Younger children – direct supervision or not?
An interesting question has arisen – should younger children always be directly supervised when out on a visit?
For older pupils and those engaged in a focused project such as the expedition section of the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award then indirect supervision is part of the requirements.
To achieve this indirect supervision, young people are trained in relevant skills to allow them to complete a demanding journey successfully.
Maybe this training and practicing is sometimes not possible for younger children, but should supervision always be direct and staff led?
OEAP NG has just published a new document with excellent ideas about supervision of younger children, called Frequently Asked Questions – Must younger children always be directly supervised?
And linked to this is the clear impact that this can have on their learning.
“Indirect and Remote Supervision lie on a continuum and the line between them is not clearly defined. As participants develop their competence and confidence, the geographical boundaries used and, therefore, the length of time it may take to respond to an issue and re-establish Direct Supervision, can be increased. The decision to move to more remote supervision will be based on the key judgement that the participants are capable of operating independently in the particular environment, and are able to respond appropriately to any foreseeable emergency, including summoning help, and coping safely until help arrives. Truly Remote Supervision is not common with young children but is possible given the right conditions and preparation.”
Extract from OEAP NG document 6F
Download the OEAP NG document “Must younger children always be directly supervised?” »