A

Daily arrival and dismissal of pupils

B

Recreation for pupils

C

Administration of medicine

D

One-to-one teaching

E

Sporting activities

F

School outings

G

School trips involving an overnight stay

H

Use of toilets / changing areas / showers in school 

I

Annual Sports Day

J

Use of off site facilities for school activities

K

School transport arrangements

L

Care of children with Special Educational Needs (including intimate care where needed)

M

Management of challenging behavior.

N

Curricular provision in respect of SPHE,RSE and Stay Safe

O

Prevention and dealing with bullying amongst pupils

P

Training of school personnel  in child protection matters

Q

Use of external personnel to supplement curriculum

R

Use of external personnel to support extra curricular and sporting activities

S

Care of pupils with specific vulnerabilities/needs such as pupils from ethnic minorities migrants/members of the Traveller Community, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) children and children perceived to be LGBT and pupils from minority religious faiths, and of no religion, and pupils in care.

T

Recruitment of school personnel including teachers, SNA’s, Caretakers, Secretary, cleaner and external tutors and guest speakers, volunteer parents and school activities, Visitors, contractors present in the school during school hours

U

Online safety of pupils and the use of IT by pupils in school

V

Secondary students participating in work experience in the school

W

Student teachers undertaking training placement in the school

X

Use of video/photography/other media to record school events

Y

Afterschool use of school premises by other organisations

Z

General use of school premises by all staff and children

AA

Children circulating around the school outside of breaktimes e.g. on a message to the office or being collected early and have to go to reception.

BB

Online teaching and distance learning

A

Children entering the school grounds before supervision begins. Children with additional needs coming into the school grounds and getting confused with the large numbers of children entering at 8.45am. Making sure children go home with the correct person. Children from classes younger than 3rd walking home alone (with permission from parent)

B

Risk of harm due to bullying, rough play, access to outside areas. Risk of children choking while eating their lunch.

C

Risk of harm due to medical issues and access to medication unsupervised.

D

Risk to child on their own to abuse and to a teacher of a false allegation

E

If a group (class or team) is left unsupervised injuries may occur. Children travelling to matches may be vulnerable to abuse if in anvetted person’s car. If an emergency happens off the premises at a sporting event a staff member may have to accompany a child to doctor / hospital and leave other children, thus increasing the risk of harm.     

F

Risk of injury. Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship / communications between a child and another child and / or adult. Risk of abuse of child by supervisor / instructor not directly employed by the school.

G

Inappropriate relationships may develop between children and / or adults not connected to the school. Risk of abuse of a child and / or an unfounded allegation made against a staff member.

H

Risk of abuse to children and false allegations against staff. 

I

Risk of strangers accessing the premises and risk of children leaving the premises

J

Crossing the road to Lucan Utd Pitch. Use of Dublin Bus-Strangers, exposure to dangerous items. Photography and social media.Levels of supervision on excursions/trips. Risk at swimming pools.

K

Staff / Parents bringing children in their car to school matches – children are open to abuse and drivers are open to false allegations.

L

Risk of accusation for staff and loss of privacy for child. Risk of child being touched inappropriately 

M

Child could be injured if inappropriately handled. Accusations against staff

N

Children may not be mature enough to process and speak about bodily changes and this may cause upset and embarrassment

O

Child may experience heightened anxiety if the bullying isn’t noticed or reported

P

Children may be at risk if staff did not have an understanding of the different forms of abuse

Q

Inappropriate conversations and grooming / abuse of children.

R

Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship / communications between child and adult

S

Risk of harm due to bullying of child. Risk of harm to children with SEN who have particular vulnerabilities. Risk of harm in a one-to-one teaching, counseling or coaching situation

T

Risk of child being harmed in the school by a member of school personnel. Risk of child being harmed in the school by a volunteer or visitor to the school. Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children while attending out of school activities. Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship/communications between child and adult

U

Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children in school. Risk of harm caused by a member of school personnel accessing/ circulating inappropriate material via social media, texting, digital device or other manner. Risk of harm to pupils due to cyber bullying.

V

Work experience (TY) students harming our pupils. Potential for allegations from, or harm coming to the students participating in Work Experience

W

Student teachers harming pupils in some way

X

Bullying resulting from pictures/videos shared on social media platforms.

Y

Harm coming to young people on the school premises. Injuries occurring on the premises

Z

Harm coming to young people on the school premises. Injuries occurring on the premises

AA

Risk of accidents, children getting lost or leaving the grounds.

BB

Online bullying. People other than the child in the class being able to view an online lesson. Inappropriate comments or messages. 

A

Children cannot enter the school grounds until 8.45am when staff supervision starts. The gates are open each morning just before 8.45am by staff. The staff have designated points (gates and doors) to be on duty. All class teachers are in their classrooms waiting for the children to arrive. SNA’s are on duty from 8.45am to look out for specific children with additional needs and ensure they get safely into class. Staff supervise the yard until their class leave the premises at dismissal time.

B

Procedures are drawn up and agreed by all staff. All teachers lead classes to yard at break time and remain there until supervising teacher takes over. Yard duty roster is created by Ms Ruddy. Teachers and SNA’s are supervising on the yard at break time. There are 11 SNA’s and 4 teachers supervising at every break. All wearing Hi-Vis. Children must get permission from a staff member to use the toilets outside room 17. They must return to a staff member when they are finished. 6th class helpers wait at the exit door to corridor D, when younger children (infants-1st class) are going to the toilet. On wet days SNA’s stay with their class, the teachers monitor a number of classes from the corridors with the help of 6th class pupils who are present in classes from 5th class down who do not have an SNA present. Children cannot eat their lunch unless the teacher is present.

C

Any medication administered will be prescribed. Indemnity form will be completed by parents, returned to Ms Ruddy and filed. Teacher administering medication will be trained to do so.

D 

All classroom and SET rooms’ doors have a window. Teachers leave their door open if they are teaching on a 1:1 basis

E

Class teachers always supervise a PE lesson, or training sessions with a team or with a team when they go to a sporting event. Two staff always travel to the sporting event and we use buses with Garda vetted drivers. Outside sports coaches are Garda Vetted.

F

Staff always closely supervise children on school outings. Always at least two staff accompany a class on an outing. If parents are asked to accompany the group they will be Garda vetted. Staff will remain with children supervising them on school outings

G

Teachers carefully select the children who will be staying in each room. Two female staff members will supervise the girls dormitory room at night. Two male staff members will supervise the boys dormitory at night

H

Intimate Care Policy

I

Management ensure that the pupils are properly supervised during sports days. Parents are allowed onto the school premises, but are asked to leave during the lunch break. 

J

When crossing the road to Lucan Utd pitches, the staff member accompanies the children in a group. When walking to  the church, library or on nature walks, there will be at least 2 staff with each group. Staff supervision at all times. Ensure vetting of any persons working/ contracting for the school. Ensure children have one area to change in swimming pool so that supervising school staff know where all children are. If a communal area is not available then supervising staff ensure that cubicles are all together. See point F above for more details.

K

Any transport required to events will be by a hired bus. All drivers are vetted. If in the rare circumstance where a child needs to be given a lift by a staff member, then there will always be two staff members in the car.

L

2 SNA’s to change a child, if not available then the door is to be kept open. This is a particular issue in the Autism class – there are always at least 2 staff close to the cubicle where the child is being changed – the doors can kept open and still maintain the dignity of the child. Intimate Care Needs Policy has been devised.

M

Restraining a child is the last resort. Deescalation is what we aim to do, and all teaching and care of the children has this to the fore. However, in extreme circumstances where the safety of a child is in question all staff will do what a reasonable and careful parent would do.    

N

Adhere to the curriculum guidelines. Send home the school/home link from the RSE book in relation to sensitive topics.

O

Anti-bullying policy is in place. Anti bullying rules are on posters hung around the school. Anti bullying rules are taught to the children in term 1. Anti-bullying surveys are carried out in classes where there is suspicion or allegations of bullying

P

Designated liaison person John Egan. Deputy designated liaison person Yvonne Ruddy received child protection training. All staff who are mandated persons will carry out the TUSLA / PDST child protection training every 2 years.

Q

Ensure the visitor is garda vetted. All visitors must identify themselves on arrival and wear a lanyard. Any visitors giving presentations to classes will always have the teacher in the classroom / hall present.  

R

All coaches / visiting presenters / teachers will be Garda vetted and no visitor will be left alone with a group or class of children

S

The school has an anti-bullying policy which fully adheres to the requirement of the department’s anti-bullying procedures for primary and post primary schools. The school implements in full the SPHE curriculum. The school has a yard/ play gound supervision policy to ensure appropriate supervision of children during, assembly,dismissal and breaks in respect of specific areas such as toilet and changing rooms etc.

T

All staff/volunteers are garda vetted. All staff appointed will be referenced checked. All visitors must identify themselves on arrival and wear a lanyard. A list of parents who have been vetted and are willing to volunteer in the school/on trips will be put together.. The school gates are monitored and locked by the caretaker to ensure no unidentified personnel enter the school grounds. Parents of school/Wombles children have been notified regarding correct procedure for entering the school building

U

Mobile phones are prohibited in the school. Online safety talks are organised every year in the 1st term for 3rd to 6th classes.The minimum ages for Social Media platforms are published every year for the parents to be aware. An IT supplier offers CPD to staff on keeping children safe online. Safer Internet Day (SID) is marked every year in the school. Firewalls are implemented by our internet provider. School personnel are garda vetted.

V

Students are garda vetted. TY students must be 16 years of age which means they can be garda vetted. Work experience students are not left unaccompanied with pupils. As students are participating in work; normal school Health and Safety procedures are adhered to.

W

Student teachers are garda vetted by the teacher training colleges before they start their placements

X

Parental permission is required for images to be shared on school social media website and twitter. Instruct parents not to share picture/videos on their own social media platforms.

Y

CSS are sought from private concerns. We ensure premises are fit for purpose and staff identify risks and report. Any staff who rent rooms for activities will be covered by Scoil Mhuire’s CSS- they must adhere to the procedures outlined in this risk assessment.

Z

We ensure premises are fit for purpose and staff identify risks and report. Principal and Caretaker do regular ‘walk abouts’ and identify any hazards, take timely and appropriate actions to eliminate risk.

AA

Children will always go in pairs or in threes to go on a message to the office. If a child is going home early they will be accompanied by two others so that the pair can return together to their class. Any child collected early will be signed out by the adult collecting them.

BB

Scoil Mhuire has a Distance Learning policy