Wraparound provision and extra-curricular activity

Schools should be working to resume all their breakfast and after-school provision. Resuming this provision is important to ensure parents and carers can continue to or return to work, as well as to provide enriching activities for children that improve their wellbeing or support their education. Schools should also work closely with any external wraparound providers which their pupils may use, to ensure as far as possible, children can be kept in a group with other children from the same bubble they are in during the school day.

Where it is not possible, or it is impractical to group children in the same bubbles as they are in during the school day – for example, if only one or two children are attending wraparound provision from the same school day bubble – schools and external providers may need to group children with others from outside their school day bubble or from a different school, where children from multiple schools are attending provision. If schools or external providers need to do this, they should seek to keep children in small, consistent groups with the same children each time, as far as this is possible.

We recognise that schools may need to respond flexibly and build their wraparound provision up over time. Such provision will however help ensure pupils have opportunities to re-engage with their peers and with the school, ensure vulnerable children have a healthy breakfast and are ready to focus on their lessons, provide enrichment activities, and also support working parents.

Schools can consult the guidance produced for providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children, as much of this will be useful in planning extra-curricular provision. This includes schools advising parents to limit the number of different out-of-school settings providers they access, as far as possible. Where parents use childcare providers or out of school extra-curricular activities for their children, schools should encourage parents and carers to seek assurance that the providers are carefully considering their own protective measures, and children should only attend settings that can demonstrate this. DfE has also issued guidance for parents and carers, which schools may want to circulate.

Schools may also choose to open up or hire out their premises for use by external bodies or organisations, such as external coaches or after-school or holiday clubs or activities. In doing so, schools should ensure they work with providers to consider how they can operate within their wider protective measures and should also have regard to any other relevant government guidance. For example, where opening up school leisure facilities for external use, ensuring they do so in line with government guidance on working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) for providers of grassroots sport and gym or leisure facilities.

Schools should also read the local restriction tiers guidance to find out what tier their area is in and the additional restrictions that apply. Currently, supervised activities, training and education for children can continue to operate at all alert tiers both inside and outdoors.