Protective measures for re-opening supplementary schools during Covid-19 outbreak

An opportunity to go through the DfE guidance and practice risk assessment

This webinar will be for supplementary schools in the John Lyon’s Charity beneficial area and NRCSE members.

On 1st July, the Department for Education published its guidance Protective measures for out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (covid 19) outbreak:

As the Prime Minister confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, subject to the science and with safety measures in place. Adjustments to the current measures for these providers will be part of Step 3 of the recovery strategy (from 4 July).

We recognise the important role out-of-school settings (OOSS) play in providing enriching activities, giving children the opportunity to socialise with others outside their household and promoting their wellbeing. We also recognise the importance of these settings in providing additional childcare options to parents and carers, particularly those with younger children, who may need to return to or continue to work during the school holidays.

We are aware many providers are already considering what protective measures to put in place to allow them to reopen more widely and as safely as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This document sets out guidance to support their planning and advises on practical steps they can take to minimise the risk to children, staff and parents who attend their settings by reducing the risk of infection and transmission of the virus.

This does not mean everything is ‘back to normal’. Many of you have adapted your activities effectively to support children’s learning in a creative way. We have been getting lots of feedback that although it was a ‘steep learning curve’ you are now finding your pupils and parents are enjoying the new remote teaching and learning.  You have got used to video conferencing, you’ve discovered apps and techniques to encourage self-learning, your pupils are more engaged via their mobile phones, your teachers are able to devote the time they used to spend travelling to shorter tutorials with 1-5 pupils.

We want you to think carefully before re-opening face-to-face. Will you be able to meet your own aims and ambitions? Will parents be confident to send their children? Will you be able to afford the additional staffing and space that the protective measures require. What funding is available and is it enough?

This webinar will be an opportunity to hear what other settings are doing, to do some practical risk assessment exercises, to exchange your hopes and concerns with other supplementary schools.

We look forward to being with you

Pascale, Mon, Remy and Stuart