Any midday supervisors out there?

wontfallforit

Given that all the scenarios could have all kinds of implications - from the sinister to the entirely innocent - I'd assume that the correct answers (if there are any!) would be to point out that you'd ask some questions to establish whether or not there was anything untoward going on, and take it from there. You could probably use imaginary examples, looking at both ends of the seriousness spectrum.

When I was a teenager, I did my work experience in a primary school. One day, one of the kids came up to me and whispered that something very bad had happened in her home, but that it was a huge secret. Shivers went down my spine, and I was wondering what the hell I would do if she told me something awful. It turned out that the massive, terrible secret was that her family had decided to go vegetarian

PasturesNew

I think if you didn't get the job, then the reason isn't in the answers you gave, but simply because the other candidates might have had similar experience before, or they decided that you would potentially be seeing the job as a "stop gap until something better comes along".

However, when it comes to these public sector type of jobs you do get asked questions that you couldn't have known the "right answers" to unless you'd previously been in their inner circle, which is one of the reasons it's virtually impossible to get a job if you've not worked on the inside before, because those that have done will know the "right answers" so will get more ticks on the big sheet of Oh So Important Stuff HR Dreamt Up.

mommy79

Hello :j

Thank you for this informative thread. I googled Lunchtime Supervisor Interview and this link was on the list. I'm grateful for this thread - defo will be useful. I'm already working part time but need the extra hours! My interview is this Wednesday!

skattykatty

I don't think you need to be part of an 'inner circle'. Like any job, you need to do some research!

Mikey72 is right...when you are in a position of trust and children 'should' feel safe around you, then you cannot betray that trust by making promises you cannot, and mustn't, keep. Furthermore, if a child started to disclose anything distressing, you cannot ask 'leading' questions, and you should report it asap to the designated Child Protection Officer. I work with children and, when they are feeling upset/distressed and come to chat to me, I tell them from the outset 'everything you tell me will stay in this room BUT if you tell me something that means that you are not safe I will tell...and I actually name the person in charge' If they then disclose, I tell them that I will tell so and so...

Midday supervisors are amazing because, in many cases, they get to know the children better than other adults and really make a difference to children's lives. Good luck with your interview mommy79.

seven-day-weekend

I agree with the above answers, especially being honest with the child about not necessarily being able to keep something secret. If they are already in an abusive relationship regarding lies, then the last thing they need is more lies from someone they feel they can trust. I would not have done that to my own son, why should I do it to anyone else's child?

However, the 'crisps in lunch box' thing, whilst agreeing that you offer the child a lunch if that is the case, I absolutely hate this trend of schools being lunchbox police. Surely a child who is malnourished will have other symptoms, these will be picked up, there should be no need to check each and every child's lunchbox to see if they have a piece of cake or - horrors - a chocolate bar in it.

(I was a luchtime supervisor for three years in two different schools (one primary, one secondary) during the 1980s. I much preferred the secondary school).