Issued: 2nd July 2020
Thank you to all of our customers for your continued support during this time. With the latest guidance update, we wanted to produce an FAQ which will answer most questions surrounding our reopening. We would ask that you remain patient and work with us as the safety of our customers, that of our schools and our staff remains and always will be paramount.
When will Schools Plus be reopening?
We are following the guidelines which are issued from time to time by the Government. Currently, we expect that the following activities may be able to start soon:
- Worship groups
- Holiday Clubs
- Out Of School Settings. This will cover most tuition groups and clubs which are specifically for children
- Grassroots sport, gym and leisure facilities
- Performing Arts
All of these settings will be subject to strict new rules, including limits on numbers, requirements for social distancing and enhanced cleanliness.
So will you open on 4th July?
- No. The earliest date we will open is Monday 20th July, after schools close for the summer holidays. This has to do with the changes which come in that point for activities in school settings, as well as the fact that many schools will want to conduct a deep clean at the end of the term. After the 20th, we will manage a phased reopening of our activities. We will need to assess each customer’s requirements as well as your plans for how you will help us to keep everyone safe. This means some schools and some activities will reopen earlier than others. We are as keen as you are to return to business but safety is our overriding concern. Please bear with us during this period.
- For existing customers, we will contact you directly when we are able to talk to you about returning to your bookings.
What changes will there be?
Each activity which our customers undertake is subject to different regulations and guidance, although clearly there are some common threads including social distancing and enhanced cleanliness. Links to the guidance for those activities we are working on at the moment are here:
- Holiday clubs and other activities for children: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
- Outdoor training for adults: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation/guidance-for-providers-of-outdoor-facilities-on-the-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation
- Grassroots sports, gym and leisure facilities: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/providers-of-grassroots-sport-and-gym-leisure-facilities
- Performing Arts: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid19/performing-arts
- We will need you to put in place plans and risk assessments to show how you can adhere to the relevant guidance for your activity. Whilst we have an over-arching responsibility for operating the lettings, we can’t individually supervise and control your activities, so we need your help on this. This is the new normal and will be the way many aspects of life are conducted for the foreseeable future.
How will Schools Plus keep us safe?
We are working with our school sites to ensure that when we open up facilities, we will be operating in line with all best practice for Covid-19, including:
- Enhanced cleaning schedules
- Handwashing facilities at reception points and close to facilities where possible
- Controlling the flow of customers to ensure we don’t have large groups of people where social distancing could become difficult. This might include staggering booking times, operating one-way systems, using multiple site entrances and creating time gaps between bookings in the same facility.
- Ensuring that symptomatic individuals, whether staff or customers, stay away from the site
- Offering advice and guidance for Vulnerable and Extremely Vulnerable individuals
- Considering the capacities for the site, and for individual facilities, to ensure that social distancing can be observed
What can I do to prepare for returning?
You should make sure that you are aware of the guidance for your sector and start preparing your Risk Assessments and revised procedures. We will want details of these before we allow your bookings to go ahead. If you are well-prepared, it will help us to get you back into your school site at the earliest opportunity.
If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
