How Principals Can Improve Playground Supervision

Playground supervision is a critical responsibility that directly impacts student safety and school liability. As a principal, you play a vital role in making sure recess is safe, structured, and well-supervised. Below are key strategies to enhance supervision and reduce incidents on the playground.

Start by creating a detailed plan that outlines playground rules, behavioral expectations, and equipment guidelines. This plan should be developed in collaboration with staff and then communicated to students and parents. Everyone needs to understand both the expectations and the consequences.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SHAPE America published Strategies for Recess in Schools—a free downloadable guide full of planning resources. (Download button below.)

Provide training for all playground supervisors—teachers, aides, and support staff. Make sure they understand game rules, expected behaviors, procedures (e.g., the freeze bell), and how to respond to emergencies. They should also be clear about their roles and responsibilities during supervision.

Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc. offers an online Playground Supervision Course that takes about an hour to complete. It includes a quiz and provides a certificate and professional development hours upon passing.

Course topics include:

Injury statistics, playground laws, and safety regulations.

Supervisor responsibilities before, during, and after recess.

Managing behavior and redirecting unsafe play.

Legal liability, standard of care, and reducing risks.

Hazard identification, inspections, and maintenance.

Your plan should define the number of supervisors needed and designate supervision zones—such as the blacktop, grass, play structure, and benches. These zones can rotate during the day to keep supervision fresh and active.

Make sure supervisors are practicing active supervision: walking around, observing, and engaging with students as needed. Standing in one place is not sufficient.

Provide Playground Supervisors with a vest or something that identifies them and sets them apart so that students can easily identify them as someone they can go to for assistance. It can be as simple as a vest or Tee Shirt. At my school, we purchased a Home Depot tool apron and one of the playground supervisors ironed on a school logo over the home depot logo. At the time, it cost $5 per apron. The Playground supervisors carried the playground reports and a pen in the pockets.

The National Program for Playground Safety also has a nice playground kit with a colorful waist pack that you might consider. The National Program for Playground Safety also has a nice playground kit with a colorful waist pack that you might consider.

Supervisors should not wait for problems to occur. Instead, they should scan the area for potential hazards and watch for early signs of unsafe behavior. Quick intervention can prevent incidents from escalating.

Create a positive and supportive environment for supervisors. Supervisors should feel comfortable reporting problems and asking for help. At the same time, principals should periodically monitor playground supervisors on the playground to ensure that is it being done effectively. They can do this by observing supervisors, reviewing incident reports, and through the feedback they receive from children and parents.

Collaborate with teachers: Work closely with teachers to reinforce playground rules and expectations in the classroom and playground. Encourage them to incorporate lessons on playground safety and support playground supervisors in their unique role of keeping children safe on the playground.

An administrator or custodian should conduct regular playground assessments. Conduct periodic assessments of the playground and its equipment to identify any safety hazards. Address these issues promptly by repairing or replacing equipment, and ensure routine maintenance is carried out or notify the appropriate district maintenance repair person.

Administrators have an extremely important role in keeping children safe on the playground.

When a school faces litigation, the principal will oversee the school site process and gather together the discovery documents requested for the case and coordinate with the school site personnel who may be deposed, ie. the playground supervisor/s on duty, the classroom teacher, the school nurse are depositions taken in a lawsuit, and these personnel are also often called in a court case, if it goes that far.

In case of an incident or lawsuit, the principal often coordinates the school’s response. You may need to collect documentation such as:

• Training sign-in sheets and agendas

• Playground rules and behavior policies

• Incident and injury reports

• Parent communication records

depending on the situation of the lawsuit. Personnel like the playground supervisor, nurse, or teacher may be interviewed or deposed. Being proactive and organized can significantly reduce liability.