Active Supervision

Brookline Sprouts Active Supervision Policy

Active Supervision keeps every child safe through intentional environment setup, strategic staff positioning, continuous scanning and counting, listening for cues, anticipating behavior, and engaging/redirection. This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, and administrators when functioning as teaching staff.

Ratios (Minimum, always met or better; volunteers and outside agency members to not count)

Preschool Age: 1:10 or better

School Age: 1:12 or better

Ratios are monitored in real time and with the assistance of Brightwheel.

Ratios may double during nap/rest time ONLY if all, or all but 1, child is off of their nap equipment. There must be another staff member nearby/closely available to provide regular ratios in case more than one child becomes off of their cot/mat/nap equipment.

Core Practices

1. Set up the Environment

Keep pathways decluttered for quick movement.

Maintain clear sightlines in spite of building structure obstacles. This includes maintaining sight to areas such as the alcoves in the upstairs classroom, as well as in the three stall bathroom blind spots.

Pillars throughout the facility require staff movement and strategic cooperative placement of staff to see around obstructions.

Staff check the ground/equipment prior to allowing children to play.

2. Position Staff

Spread Out in Classrooms: Staff should spread out and ensure sight lines around corners such as the above-mentioned alcoves and the 3 stall bathroom. They can also position one staff member on each side of a pillar to maintain sight lines.

Playground: Staff post on both sides of the yard to see all zones and equipment. At least one staff member remains on the fence side of the playground to provide easy access to the gates.

Transitions: One adult leads (front), one adult anchors (end), extra staff/volunteers in the center to maintain cohesion.

3. Scan & Count (Name-to-Face)

Name-to-Face counts are performed at every room transition and frequently throughout the day.

Care Group tags (child photo, birthdate, etc.) assign children to primary staff; staff visually point to each child in their group this is in addition to numeric headcounts. Brightwheel should also be consulted for overall classroom totals.

Use continuous scanning (look, listen, move) especially near pillars, corners, bathrooms, and play structures.

4. Listen & Anticipate

Staff stay within line-of-voice for bathroom use; investigate unusual sounds and concerning silence. Door stoppers are utilized in preschool areas so that full doors can be closed enough to allow privacy, but will not latch. Emergency lock override keys for bathroom doors are kept next to bathrooms.

Identify children with elevated risk (younger children, children with a history of attempted elopement, etc.) and keep them close with a teacher, especially during transitions (i.e. holding a staff or volunteer member’s hand).

Prevent potential issues by relocating materials, reducing crowding, and increasing proximity.

Step in early around climbing, throwing, or congestion zones to keep the tone calm and provide active safe practices coaching.

Staff ensure all children are observable and monitor children for safe swallowing to prevent choking.

6. Nap/Rest Supervision

Staff ensure faces are visible and not covered at all times, conducting regular visual breathing checks (rise-and-fall) with increased frequency for children with health concerns.

Staff ensure no misuse of toys and other materials on cots.

Staff are not permitted to lie down on the floor or position themselves in a manner that could reasonably lead to falling asleep while supervising children during nap/rest time.

Staff must remain awake, alert, and actively supervising children throughout the entire nap/rest period. Staff should regularly walk throughout the room to visually check each child and ensure that all children are safe and observable.

Staff may sit beside a child for a few moments to provide comfort, such as gently patting the child's back to help the child settle. After providing brief comfort, the staff member must resume moving throughout the room and actively supervising all children.

Remaining beside one child for an extended period, lying next to a child, or otherwise remaining stationary in a position that limits supervision of the entire group is not permitted.

11. Emergency Support

From any phone, staff may call the Emergency Float number for immediate backup when ratios or supervision needs change suddenly (behavior spike, injury, bathroom queue, etc.).