Yard Duty & Supervision
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If you need help to understand the information in this policy please contact Alfredton Primary School on 5334 1572
Purpose
To ensure school staff understand their supervision and yard duty responsibilities.
Scope
This policy applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff at Alfredton Primary School, including education support staff, casual relief teachers and visiting teachers.
Policy
Appropriate supervision is an important strategy to monitor student behaviour and enables staff to identify and respond to possible risks at school as they arise. It also plays a vital role in helping schools to discharge their duty of care to students.
The Principal is responsible for ensuring that there is a well-organised and responsive system of supervision and yard duty in place during school hours, before and after school, and on school excursions and camps and other school activities.
School staff are responsible for following reasonable and lawful instructions from the Principal, including instructions to provide supervision to students at specific dates, times and places. Supervision should be undertaken in a way that identifies and mitigates risks to child safety.
Before and after school
Alfredton Primary School’s grounds are supervised by school staff from 8:45 a.m until 3:45 pm. Outside of these hours, school staff will not be available to supervise students.
Before and after school, school staff will supervise the Cuthberts Road entrance and the Alfredton Reserve entrance.
If a student arrives at school before supervision commences at the beginning of the day, the netball court gates are open at 8:30 to provide a safe and sheltered area. For children arriving before this time or later than 3:45 the Principal or nominee staff member will, as soon as practicable, follow up with the parent/carer to:
- advise of the supervision arrangements before school
- request that the parent/carer make alternate arrangements.
If a student is not collected before supervision finishes at the end of the day, the Principal or nominee staff member will consider whether it is appropriate to:
- attempt to contact the parents/carers
- attempt to contact the emergency contacts
- place the student in an out-of-school-hours care program (if available and the parent consents)
- contact Victoria Police and/or Child Protection to arrange for the supervision, care and protection of the student.
Yard duty
All staff at Alfredton Primary School are expected to assist with yard duty supervision and will be included in the weekly roster.
The Assistant Principal is responsible for preparing and communicating the yard duty roster on a regular basis. At Alfredton Primary School, school staff will be designated a specific yard duty area to supervise.
Yard duty Areas
The designated yard duty areas for our school are:-
| AREA 1 | Years four, five, six |
| AREA 2 | NETBALL COURTS- 4.5.6. TENNIS COURTS- F.1.2 |
| AREA 3 | PLAYGROUND:- Foundation, Year One. GROUNDS:- Foundation, Years One, two, three. BASKETBALL COURT:- ALL students. COURTYARD:- All students F-6. |
| AREA 4 | PLAYGROUND:- Years two and three. PIRATE SHIP AREA:- all students |
| AREA 5 | The OVAL Is for All Children to share. |
Yard duty equipment
School staff must be provided with their own equipment and:
- wear a provided safety/hi-vis vest whilst on yard duty. Safety/Hi-Vis Vests will be stored in their classroom
- carry the yard duty first aid bag at all times during supervision. The yard duty first aid bag will be stored in their classroom
- Be familiar with the yard duty information pack containing student health and safety information stored in their classroom
- All staff are recommended to carry their mobile phone.
Yard duty responsibilities
Staff who are rostered for yard duty must remain in the designated area until they are replaced by a relieving staff member.
During yard duty, supervising school staff must:
- methodically move around the designated area ensuring active supervision of all students Staff are required to rove to ensure that all areas are within line of sight to at least one yard duty teacher at a time.
- where safe to do so, approach any unknown visitor who is observed on school grounds without a clear legitimate purpose, and ensure they have a visitor pass/lanyard and have signed in (excluding drop off and collection periods)
- ensure students remain in their designated year level areas
- be alert and vigilant
- intervene immediately if potentially dangerous or inappropriate behaviour is observed in the yard
- enforce behavioural standards and implement appropriate consequences for breaches of safety rules, in accordance with any relevant disciplinary measures set out in the school’s Student Code of Conduct.
- ensure that students who require first aid assistance receive it as soon as practicable or send a student with the coloured student card to the office.
- log any incidents or near misses as appropriate on GradeXpert or Edu safe.
- If being relieved of their yard duty shift by another staff member (for example, where the shift is ‘split’ into 2 consecutive time periods), the staff member must ensure that a brief, but adequate verbal ‘handover’ is given to the relieving staff member in relation to any issues which may have arisen during the first shift.
If the supervising staff member is unable to conduct yard duty at the designated time, they should contact the Assistant Principal with as much notice as possible prior to the relevant yard duty shift to ensure that alternative arrangements are made.
If the supervising staff member needs to leave yard duty during the allocated time, they should contact the Assistant Principal but should not leave the designated area until the relieving staff member has arrived in the designated area.
If the relieving staff member does not arrive for yard duty, the staff member currently on duty should send a message to the office/call Assistant Principal, and not leave the designated area until a relieving staff member has arrived.
Students will be encouraged to speak to the supervising yard duty staff member if they require assistance during recess or lunchtime.
Classroom
The classroom teacher is responsible for the supervision of all students in their care during class.
If a teacher needs to leave the classroom unattended at any time during a lesson, they should first contact the front office or school leadership for assistance. The teacher should then wait until a replacement staff member has arrived at the classroom before leaving.
School activities, camps and excursions
The Principal and leadership team are responsible for ensuring that students are appropriately supervised during all school activities, camps and excursions, including when external providers are engaged to conduct part or all of the activity. Appropriate supervision will be planned for school activities, camps and excursions on an individual basis, depending on the activities to be undertaken and the level of potential risk involved (Risk assessments must be completed prior to the event) and will follow the supervision requirements in the Department of Education and Training Excursions Policy.
Digital devices and virtual classroom
Alfredton Primary School follows the Department’s Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Technologies Policy with respect to supervision of students using digital devices.
Alfredton Primary School will also ensure appropriate supervision of students participating in remote and flexible learning environments while on school site. In these cases, students will be supervised in the library/music room, hall or other classrooms.
Students requiring additional supervision support
Sometimes students will require additional supervision, such as students with disability or other additional needs. In these cases, the Principal or delegate will ensure arrangements are made to roster additional staff as required. This may include on yard duty, in the classroom or during school activities.
Supervision of student in emergency operating environments
In emergency circumstances our school will follow our Emergency Management Plan, including with respect to supervision.
In the event of any mandatory period of remote or flexible learning our School will follow the operations guidance issued by the Department.
cOMMUNICATION
This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:-
- Included in staff induction processes
- Discussed at staff briefings or meetings, as required
- Included in our staff handbook
- Included as a reference in our school newsletter each term
- Included in our Flexischools application
- Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request
Information for parents and students on supervision before and after school is available on our school website and parent reminders are sent at the beginning of each term in our school newsletter.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL
| Policy last reviewed | June 2022 |
| Approved By | Principal |
| Next Scheduled Review Date | June 2026 |
This policy will also be updated if significant changes are made to school grounds that require a revision of Alfredton Primary School’s yard duty and supervision arrangements.