Protective measures for providers of community activities, holiday or after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings offering provision to children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

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Protective measures for holiday and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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Providers of out-of-school and holiday activities operate from a range of premises, including schools and other regulated educational institutions, by arrangement with the proprietors of those institutions, and other community premises such as village halls, by arrangement with the owners or managers of those premises.

The Department for Education wants to ensure, with these protective measures, that all providers are able to open in:

  • their own premises
  • education premises, such as schools or colleges (where providers would be using them outside of school hours, or when closed over school holiday periods)
  • community-facing premises including village halls, community centres and places of worship

Published 1 July 2020
Last updated 20 May 2021 + show all updates

  1. We have converted the guidance to HTML to make it easier to read. We have not changed any of the guidance from the update on 10 May.

  2. Updated to provide additional guidance on residential visits, which can commence from Step 3. Updated the guidance on use of face coverings, indoor group sizes and parental attendance at out-of-school settings.

  3. We have updated advice on the use of face coverings, Lateral Flow Device (LFD) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and self-isolation. We have removed information on who can attend out-of-school settings prior to 29 March and updated information to reflect the commencement of step 2 of the COVID-19 Response – spring 2021.

  4. Changes made to the sections ‘Considering group sizes’, ‘Promote and engage in asymptomatic testing’, ‘Educational visits and trips’, and ‘Staff who are clinically extremely vulnerable’.

  5. Removed old guidance for before 8 March.

  6. Guidance updated to outline who can attend out-of-school settings and what actions providers will need to take from 8 March. Added new sections on advice for pregnant staff members and engaging in asymptomatic testing.

  7. Updated the home education section with further information on vulnerable children who have difficulty engaging in remote education. Also added a section on Test and Trace Support Payments.

  8. Updated information on who should attend out-of-school settings in line with new national lockdown restrictions, group sizes with information on staff:bubble ratios, educational visits and trips in line with new national lockdown restrictions, staff who are clinically extremely vulnerable to reflect that shielding has been introduced nationally, and music, dance and drama provision to reflect that live performances should not take place.

  9. Updated to reflect changes to the contingency framework and the January 2021 return to school guidance.

  10. Updated to reflect new local restriction tier 4 (stay at home) requirements and attendance at out-of-school settings during the first week of the new school term in January 2021.

  11. Updated guidance in the following sections: home education; educational visits and trips; providers of music, dance and drama or sports provision; who can attend your out-of-school setting; and equality. Added guidance about social distancing. These updates apply from 2 December.

  12. Added links to new national restrictions guidance.

  13. Updated with information about local COVID alert levels.

  14. Updated to remove out of date summer references, added a section of links to venue-specific guidance and updated Test and Trace section to reflect launch of the NHS COVID-19 app.

  15. Protective measures update for autumn term, making clear the position on group sizes and how providers can minimise the risk of children mixing outside their school bubbles, as well as additional content on music and performing arts, educational visits and shared resources.

  16. Updated content on considering group sizes (including the position for early years settings which provide care for both those under and over the age of 5). Added information on the opening of indoor sports facilities, and when providers will be able to use these venues. We also made clear that providers should only be operating in premises legally able to open. Added links to further relevant guidance providers may need to have regard to.

  17. First published.