What is a Midday Supervisor?

A Midday Supervisor (or Lunchtime Supervisor, Lunch Assistant, or Playground Assistant) supports children during lunch and breaktimes in schools. While their role may seem simple on the surface, they are often key adults in a child’s school day – especially for those who find unstructured times challenging.

They help ensure children are safe, included, and supported during play and mealtimes.

A midday supervisor told us about their role – this is what they said:

They may:

• Oversee children in the dining hall and playground.
• Support children in resolving social issues or emotional distress.
• Offer 1:1 support for children with SEND or EHCPs.
• Supervise structured games or provide calm spaces.
• Be the adult a child turns to when breaktimes feel overwhelming.

Midday Supervisors usually receive on-the-job training in:

• Behaviour support.
• First aid.
• Basic SEND awareness.

Some have additional training in autism, sensory processing, or PDA.

Unstructured time can be difficult for PDAers. Midday Supervisors can:

• Provide calm, consistent supervision.
• Help the child navigate social situations in a low-pressure way.
• Offer alternative activities when the playground is too overwhelming.
• Be a safe adult the child can retreat to.
• Provide a safe space during unstructured time when anxiety or overwhelm may arise.
• Be a consistent and calming adult who understands the child’s needs.
• Respond to emotional distress with compassion and flexibility.

They might:

• Offer structured choices to reduce anxiety about what to do.
• Create low-demand zones (e.g. a quiet room, sensory area).
• Support communication using non-verbal methods.
• Allow autonomy in whether the child eats, plays, or takes a break.
• De-escalate using a calm and relational approach, not control.

For PDAers, lunchtime may be the hardest part of the day. Midday Supervisors told us that they are sometimes seen as ‘just watching the playground’ when in reality: 

• They manage complex behaviour, safety, emotional wellbeing, and social dynamics.
• They act as first responders to incidents.
• Their presence can prevent or de-escalate crises.
• They are vital to school functioning and child welfare.

PDAers and their families often tell us how confusing and unsettling it can be to meet new professionals – especially when it’s not clear what their job is or what good support looks like. That’s why we asked professionals themselves to tell us, in their own words, what they do. You’ll find their honest, personal answers in the ‘What professionals do’ section of our site.

This is a growing resource, so if you don’t see the role you’re looking for yet, you could ask the person you’re working with to fill in this short form.

Please note: these insights come from individual professionals, not official organisations, so you might find some variation in how people describe their roles. If you’re wondering whether a service you’ve been offered is the right fit, our guides to finding helpful support can help.