Over the last couple of days there has been quite a lot of confusion around whether you can or cannot run extra-curricular activities both before and after school. Numerous pieces of guidance from the DfE, Youth Sport Trust and Association for PE was released late last week which seemed to confuse the situation for some even more.

This morning the Youth Sport Trust, Association for PE and UK Active have come together to give some clarity and understanding for everyone to follow. In a nut shell extra-curricular clubs can continue if they are within the COVID-19 guidelines e.g. socially distanced and same bubbles that are used throughout the school day.

• Schools should continue to provide extra-curricular sport as long as they can do so in a way which i) maintains the integrity of schools’ COVID-19 protocols such as approach to bubbles, staffing and social distancing and ii) is subject to appropriate risk assessment.
• Where the guidance refers to supporting parents to work, there is no additional need for schools to prove that extra-curricular clubs are helping parents to work or seek work.
• Extra-curricular clubs should not take place if they are bringing together groups of young people who would not otherwise be spending time together. Competition between different schools should not take place, in line with the wider restrictions on grassroots sport.

Please refer to the Youth Sport trust, Association for PE or UK Active websites for more information. You may also want to check with your local authority in case there COVID-19 guidelines are slightly different to those released by the government.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

https://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/joint-statement-government-guidance-on-extra-curricular-sport-during-the-lockdown/

https://www.youthsporttrust.org/news/government-guidance-extra-curricular-sport-during-lockdown