member of JLT should be contacted.

Throughout the Day

Entry onto the School site is only by the front door, which is on a bell entry from the gate off Melbourne Avenue.  All other gates and doors are code protected and these are not known to parents. Access is only by admission by a member of staff. 

Entry to the school by the front door is again protected by an ‘entry phone’ system. Children are not be allowed/encouraged to open the front door. The side door and rear doors have a security code. The rear door is left open during breaks, but is closed when the last member of staff on duty returns to the building. The rear door to the Infant building is also on a coded lock.

Official visitors to the school should wear an identification label. Parents who are visiting to help with lessons should sign in/out in the Junior Office and wear a visitor ID badge which is obtained from the office. If any girl is taken out of school early, then her parent/guardian should sign her out in the appropriate book.

School Visits

All details for off-site visits are available in the Educational Visits Booklet (Staff Handbook) and this should be read by all staff. Before booking any off-site visit, members of Staff should ensure that the group leader is familiar with the procedures and policies of the GDST and Sheffield Girls’ regarding off-site visits and complete a Risk Assessment form – this is done electronically through EVOLVE. The group leader completing the Risk Assessment should, wherever possible, have visited the location prior to completing the RA. Care must be taken to ensure that there is an appropriate pupil:adult ratio for all off-site visits.

Hard copies or electronic versions of any important Health Information and Parents’ Contact Details are taken on off-site visits.  The member of staff in charge of the trip is responsible for ensuring that all children are collected. If parents are significantly late, then a member of the JLT should be informed.

Bad Weather Procedure

When the Snow Procedure comes into effect, the Head of Infant and Junior School, or the Secretary will organise the distribution of the Snow Registers. The School Buses may leave early and all children who use the buses will be collected by duty team who will escort the girls to the buses.

For information:

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs A Reed (Head of Pastoral Care – Senior School)

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads: 

 Miss E Green (Head of Infant and Junior School)

Mrs R Leslie (Deputy Head)

Mrs P Parsons and Mrs H Willatt (Phase Leaders)

Safeguarding Governor:

Dr F Yarlett