Sports and activity groups need to have enough suitable adults present to safely supervise all the children and young people who are there. It's part of your legal duty of care, and will help to ensure the safety, wellbeing and effective coaching of all the children and young people taking part.
A ‘supervision ratio’ is the number of suitable adults required to supervise a particular number of children. Deciding the exact number of supervisors needed should be part of the planning and risk assessment process carried out for the activity. We always recommend a minimum of two adult supervisors, even for very small groups.
Sport-specific guidance
Many sports national governing bodies, leisure facilities and other activity providers have their own guidance about supervision ratios, which usually means more adults are required than our guidance, below. Always follow the sport-specific guidance for your group or activity.
Minimum supervision ratios
This table shows our recommended minimum adult-to-child supervision ratios. These ratios would be suitable for many groups working with children and young people. But, if your risk assessment shows a need for a higher level of supervision, then follow your own risk assessment.
Number of children |
Age of children |
Number of adults |
Ratio |
| 3 | 0-2 | 1 (minimum 2) | 1:3 |
| 4 | 2-3 | 1 (minimum 2) | 1:4 |
| 6 | 4-8 | 1 (minimum 2) | 1:6 |
| 8 | 9-12 | 1 (minimum 2) | 1:8 |
| 10 | 13-18 | 1 (minimum 2) | 1:10 |
We always recommend a minimum of two adult supervisors, even for very small groups of children and young people. For example, a group of nine children, aged 0-2 would require three adults (one adult for every three children). A group of 25 young people aged 13-18 would require three adults. A group of ten young people in this age group would also require two adults, the recommended minimum.
Factors informing supervision ratios
We recommend carrying out a risk assessment for the specific activity, considering the following:
- ages of the children and young people
- any additional support needs they might have
- knowledge and experience of the staff or volunteers – usually at least one supervisor needs to be trained in first aid
- skill level and experience of those taking part
- nature of the activity – sessions in a swimming pool or a climbing wall might need more supervision than football training
- type of venue – whether open to the public, other activity groups or private use
- equipment the children may be using
- whether there needs to be both male and female supervisors
- if it's a drop-in activity where you can't register people in advance
- how adults who don't meet the criteria for criminal records checks are supervised
Download our briefing for detailed information about supervision ratios, including recruiting suitable adult supervisors, supervision between activities, supervision during travel and overnight stays, and dealing with toilet breaks and changing rooms.
Author: NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit
Published: 2024
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- Codes of conduct - sample codes of conduct for children, parents, staff and spectators, to encourage positive behaviour and manage poor behaviour in your sport or activity.
- Safe events management tool - our online tool will help you to meet the safeguarding responsibilities for your event.
- Managing weather related risks at events - what to do when you're running a sport event and are faced with extreme heat, cold or rain.