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Primary education

Supervision of P1

15 replies

LiviChris79 · 01/09/2014 18:32

Our 4 year old has just started Primary 1 (went back last week in Scotland) and today he was sick at lunchtime and my wife went to collect him.

Chatting to him this afternoon it transpires that the P1s (3 adjoining classrooms of 21) eat their lunches from 12:40 to 1:10pm in their class rooms under the 'supervision' of a P7 pupil. Apparently, folowing a call to the school to check this out, there's a first aid member of staff available in the school building during lunchtime but no adults are present in any of the 3 P1 rooms for this 30 minute period.

Today our son sat from 12:40 to 1:00pm feeling sick but didn't tell the P7 pupil. I'd like to think that a member of staff would have been aware enough to notice a 4 year old not eating his lunch and work out that he was feeling unwell. Anyway, sitting at his desk he was sick all over the table, over his uneaten lunch and over the lunch of the girl sitting next to him. He was apparently then attended to by the other 2 P7 pupils from the other 2 classrooms who cleaned him up and cleaned the table (don't know if their classes were left alone for this time)

To my mind this has raised a number of very serious concerns:

Regardless of the availability of a 'roaming' first aider in the building, an unsupervised group of 4 and 5 year olds are as at risk of choking as much younger children and there's one boy in the class who has a nut allergy - is he being watched for sharing food?

In the event of an emergency is it right to rely on a 10-11 year old to effectively raise the alarm

Why is a pupil with a very obvious tummy bug being cleaned up by other pupils and did they clean themselves up adequately afterwards - who knows how many kids are going to be off tomorrow.

Why aren't the staff staggering their breaks to provide coverage to the school's most vulnerable group.

My wife called the school and got a very unsympathetic deputy head. We're going to email the head after the kids are off to bed but wanted to get others oppinions. Are we overreacting, do others think this is quite common?

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Tanaqui · 01/09/2014 18:36

I'm in England not Scotland, but here that would be unheard of- there would be a lunchtime assistant while they were eating and pupils would never clear up vomit- I can't actually believe that! However older pupils quite often loosely supervise wet play, with a floating member of staff, but usually not p1 (that is the first class, yes?). I would check your facts just in case! (It is possible the supervisor was dealing with another crises I suppose).

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LiviChris79 · 01/09/2014 18:40

Yeah, dont want to go in guns blazing to find our son's only recalling half the story but when my wife called the deputy head and chatted through what i've written there was no denial or attempt to give an alternative version of events, only lots of excuses about being short staffed and that with such a big intake of P1s they were trying to get a system in place

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hiccupgirl · 01/09/2014 18:42

Again in England not Scotland but I would expect an adult to be supervising the 3 classrooms - obviously 1 adult for 3 rooms still may not have noticed that he wasn't eating before he was sick but I wouldn't expect older pupils to be left with this responsibility without an adult at least floating around to keep an eye on things.

I would def speak to the school to check out what the level of adult supervision is at lunchtimes.

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ilovepowerhoop · 01/09/2014 18:42

my dd is P7 and does supervise (with 2 other P7s) a P1 class at wet day in lunch/breaks. She says there is an adult TA available in the hall in case there are any problems.

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ilovepowerhoop · 01/09/2014 18:45

p.s. at normal lunchtimes everyone is in the dinner hall so dd only supervises on wet day breaks/lunches.

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Maidupmum · 01/09/2014 20:17

I'm a HT & this thread makes my blood run cold for all the reasons you stated & its a safeguarding issue. I would raise it with the HT & if they aren't sympathetic & reasonable I would seriously consider a call to your LA Safeguarding team or OFSTED (& I NEVER recommend OFSTED!)

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Kimaroo · 01/09/2014 20:44

If they are short-staffed and trying to get a system in place then every member of staff has to step up for the time being, including the HT who should be supervising herself if there is absolutely no one else. Not good enough!

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LiviChris79 · 01/09/2014 20:50

Thanks guys - never used this site before, it's really helpful

Some of the finer details change when we push Thomas on the sequence of events but the fundamental issue of 4 and 5 year olds not being supervised by a competent person at mealtimes remains. An issue not only not denied but actually confirmed by the school when my wife called earlier.

Bit of an edit on that call, it wasn't to the deputy head but to another teacher, my wife called looking for the deputy or head but both were busy.

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Eva50 · 01/09/2014 20:50

We are in Scotland and I am fairly certain that would never happen at the school my dc's attend. They are supervised by P7's during wet weather breaks but there is a TA or Playground assistant in the block and they all eat in the canteen with staff present.

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turdfairynomore · 01/09/2014 20:53

Lunchtime staff are like hens teeth in the area I teach in. The remedy is simple. I have lunch with my p1 class and then go into playground with them-every day! By "law" I'm "entitled" to a break but stuff "the law". My class have been with me for less than a week and can trot out by rote that my most important job is to keep them safe. They are MY responsibility and I'm not going to pass that off onto 10 & 11 year olds. My principal is great-she will cover me while I go to loo/will take over if she can but apart from the safety issue, they are brand new in a scary place and ultimately it's me that they are "imprinting" onto, and I'm happy to step up and be there for them!

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Buttercup27 · 01/09/2014 20:56

We are currently short staffed (in England) so the head and a ta are going to cover lunch (very small school) until lunch time supervisors can be appointed.
Your situation is completely unacceptable.

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cazzyg · 02/09/2014 06:55

That's not normal in my experience. My daughter's school all eat in the hall and are supervised by the catering assistants and teaching staff including assistants.

There are some P7s who have a buddy type role to help the younger ones. They are not left alone to supervise lunch though. That's a lot of responsibility for a 10/11 year old.

The school is leaving itself open if there was an incident and a child was hurt. I'd speak to the head to establish what really happened in the first instance but I'd be prepared to take it further. Speak to your parent Council chair, they can help.

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roughtyping · 02/09/2014 07:04

That bizarre. I'm a teacher in Scotland, in every school I've taught in the classroom assistants have their break after the teachers so pupils are supervised during lunch/break. HT & DHT are in cafeteria during lunch, classroom assistants are in playground - or, if it's wet weather, a P7 monitors a class and a classroom assistant is available between say 3 or 4 classes which they check constantly. SLAs stay with their specific child. This is how it has been in every school I've ever been in!

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LiviChris79 · 02/09/2014 17:14

Update:

After a strong (but fair and reasoned) email to the head, a call followed from the school confirming that effective immediately the P1s will be eating in the dinner hall and will be supervised by school staff. The result I'd expected and all within 24hrs. Pleased with the outcome and the understanding of the school head

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cazzyg · 02/09/2014 20:55

That sounds like a good outcome and much better all round.

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