Observation of children outside of the classroom

Type of equipment available

The school is a beautiful space for ākonga to play. There are two separate playgrounds, both with equipment designed to encourage dangerous play done safely, with climbing frames, balance beams of different heights, a high fireman’s pole and a great slide.

In addition all ākonga are encouraged to bring bikes, scooters or other wheeled equipment from home (and provided safe places to store them during class time), but the school is also part of the Bikes in Schools program, so has a container full of bikes and helmets available to ākonga during playtimes. To support this the school has also fundraised to have a ‘pump track’ built on the playing field.

The outdoor court has been resurfaced and gets a lot of use for both basketball and soccer games by ākonga – usually while others wheel around the outside.

There are also a range of balls, hoops and other sports equipment that are available for all students.

Types of games/play common to particular areas – link with who is playing and ages

While there seems to be a prevalence of senior boys playing ball sports on the court, and younger/middle boys riding bikes on the pump track, the rest of the playground is constantly changing dynamics. Games of tag, or groups involved in imaginative play, each move through the school grounds freely. I was observing during winter, so although we’ve had mostly fine weather, the temperature and frosts likely cause different games than during summer.

Prevalence of older/younger children in specific areas

As a smaller school there is a lot of shared play and interaction amongst the classrooms. However the junior (year 0-2) tend to play in the smaller playground outside their class, and the senior (year 4-6) tend to play on the courts and the larger playground in the central school area.  

Any danger spots the duty teacher needs to be aware of within or near the play area

Accidents can, and do, happen. The playground includes different swings, and high drops, so there is potential for crashes and falls. Due to this the duty teacher generally watches from the court area to be able to see bikes and more adventurous play areas – but still wander around the school to have a presence everywhere.    There is also a ‘blind spot’ behind the bike storage container, so the teacher will make sure they are able get this area in view as they move through the grounds.

How the duty teacher interacts in the playground

Wearing hi-vis jackets makes it easier for ākonga to see duty teachers. Students will come to the teacher with problems, to chat, to share their day/achievements, or to show a new skill.

How problems are handled if/when they arise

One of the ‘punishments’ that is utilised for misbehavior in the classroom is to walk with the Duty Teacher during playtime and/or lunchtimes. This seems to be particularly effective for tamariki who have been struggling to keep their hands/feet to themselves.

Minor medical issues are sent (or escorted) to sick bay – there are a large number of ice packs kept in the freezer, with multiple covers for each one to avoid cross contamination.

Any problems with agression on the playground are dealt with immediately, often with the non-agressor being asked to play somewhere else while the aggressor is provided an opportunity to express their emotions and calm down before re-entering the classroom.