Muire gan Smál
School Policy on Supervision
This policy is rooted in the Missions Statement and aims of our school. It was drawn up in
consultation with Staff, Board of Management, Parent Representatives and Students. It
promotes a safe and caring environment for the whole school community. As a policy it has
close links with our School Safety Statement and our School Code of Discipline. It also
reflects circular 18/03 from department of Education and Science.
Rationale
 To promote the greater welfare of the child with particular attention to his/her safety.

To give clarity of roles.
 To inform and reassure parents of the high level of supervision in our school and to
seek their co-operation with same.
Aims
 That the pupils, staff and parents will be familiar with the rules and regulation of the
school which pertain to Assembly, Breaks and Dismissal Times of the school day.

That procedures will be adhered to.
Roles and Responsibilities
Board of Management
 To ensure that the policy is developed and evaluated from time to time.

To approve the policy.

To receive reports from the Principal on the implementation of the policy.
Principal, Deputy Principal and Senior Management
 To monitor the implementation of the policy.
Staff
 To exercise a duty of care at all times towards the children in our school.

To implement the Supervision Policy.

To be familiar with procedures and to adhere to same.

To revise regularly the break time rules with class.

To report instances of non compliance with rules verbally to Principal or Deputy
Principal and to record same in Supervision Report Book.

To report and record accidents in the School's Accident Report Copy.
Pupils

To be familiar with school rules re: Assembly, Break Times and Dismissal and to
comply with same.

To report to class teacher or teacher on supervision, if they have any problems.
Parents

To support school policy.
Methodologies
There are four main times during the school day for which adequate and effective supervision
will be provided:
a. Assembly 9.20am - 9.40am
b. Eleven o'clock break 10.50am - 11.00am
c. Lunch Break 12.30pm - 1.10pm
d. Dismissal 2.10p. and 3.10pm

All pupils should be in their classroom no later than 9.30am. However classrooms
will be opened and supervised by class teacher at 9.20am but not before. General
supervision will be provided by caretaker, teachers and S.N.A.’s from 9.05am. to
9.15am.
 The large number of children in the school and the fact that we have two corridors and
two play yards make it necessary to have three people on supervision each day both at
eleven o'clock break and at lunch break – one on the junior side and two on the senior
side. Three SNA’s also supervise in both yards.

Fifteen of the seventeen teachers on staff have signed up for supervision duty and
Tara Hutchins, our school secretary, has been employed as External Supervisor by our
Board of Management, to replace the other two teachers. All payment for supervision
comes from the Dept. of education and Science.

Rules 121(4) and 124(1) 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 school premises, during school time and/or on school
activities. The overall responsibility for the day to day management of school
supervision rests with the Principal teacher. It is the responsibility of the Principal
Teacher, in consultation with the Board of Management to prepare the roster for
supervision. The roster should include arrangements for providing supervision for
short term absences.

A supervision roster is placed on each of the two corridors, in the staffroom and in the
Principal's Office each Monday morning (see attached examples).

If a teacher/supervisor knows that she will be absent on her supervision day, it is then
up to that person to arrange with another colleague to swop duty. If a teacher is
unexpectedly absent then the Principal will consult the stand by roster and ask the
next teacher on the list to provide supervision for the day. It is understood that the
absent teacher will repay the favour when she returns. (Please find attached copy of
stand-by roster.)
A.
Assembly 9.20a.m. - 9.40a.m.
In order to maintain effective supervision over the pupils the teachers are required to be in
attendance in their classrooms at 9.20a.m. Teachers, who through illness, etc, are not able to
report for work, should contact the Principal as soon as possible that morning, or preferably
the previous evening so that substitute cover can be arranged. Any class that does not have a
teacher by 9.30a.m. will be divided and groups of children sent to other classes with
appropriate work to do. Mary Gormley (Special Duties Teacher) is responsible for the
management and implementation of this.
Course Days: Teachers who do a Summer course during the holidays are entitled to three
extra personal vacation days during the school year. Please see policy on Teacher EPV days.
B. Eleven o'clock break 10.50am - 11.00am
A bell rings at 10.50am. Unless it is raining or the yard is slippery, all children – infants to
sixth class, are asked to vacate the classroom and go to their respective yards. This allows
children to get some exercise and to ventilate the classrooms. Children at this time also get a
chance to have a small snack, and to go to the toilet. Roll call takes place at 10.40am each
morning – surplus time (in the infant rooms in particular) can be given to eating/tiding up.
Each teacher, infants to sixth, will stand outside her classroom door and oversee as the
children exit in single file to the yard. For safety reasons children are requested to exit and
enter again after break, walking, as quietly as possible and in single file.
Teachers on supervision duty go to the yards with the children as do the Special Needs
Assistants.
Yard boundaries have been clearly marked and children know not to cross these. Children
are not allowed to swing off railings or boundary fences. They are not to play on the steps
leading to the balcony or on the balcony itself.
A bell rings at 11.00am to signal end of break. Children line up outside the junior and senior
doors and the teacher on duty supervises the orderly return to classrooms. Once back in
class, the children are required to sit on their chairs, and continue with whatever activity their
own teacher has requested. Each teacher has a list of suitable activities for her class on the
classroom wall.
Walking or running round the classroom is strictly forbidden.
Teachers are required to be back in their classrooms at 11.00am
The S.N.A.s then take their break 11.05am - 11.20am
If the weather conditions are such that the children can't go out at eleven o'clock – then they
eat their snack, go to the toilet and continue with an activity as agreed with class teacher.
C. Lunch Break 12.30pm - 1.10pm
The bell rings at 12.30pm and the children prepare to eat their lunches in the classrooms.
Before starting the children tidy away their work and books. Children are encouraged to
bring healthy lunches to school and a good drink. (See Healthy Eating Policy)
As we are now participating in the Green Schools Programme all children are encouraged to
have a lunch box and a reusable bottle. Any cooked food that is not eaten is to be taken home
along with paper wrappings and cartons. Waste that can be composted is put into the “Green
Bin” when lunch is finished.
The children get 15 minutes to eat their lunches, during which time the teachers on
supervision patrol the corridors, keeping an eye on each classroom.
Senior girls from sixth class help with the supervision of the junior classes i.e. infants to
second class. Two sixth class girls to each of the seven junior classes. These girls are at all
times regarded as helpers and are in no way responsible for the class. If a problem arises one
girl goes immediately to the teacher in duty.
Children in all classes know exactly what kind of behaviour is expected of them during break
times and they were involved in devising these rules. (See yellow and pink sheets attached.)
Children are reminded of these regularly by class teacher and principal.
At 12.45pm the teachers on duty request that the children tidy away lunch boxes etc. and line
up at the classroom door. Teacher supervises as children leave in single file to their
respective play areas.
Children may only remain inside if they are sick and have a written note from
parent/guardian. It is our belief that if children are well enough to be in school, then if they
are well wrapped up – fresh air will only be beneficial to them.
If a child is to stay in, then they take their chair to corridor directly outside the staffroom
(sickbay) at 12.50p.m and read a library book. Sixth class minders help the junior children to
move to the sick bay.
The teacher on duty goes to the yard as the last class leaves the building.
Because of the large number of children on the senior yard and in the interest of safety, the
basketball court has been allocated to specific classes for different days of the week (See blue
sheet attached.)
While on the yard the teacher keeps a watch for incidences of rough/dangerous play and for
bullying behaviour. Rough/dangerous play is stopped immediately. Bullying behaviour is
noted and reported to class teacher. (See procedures for investigating and dealing with
Bullying behaviour i.e. green sheet.)
Accidents on yard are reported to the teacher on supervision, who takes the necessary action.
All of our staff receive First Aid Training regularly as do the pupils from 2nd to 6th class. Our
First Aid boxes are hung on the walls inside both doors for easy access. First Aid is only
administered by a teacher. If injuries are considered serious, parents are contacted and the
accident documented in our Accident Report Copy.
It is important also that all accidents, even minor ones, are reported to the class teacher after
break.
Sr. Margaret is the person on our staff with responsibility for First Aid. She ensures that the
First Aid boxes are regularly replenished and that both staff and pupils receive a refresher
course on First Aid every two years. Latest First Aid Training Course held in October 2007,
given by The Red Cross.
At the end of each break, eleven and lunch, the teacher on duty is requested to sign the
“School Supervision Report Book”, and to record any cause for concern or persistent failure
on the behalf of pupils to comply with school rules.
D. Dismissal
2.10 p.m. - Infants
3.10 p.m. - First – Sixth class
Junior and Senior Infants are dismissed each day at 2.10p.m. Five minutes before this
happens the junior children are encouraged to tidy away their work, pack their bags and put
on their coats. The class teacher lines the children at the classroom door and keeps a
watchful eye as the children exit the school building walking in single file.
Parents of the infant classes are encouraged to wait for their child/children either in the junior
play shed or at the school gate and accompany them safely to the car. Children and parents
are encouraged to use the zebra crossing to get to the footpath.
During the month of September only, the class teachers accompany the junior infants to the
school gate and make sure that those children, who go by bus, get to recognise which bus to
take. Parents are told, both verbally and in writing, that this will only happen for the first
four weeks of junior infants i.e. the month of September only. On very wet days the junior
children are encouraged to wait in the play shed until the parent comes to collect them.
a. If on a particular day a parent knows that he/she is going to be late or is going to have to
make unexpected alternative arrangements for the collection of the child/children, that
parent should contact the school so that the child/children can be made aware of same.
b. Parents are encouraged to make sure that the child knows to return to the classroom if the
parent or lift is not outside the school gate at time of dismissal. Under no circumstances,
should the child attempt to walk home. If the child returns to the classroom, the class teacher
will then make contact with the parent and reassure the child until he/she is collected.
First class to sixth class are dismissed each day at 3.10p.m.
Before leaving, the children are expected to tidy their own tables and to leave their classroom
ready for the next morning. This tidy up should only take two minutes, but it is considered
valuable training for the children.
Teacher then requests that the pupils line up at the classroom door and keeps a watchful eye
as they exit in single file, walking along the corridor to the cloakroom and/or senior back
door. Sixth class, first class and senior infants exit the school building via the main front
door, this is for safety reasons.
Points (a) and (b) of junior dismissal also pertain to the senior pupils.
Ratified by B.O.M. and reviewed each September.