School lunchtime supervisor Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

As a school lunchtime supervisor, your tasks during the meal would include:

• helping children who are in difficulties, for example with cutting up food
• encouraging good table manners
• making sure behaviour does not become too boisterous.

After the meal you would:

• supervise children in the playground (or in the hall or classroom in wet weather)
• stop any dangerous behaviour
• deal with any quarrels or fights
• comfort children who are upset
• deal with minor injuries such as cuts, grazes and bruises
• sometimes organise games.

Hours

You would work between 12 noon and 1.30pm on school days. You would usually work less than ten hours a week, in term time only.

Your job would involve a lot of standing and walking, both inside the school and outdoors in the playground, often in cold weather.

Income

• School lunchtime supervisors can earn around £7.00 an hour
• Senior lunchtime supervisors can earn around £10.00 an hour.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You will usually need to be at least 18 to become a school lunchtime supervisor.

It could be an advantage if you have basic first aid skills and experience of working with children.

You will need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.

• Criminal Records Bureau (Home Office website)

See the LG Careers website for more details of the job.

• LG Careers – lunchtime supervisor

Training and development

Once you start work, you will receive training on the job from experienced staff. You might also attend a first aid course.

You may be able to take the Level 2 Award or Certificate in Support Work in Schools. See the Department for Education website for details.

• Department for Education

Skills and knowledge

To be a lunchtime supervisor you should have:

• enjoyment of working with children and the ability to control and supervise them
• patience
• the ability to stay calm in an emergency
• good communication skills
• a reasonable level of fitness
• the ability to work as part of a team.

More information

Department for Education
Support Staff Enquiry Line (freephone): 0800 389 5335
www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/staff

LGcareers
www.lgcareers.com

Opportunities

Look out for vacancies in local newspapers, in Jobcentre Plus offices and on LGjobs.

• LGjobs

In bigger schools, you might have the chance to progress to senior supervisor once you have experience. You could also become a teaching assistant. See the teaching assistant profile for further details of this job.

• teaching assistant