Purpose

To ensure school staff understand their supervision and yard duty responsibilities.

Scope

This policy applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff at Laburnum 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 in place during school hours, before and after school, and on school excursions and camps.

School staff are responsible for following reasonable and lawful instructions from the principal, including instructions to provide supervision to students at specific dates, time and places. Supervision should be undertaken in a way that identifies and mitigates risks to child safety.

Before and after school

Laburnum Primary School’s grounds are supervised by school staff from 8.45 am until 3.45 pm. Outside of these hours, school staff will not be available to supervise students.

Parents and carers should not allow their children to attend Laburnum Primary School outside of these hours, unless attending TeamKids: Out of School Hours Care while the service is operating. Families are encouraged to contact TeamKids at https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/laburnum-primary-oshc for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community.

If a student arrives at school before supervision commences at the beginning of the day, 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
• place the student in TeamKids: Out of School Hours Care
• contact Victoria Police and/or the Department of Health and Human Services (Child Protection) to arrange for the supervision, care and protection of the student.

School staff who are rostered on for before or after school supervision must follow the processes outlined below.

Yard Duty

All teaching staff at Laburnum 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 Laburnum Primary School, school staff will be designated a specific yard duty area to supervise.

The designated yard duty areas for our school as of Term 2, 2025 are:

Yard duty equipment

School staff must:

• wear a provided safety/hi-visibility vest whilst on yard duty. Safety/hi-visibility vests will be stored with yard duty bags.
• carry the yard duty first aid bag at all times during supervision. The yard duty first aid bag will be stored at the office foyer between buildings A and B.
• Be familiar with the yard duty information pack containing student health and safety information
• Return yard duty equipment after the period of supervision or hand to the relieving staff member.

Yard duty responsibilities

Staff who are rostered for yard duty must remain in the designated area until they are replaced by a relieving teacher.

During yard duty, supervising staff must:

• methodically move around the designated zone ensuring active supervision of all students
• 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 and have signed in (excluding drop off and collection periods)
• 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 measures set out in the school’s Student Wellbeing and Engagement policy
• ensure that students who require first aid assistance receive it as soon as practicable
• log any incidents or near misses as appropriate on Sentral

If being relieved of their yard duty shift by another staff member (for example, where the shift is ‘split’ into 2 consecutive time periods), ensure that a brief but adequate verbal ‘handover’ is given to the next 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 a relieving or next staff member does not arrive for yard duty, the staff member currently on duty should use the allocated mobile phone to call the office and not leave the designated area until a replacement 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 office or Assistant Principal for assistance. The teacher should then wait until another staff member has arrived at the classroom to supervise the class 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 activities.

Appropriate supervision will be planned for special school activities, camps and excursions on an individual basis, depending on the activities to be undertaken and the level of potential risk involved, and will follow the supervision requirements in the Department of Education and Training Excursions Policy.

Digital devices and virtual classroom

Laburnum Primary School follows the Department’s Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Technologies Policy with respect to supervision of students using digital devices.

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 Assistant Principal 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: 

• Published on school website
• Included in staff induction processes
• Included in Staff Manual
• Discussed at staff briefings or meetings, as required
• Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request

Further Information and Resources

The Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):

• Child Safe Standards
• Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Technologies
• Duty of Care
• Excursions
• Supervision of Students
• Visitors in Schools

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL 

This policy will also be updated if significant changes are made to school grounds that require a revision of Laburnum Primary School’s yard duty and supervision arrangements.