Out-of-Schools Settings and Regulated Qualifications from 8 March 2021
Last week the Department for Education received confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care that the full education and training exemption for Out-of-Schools Settings is only attached to library premises, community centres, theatres and concert halls from 8 March 2021.
The exemption has no age limit placed on it and covers activities in which students/candidates are engaged that meet the definition of education and training as laid out in the legislation summarised below. It also assumes that the premises can legally open for that purpose.
(h) activities provided by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution or a public body for the purposes of—
The Department for Education has confirmed that delivery of regulated qualifications is therefore permissible in the above settings as well as efforts to obtain a regulated qualification. We understand efforts to obtain a regulated qualification to mean indoor examination preparation for a regulated qualification in the period preceding assessment. (Before returning to face-to-face examination preparation, please contact your local authority / trading standards to confirm whether this is permitted in your setting).
From 8 March 2021, indoor dance studios and sports facilities in Out-of-School Settings are only able to open for supervised activities for:
- vulnerable children and young people
- other children, where the provision is 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
More information is available here on gov.uk.
Note that it is the Government’s intention for Out-Of-Schools Settings and wraparound childcare providers to be able to offer provision as normal, to all children, from the start of the school summer term. This will be no earlier than 12 April, and will be confirmed as part of Step 2 of the Covid-19 Response - Spring 2021.