Please could we encourage you to read this new updated guidance below? We are working so hard in school to keep your children safe and keep them separate from children in other classes. We know many of you need to access child care after school and during holidays, so hopefully this is helpful. You should use only one additional setting alongside school.
The full updated Guidance regarding children attending out of school settings and clubs during pandemic can be accessed by clicking this link. Some of the pertinent points are pasted from the article below and tell you what you can do from 8th March, from the 29th March, including the Easter break:
As of 8th March, out-of-school settings and wraparound childcare providers can now offer indoor and outdoor face-to-face provision to:
- vulnerable children and young people, under any circumstance
- all other children, where the provision is one of the following:
- reasonably necessary to enable their parents and carers to work, search for work, undertake education or training, or attend a medical appointment or address a medical need, or attend a support group
- being used by electively home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education
- for the purposes of obtaining a regulated qualification, meeting the entry requirements for an education institution, or to undertake exams and assessments
From 29th March, as set out in the COVID-19 response spring 2021 guidance, and in line with when schools close for the Easter holidays, out-of-school settings and wraparound providers will be able to offer the following provision.
Outdoor provision to all children, without restrictions on the purpose for which they may attend.
Indoor provision to:
- vulnerable children and young people, under any circumstance
- children on free school meals, where they are attending as part of the Department for Education’s holiday activities and food programme
- all other children, where the provision is one of the following:
- reasonably necessary to enable their parents and carers to work, search for work, undertake education or training, or attend a medical appointment or address a medical need, or attend a support group
- being used by electively home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education
- being used for the purposes of obtaining a regulated qualification, meeting the entry requirements for an education institution, or to undertake exams and assessments
Choosing after-school clubs and out-of-school activities for your child
You should send your child to the same settings consistently and limit the number of settings they attend as far as possible, and ideally ensure they attend only one out-of-school setting in addition to school.
You should use settings local to your home or child’s school, such as settings within walking or cycling distance.
You should also keep a record of when your child attends a setting and where it is. This is to help NHS Test and Trace identify people who may have been in contact with your child if they test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Check with the provider that they have put in place protective measures to reduce the risk of infection before you send your child to a particular setting. For more information on choosing a setting for your child, please read the guidance for parents and carers on safeguarding children in out-of-school settings.
Parent attendance at extra-curricular clubs, tuition and other out-of-school activities
Parents and carers should not be allowed into the setting unless it is essential. It is particularly important during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that you ensure the provider has your most up-to-date contact details in case of an emergency.
Live performances of children’s dance, music and drama should not take place at this time.
