I would like to remind families that the school’s play equipment, including the oval is not to be used out of school hours.
While we understand how tempting it can be for children to enjoy a quick play after the bell, and how lovely it is for parents to enjoy the social connectivity, we must prioritise the safety and wellbeing of all students. After school, there are no staff members on duty to supervise the playground. This means that if an accident were to occur, there would be no one available to respond immediately or provide assistance from the school’s perspective. In essence, if the school principal permits play then they are lawfully also responsible for the duty of care.
From a legal and safety standpoint, the school and Principal have a duty of care to all students, staff and visitors to the school premises. All foreseeable actions should be taken to mitigate the possibility of accidents and address safety concerns. The liability effectively returns to the school and the actions taken to ensure the safety of the children is sustained. Allowing children to use equipment without supervision could place both the school and families in a difficult position should injuries occur. The legal ramifications are potentially devastating.
We kindly ask for your continued cooperation in supporting this aspect of our duty of care. Together, we can help ensure a safe and responsible environment for everyone in our community.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support on this matter and all matters pertaining to the occupational health and safety regulations and requirements from the administration point of view of the school. I do truly appreciate the impact they may have on our community and the connectivity of people, but we must navigate the bureaucracy of both Federal and State laws and the impact the consequences of failure to act on foreseeable events could have.
Sheldon Carey
Principal