At Barn Croft, we believe playtime should be safe, happy and fun for everyone! That’s why we have a special team called Playground Friends.

What Are Playground Friends?

Playground Friends are children in Year 5 and 6 who help other children on the playground — and during indoor play when it’s raining. They help children play games, make friends, and sort out problems peacefully.

They’re friendly, kind, and always there to help!

What’s the Playground Friends Programme For?

Playground Friends help everyone at our school by:

• Making playtimes more fun and friendly
• Helping children learn to play kindly and solve problems
• Making sure everyone feels included and has a friend
• Teaching new games and fun activities
• Giving children a chance to learn great skills from each other

Training and Support

All Playground Friends are trained and supported by a special adult. This adult helps them learn how to:

• Teach and play games fairly
• Help children who are having a disagreement
• Be a positive role model for others

Reading Buddies

Our Playground Friends also spend time during the week reading with Reception and Year 1 children. It’s lovely to see older and younger children building strong friendships and helping each other.

How Do You Become a Playground Friend?

In Year 5 or 6, children can apply to join the team.

They are asked:

• Why they want to be a Playground Friend?
• What makes them a good playground Friend?
• To come up with fun new game ideas
• What Do They Do Each Day?

Each day, about 8 Playground Friends are on duty.

Here’s what they do:

• Help everyone play safely and kindly
• Set up play areas and tidy them after break
• Take care of games, books and equipment and encouraging other children to do the same
• Think of new ideas to make playtimes even better Get children involved in games and sports Include children who are feeling left out
• Make sure everyone has fun!

What children say about Playground Friends

“It’s fun being a playground friend because you get to play with new people”
“It’s good having a Playground Friend because you get to play with them when you do not have someone to play with”

Celebration Time!

Each week, one special Playground Friend who has done an amazing job gets a ‘Playground Friend of the Week’ certificate in our celebration assembly. At the end of each term, all the Playground Friends enjoy a special treat as a thank you for their hard work!