School Warden

The Position

A School Warden is employed by the local authority and operates under Section 96 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. Working as part of the Roads & Transportation Department, School Wardens work to ensure the safety of school children as they cross the road at the designated school crossing point, in the vicinity of the school grounds. The School Warden is required to liaise with the school to ensure the safe and orderly crossing of school children each day.

It is intended to form panels for the following positions:-

Ø  School Warden – Scoil Bhreac Chluain, Annascaul

Ø  School Warden – Presentation Primary School, Tralee

Appointments: Panels may be formed on the basis of interviews, from which any offers of employment may be made.

Hourly Rate: €19.01

Annual Leave: School Wardens have an Annual Leave entitlement of 15 days per annum.

Given the nature of the position, this leave is not generally availed of during the School Year, and payment in lieu of same is made at the end of each year.

Hours of Work:The person appointed will work 5 days per week (Monday – Friday) at school opening, lunch time and closing time(s) as required.

The Person

Character:

Each candidate must be of good character.

Health:

Each candidate must be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Citizenship:

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

a)     a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), or

The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway

b)     a citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), or

c)     a citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons, or

d)     a non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa, or

e)     a person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015 or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a stamp 4 visa, or

f)      a non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa

Education/ experience, etc.:

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:-

a)     have reached a standard of education sufficient to enable them to carry out the duties assigned satisfactorily

b)     have excellent communication and interpersonal skills

c)     have excellent punctuality at all times

d)     be capable of assimilating the training, which will shall be necessary for the performance of their duties

e)     be able to use initiative and good judgement

f)      have satisfactory knowledge of Health & Safety matters

Duties & Responsibilities

Reporting under the general direction of the Road Safety Officer to any other person designated, the principal duties and responsibilities of the School Warden will include:-

·       To attend for duty at the prescribed times and perform such duty under the direction of the employer or any member of An Garda Síochána.

·       To observe fully the instructions for School Wardens set out hereunder, in training, and as directed by Kerry County Council.

·       Ensuring compliance with work safety procedures in operation in Kerry County Council and to fully participate and co-operate in any training or safety programme provided.

·       To carry the official stop sign and wear the official uniform at all times when on duty.

·       To notify the employer without delay should a traffic incident occur at or in the vicinity of the Warden’s school crossing.

·       To furnish such records and reports relating to the role as may be required by the employer.

·       To notify the employer without delay should they be unable to report for duty, due to illness or other reason.

·       A white board bearing the word “Stop” is the recognised symbol of authority for all school wardens and this board must be carried and the recognised uniform must be worn all the times when the School Warden is on duty.

·       The board must be held or carried in the right hand in an upright position and not under the arm or over the shoulder as one would carry a spade. When the warden is standing on the footpath, the faces of the board should be shown as parallel with the footpath. When moving on to the carriageway to stop traffic, faces of the board should be shown as at right angles to footpath, so as to be visible to traffic approaching from front and rear.

·       The warden should take up their position on the footpath, or side of the carriageway, so as to be clearly visible to all approaching traffic, having regard to parked vehicles, etc., which might obstruct the view. The School Warden’s position should be on the side of the carriageway where the most children are congregated wishing to cross. In the mornings, this will generally be found to be the side further away from the school, while in the afternoon and evening times, it will generally be on the school side of the road.

·       Before attempting to stop traffic, the warden should consider traffic conditions at this point, whether it is of such a sparse nature that he can wait for a lull before going out to conduct children across, or if it is of such a nature that they will have to make breaks in it. In some areas, it is possible that such lulls will obviate the necessity of much stopping of traffic, but in busy areas or on fast traffic routes, breaks will have to be made.

Great care will have to be exercised by the warden in breaking up traffic, due consideration being given to the speed of the approaching traffic and conditions of road and weather. Sufficient time should always be given by the warden for traffic to pull up in safety.

·       The warden should marshall all children desirous of crossing on their left-hand side and give the children instructions to wait on the footpath until such time as the warden has gone out, taken up position in the centre of the carriageway when all traffic has stopped. The School Warden should then call or signal the students to cross, by using the words ‘CROSS NOW’, after which the students should walk across, in front of them in an orderly manner. In the initial stages of their duties, they should be very careful to ensure that the children obey these instructions implicitly, as sometimes there is a tendency for the children to follow them out on the carriageway before traffic has been stopped.

·       When the warden has taken up their position in the centre of the carriageway, and is clearly visible to all traffic, they should ensure that all traffic in their immediate vicinity, front and rear, has come to a standstill before calling or signalling on the children to cross. The warden should see that the children got safely across from one side of the carriageway to the other, before leaving the road and releasing traffic.

·       The warden must not move from the road centre until the last one of the children is safely on the footpath.

·       The warden will stop traffic by leaving the footpath, with the board/Stop Sign, and going to the centre of the road and release traffic by returning to the footpath. No signals of any kind should be given to traffic by the warden.

·       The warden should never break up organised convoys, weddings, funerals, parades, or hold up emergency service vehicles on a ‘blue light or siren’, for the purpose of allowing children to cross. The warden should wait for suitable opportunities when they have passed. Heavily laden horses should not be held up on inclines.

·       If the wardens have any trouble in controlling, or encounter disobedience by the children, they should inform the principal of the school concerned. Any disobedience by traffic in general should be reported forthwith to the Road Safety Officer or gardaí. Where a serious incident may have occurred, this should be reported to the Gardai. In the case of motor vehicles, the description, registration number and so on of person driving, together with time and place of the occurrence, should be noted for the information of the Gardai. Frivolous complaints should, however, be avoided.

·       At all crossings, once all students have either gone into school in the morning or have passed the crossing in the afternoon at the end of the school day, the school warden should leave the crossing point, ensuring to check there are no stragglers before the warden leaves their post.

Format of the Competition

Following the closing date for receipt of completed application forms, Kerry County Council will examine all applications having regard to the requirements as set out above.

Depending on the number of applications received, shortlisting may apply based on information supplied on the application form.

Candidates invited to attend for interview will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the role of School Warden and their overall suitability for the position(s) for which they have applied. Candidates will be assessed and marked solely on the basis of how they demonstrate their knowledge, skills and experience at interview.

General Information

Kerry County Council will not be responsible for any expense, including travelling expenses, which candidates may incur in connection with their candidature. Candidates will be asked for details of any special requirements which they may have in attending for interview. Candidates invited to attend for interview may be asked, at any stage of the recruitment process, to supply further documentation in relation to their academic qualifications, employment history, etc. Any offer of employment will be subject to verification of information provided on the application form, pre-employment medical examination, reference checks, and Garda vetting if appropriate.

An applicant who is found to be ineligible at any stage of the competition will not be further considered. Provision of inaccurate, untrue or misleading information will result in disqualification from the competition, withdrawal of employment offered, or dismissal. Any attempt by a candidate himself or herself or by any person(s) acting at the candidate’s instigation, directly or indirectly, by means of written communication or otherwise, to canvass or otherwise influence in the candidate’s favour, any member of the staff of Kerry County Council or person nominated by Kerry County Council to interview or examine applicants, will automatically disqualify the candidate for the position being sought.