Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to explain to staff Kensington Community High School’s yard duty procedures and expectations for the appropriate supervision of secondary students. 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 is also plays a vital role in helping schools to discharge their duty of care to students. 

Objective

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

Scope

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.

This policy applies to all teaching and non-teaching staff at Kensington Community High School, including education support staff, casual relief teachers and visiting teachers.  

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. 

Policy

Before and after school

Kensington Community High School’s grounds are supervised by school staff from 8.40 until 3.05. Outside of these hours, school staff will not be available to supervise students. 

Staff are on duty before and after school, including duty at the Newmarket station. Staff supervise the courtyard and yard area during recess and lunchtime and the basketball courts during lunchtime. Alternate arrangements are made for supervision in rooms during wet weather.

Students who arrive at school outside of these hours are encouraged to stay in the courtyard. 

Yard duty

All teaching staff at Kensington Community High School are expected to assist with yard duty supervision and will be included in the weekly roster. 

The Principal and Assistant Principal] are responsible for preparing and communicating the yard duty roster on a regular basis.  At Kensington Community High School, school staff will be designated a specific yard duty area to supervise. 

The designated yard duty areas for our school Term 3, 2021 are outlined below.

Zone

Area

Zone 1: Canteen line, courtyard, veranda along back of canteen and business managers office. 

Zone 2: Veranda along front of principal’s office, front of school, BBQ area. 

Zone 3: Basketball Court

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 school staff must: 

• methodically move around the designated zone covering all areas in a timely manner to ensure that all areas are within line of sight to see all students

• be alert and vigilant

• intervene immediately if potentially dangerous or inappropriate behaviour is observed in the yard

• greet students in a positive manner and 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 Engagement policy

• ensure that students who require first aid assistance receive it as soon as practicable 

• log any incidents or near misses as appropriate with Principal Class and enter on Compass   

• 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 teacher is unable to conduct yard duty at the designated time, they should arrange a swap with another staff member.  If unable to arrange a swap inform 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 teacher 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 teacher has arrived in the designated area.

If a next duty teacher does not arrive for yard duty, the teacher currently on duty should call Assistant Principal, and not leave the designated area until a relieving teacher has arrived. 

Should students require assistance during recess or lunchtime, they are encouraged to speak to the supervising yard duty teacher. 

Classroom

Both the classroom teacher and the co-teacher are responsible for the supervision of all students in their care during class. If a student is asked to leave the room the co-teacher or the ES staff must accompany the student to meet with the Principal Class. See Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy to ensure staff understand the school’s disciplinary procedures.

Teachers should avoid leaving the classroom unless it is unavoidable. If a teacher needs to leave the classroom at any time during a lesson, he or she should inform the co-teacher first. 

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. 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. 

Review Cycle

This policy will also be updated if significant changes are made to the school grounds that require a revision of Kensington Community High School’s Yard Duty and Supervision Policy. 

This policy was last updated and endorsed by School Council on _____________________ and is scheduled for review in 2024.