Four factors that need to be considered when planning a safe learning environment are: Cleanliness – whilst outdoors it is important to ensure that the learning environment is hygienic to use, ensuring the area is clean, free of litter, animal excretion, etc. We need to make sure any equipment being used outdoors is clean and safe to use, resources and materials must be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and alongside guidelines in the school’s health and safety guidelines. Security – this is important both outdoors and indoors. In the outside environment pupils could wander off, so it is important to ensure that there are enough adults to supervise all the children. Lists should be made of adults and the pupils they are responsible for, so that everybody is accounted for.
There is a strict rule that needs to be followed concerning children being picked up from school and if parents cannot pick their children up, meaning someone else picking them up, the school needs to know to avoid any risks of child abduction. Children wait in the school entrance following after school activities, until the correct person arrive to collect the pupil. The duties of supervisory staff e.g. Teaching Assistants are to make themselves familiar with the H+S Act and any other safety issues relevant to their area of work. The School treats Health and Safety seriously, from the playground to the classrooms, the people in the setting are made aware of the risks and told that possible risks are also laminated and put on the walls as an extra reminder of any risks there may be.
Make sure the areas have enough room for the children to be engage in the areas activities. Children not aware of the dangers in classroom and outdoor area, by going over the safety precautions in a manner it won’t be over bearing or intimating to children. Having them be involved in making the rules of safety in classroom/outdoor area of what are do and don’t. Make sure first aid kit is available and ready just in case if a student have an accident in classroom. It’s a big plus for me to learn more about what I can do for the safety of my children.
Competency Statement 1 To Establish and Maintain a Safe, Healthy, Learning Environment I strive to provide an environment that is both a physical and emotional safe haven. Focusing on meeting their basic health needs and allowing for a fun learning experience. Function Area 1: Safe Environment Preschoolers are naturally active and inquisitive, therefore not always aware of hazards or behaviors that could cause injuries. I try to achieve this is by: * Supervising children at all times * Having eyes on every child and doing child counts * Utilizing classroom rules: Walking feet * Daily environment checks * Loose screws, broken hardware, splinting wood * Inspection of toys and equipment * Choke test small objects * Supplies are non-toxic and developmentally appropriate. * Familiar with classroom emergency procedures * Prepared for emergences through role-playing and monthly fire drills.
A learning environment can also be a virtual environment, this could be a website, Power Points, virtual games. The learning environment could be as simple as the design of the learning environment, for example if there is a lot of windows allowing natural light, it will allow a student to see their work and read books etc. easily. The design of the class room could also include the desks, this is shown in a blog from Annie Murphy Paul: ‘Comfortable—and larger—desks and chairs were an aid to progress.’ The learning environment could also include the temperature of the place which you are trying to learn in, as if the environment is too hot/cold I may be uncomfortable causing me to be distracted from my work. The learning environment must also be related to the certain subject, for example by having posters about diversity in a health and social care class room, this will help me and other students to stay focused on the subject, as if the posters were about Spanish it could cause the students to go of topic, and not take in as much information.
There’s no legal limit for pupils aged 8 or over. Light and noise in a classroom and throughout the school should be monitored frequently a very noisy environment can cause instructions not being heard increasing risks also if possible have a period in the day where lights are turned off and natural light is used this may reduce the number of headaches children may experience. Ventilation is also important, carbon dioxide can build up in classrooms with windows and doors are kept closed. This can be easily resolved by opening windows so there is a supply of fresh air When planning activities specific risks to individuals should also taken into account. For instance a pupil who is pregnant should have a risk assessment carried out to ensure they do not
Ratios of Staff to Children should also be met to meet current requirements. Light: Classrooms should, where possible, have sufficient natural light, to ensure that children can work without discomfort. If this is not possible or natural light is not sufficient, then alternative light sources should be those that do not cause discomfort, after a prolonged period eg, fluorescent bulbs. Noise: The level of noise around a classroom should be taken into consideration, as this can cause distractions and cause an area of work to become unsuitable. If planning physical play the age and physical development will be the main factors to take into consideration, as older children usually need less stringent supervision than younger children who may still be unsteady on their feet and lacking in co-ordination skills.
* * Health and safety at work act 1974 * * The health and safety at work act is implemented in my setting, this ensures that not only the pupils are safe but also the staff of the school know what they need to do in order to keep them safe from any dangers they could find in their setting. * It places a duty for employers to help their employees have a safe working environment that is reasonable and workable in. * The staff not only have their own health and safety to consider, they also have the other staff and pupils of the school to look after and make sure that anything that they may do whilst at work will not danger anybody else in their setting, such as when using equipment. * It is also to ensure that any danger is prevented or controlled when found, such as if a machine is not able to be used then making sure the health and safety officer is notified and the problems is fixed so ensure nothing happens to anybody that is in their setting. * It is also for the staff to ensure that anything that the children may be using is in a good working order so that no danger can happen to a pupil or another member of staff because of their mistakes.
This does not just mean safe in physical terms but also psychologically and emotionally. A health and safety risk assessment can be carried out on the classroom or area where the training will take place to ensure that it doesn’t pose any physical risk, such as trip or electrical hazards. The trainer/teacher should also consider the temperature of the area where the learners are expected to work ensuring it is comfortable for example opening a window after the lunch break could help everyone to wake up and pay attention – from experience afternoon sessions can be difficult to concentrate in!! Consideration should also be given to the layout of the classroom in terms of seating arrangements, for example traditional class room layouts may not allow collaborative working. The classroom should always be clean and well lit – it pays to check prior to the class starting and may mean you have to arrive a bit earlier if you have not used the room before however you may not always be able to control these
Also safe and secure storage should be used, ensuring the draws/cupboards are sturdy, locked and in an appropriate place. 3.2 Explain how health and safety is monitored and maintained and how people in the work setting are made aware of risks and hazards and encouraged to work safely All settings that provide care for children or allow children to attend have the responsibility to check and prepare the environment to ensure it is safe. When planning to do an activity in a certain area, you have the responsibility to check it is safe, clean, comfortable and secure, this is for the safety of yourself as well as the children. If a child or children feel safe and secure in the environment it is more likely to help them learn and participate in activities provided. When planning or checking the environment as well as checking temperature, safety etc.