need some advice regarding my five year olds school

sophieali

My daughter started school last September and we are unhappy with the way they handle supervision. When the children are out at playtime one teacher patrols the yard, this sounds ok but juniors and seniors are kept to the front of the school and the others are at the back so when the teacher is checking the older ones the young ones are on their own. there seems to be no games being played just pushing and shoving each other. There is no fencing around the school just a low wall which means the road is easily accessible. I have seen this as I have been early to collect her a few times. Since before Christmas my daughter has been bullied by another girl in her class, she was telling her when she could eat , drink, play etc ....I let the teacher know my little girl was unhappy but she just said she saw nothing happening. For the past couple of weeks this has improved, as I told her to say' don't be at me' out loud if she started at her. She has a couple of good friends and Im worried about how she will react if we change schools. Any advice would be appreciated.

MissPink

sophieali wrote: »

My daughter started school last September and we are unhappy with the way they handle supervision. When the children are out at playtime one teacher patrols the yard, this sounds ok but juniors and seniors are kept to the front of the school and the others are at the back so when the teacher is checking the older ones the young ones are on their own. there seems to be no games being played just pushing and shoving each other. There is no fencing around the school just a low wall which means the road is easily accessible. I have seen this as I have been early to collect her a few times. Since before Christmas my daughter has been bullied by another girl in her class, she was telling her when she could eat , drink, play etc ....I let the teacher know my little girl was unhappy but she just said she saw nothing happening. For the past couple of weeks this has improved, as I told her to say' don't be at me' out loud if she started at her. She has a couple of good friends and Im worried about how she will react if we change schools. Any advice would be appreciated.

How many children on yard? How many teachers?

sophieali

Not sure how many children maybe 100 and one teacher

MissPink

sophieali wrote: »

Not sure how many children maybe 100 and one teacher

Any SNAs/other adults?

sophieali

one sna but the child she looks after has been off sick the past month so she stays inside. No other adult around. Is there a limit to the amount of children one person can watch? Im new to this and its a small school...

PLL

As a parent I would be worried if my child was in the same situation. Surely the ratio of children to adults should be much higher and they never should be left on their own. With regards to bullying, I would speak to a more senior teacher as the one you mentioned the issue to isn't giving an adequate answer. See what the senior teacher can do, if still nothing is actively done then I would consider moving. I can see your point of view about it upsetting you child but if the teachers don't take bullying a 5 year old as a serious issue I would not want me child anywhere near the place.

MissPink

sophieali wrote: »

one sna but the child she looks after has been off sick the past month so she stays inside. No other adult around. Is there a limit to the amount of children one person can watch? Im new to this and its a small school...

I'm sure the SNA doesn't sit inside during breaks, but anyway. Normally, if SEN child is absent, the SNA will still go about his/her daily routine, which will include yard duty.

2 adults to 100 children is actually not bad for supervision ratios, still not ideal.

There is no minimum requirement for yard supervision. In some schools, the ratio would be low 1:30/40 and in others, like yours, it could be high 1:100. It's a school decision. In my school (380 pupils), we have 4 teachers and 4 SNAs, but in a school beside us with similar numbers, they have half the number of adults on duty.


At the moment, teachers are not paid for yard supervision, so maybe they cut down the amount of teachers on yard because of this?

You could speak to principal to get proper information, rather than just 'hear-say' or what you saw on one particular day. Explain your concerns. It's often easy to say, oh there's only one teacher on yard - maybe second teacher was attending to sick child/injured child or the SNA may have been dealing with SEN child.

Alternatively, encourage parents, like yourselves or other members of he community to supervise on yard (slightly tongue in cheek - but teachers need to et their break during the day too!)

With regard to not playing/pushing each other, etc. Teach your child a playground game - What time is it mister fox?/Queenie-I-O/Tip the can etc.

highly1111

Firstly, what you're telling your daughter to do is completely right. Tell your daughter to be Assertive and keep saying "Leave me Alone" quite loudly. I know this sounds terrible but (and I hate to call a 5 year old child a "bully") the bully will find someone else to pick on once she meets resistance. My niece kept on getting poked (literally) but another little girl in junior infants and my sister just told her to keep saying back to her loudly - stop poking me - and after a few days she did. I'm a secondary school teacher and no bully of any age likes resistance - they'll go and find an easier target.

Secondly, is there a Parents Association - there should be - bring your concerns to the attention of the PA Committee - or take it one step better and get on that committee yourself.

Finally, escalate both matters to the principal/deputy principal - that ratio of supervision is far far too high - what happens if a child falls and the teacher is occupied with that child - are 99 children left unsupervised whilst the teacher tends to the one child in the yard??

sophieali

Thanks for the feedback....I think having one adult supervising would work if it was just one area to watch but having to watch both front and back of the school is too much for one person. I had been thinking of talking to the principal about my concern so I will go ahead and do that....I might ask about their antibullying policy also.

MissPink

sophieali wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback....I think having one adult supervising would work if it was just one area to watch but having to watch both front and back of the school is too much for one person. I had been thinking of talking to the principal about my concern so I will go ahead and do that....I might ask about their antibullying policy also.

Do.

All schools are reviewing and updating Anti-Bullying policies at the moment.

January

Moved from Teens & Pre Teens to Primary & Pre School

Kathnora

No way should one teacher be left to supervise two separate areas of a yard even if there were only 10 children in each area. If an accident happened that school would be taken to task. I have over 30 yrs teaching experience.

sophieali

Thanks for all the information arranging a meeting with principal this week so hopefully we'll have a good outcome.

byhookorbycrook

PLL wrote: »

Surely the ratio of children to adults should be much higher.

There is no set ratio for supervising.

lazygal

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

There is no set ratio for supervising.

That's bizarre. Are the teaching unions not concerned about potential liabilities? Some children in JI age would be looked after in creche settings with very strict ratios.

MissPink

lazygal wrote: »

That's bizarre. Are the teaching unions not concerned about potential liabilities? Some children in JI age would be looked after in creche settings with very strict ratios.

Our unions have so many concerns that I'd imagine unpaid supervision ratios on yard are down the list.
It's up to the individual schools to implement supervision rosters.
In smaller schools, teachers end up being on yard duty everyday/every second day. This I unpaid supervision and it means the teacher doesn't get their break/lunch.

And I suppose you're bringing up another issue there, children coming to school when they're not fully ready for it/not socially mature enough.

byhookorbycrook

lazygal wrote: »

That's bizarre. Are the teaching unions not concerned about potential liabilities? Some children in JI age would be looked after in creche settings with very strict ratios.

Which is why some mams get a right land when they see their child in a class of 30+ with one adult!
The first school tour I ever went on, two of us, newly qualified, teachers took 70 junior infants to the zoo ALONE!!

MissPink

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Which is why some mams get a right land when they see their child in a class of 30+ with one adult!
The first school tour I ever went on, two of us, newly qualified, teachers took 70 junior infants to the zoo ALONE!!

Personally, I would have refused to go with 70 kids and only two adults. I would have pushed for support teachers/SNA/secretary/parents to come. Madness!!

If anything happens in the school yard, at least you know within 30 seconds you could have a staff member/all staff members out to the yard to deal with the situation/supervise other kids while you deal with the situation.

byhookorbycrook

MissPink wrote: »

Personally, I would have refused to go with 70 kids and only two adults. I would have pushed for support teachers/SNA/secretary/parents to come. Madness!!

If anything happens in the school yard, at least you know within 30 seconds you could have a staff member/all staff members out to the yard to deal with the situation/supervise other kids while you deal with the situation.

This was long before SNAs or parents even coming into a school yard, I'm an auld wan. The rest of the staff were gone to the beach with their classes, we joined them after the zoo, so our classed "only had time to paddle!"

I still wake up counting the kids in my head though!
Any way, enough of my rambles.
OP, I'd suggest you raise your concerns with the principal and see if some mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. Perhaps parents might consider making themselves available to help?

bananabooks

How many Teachers in the School?

sparts

You need to speak to the principle in with your concerns, when you leave your child with someone be it a childminder or school they have a duty of care to ensure that your child is looked after properly and is in a safe environment. Good luck with this and hopefully get it sorted out soon