After weeks of requesting additional information from the DfE regarding in what manner out of school clubs would be able to re-open from 1 June, we finally received a response on the morning of 1 June. For the answers to our questions in full see below, but in summary, the key information is as follows:
- You can only provide wraparound childcare to the children who are attending school. You cannot provide childcare for children who are not attending school, whether that's because the school cannot accommodate them at this time (eg insufficient space for all the eligible children), or because their parents don't want to send them back to school yet, or because their year groups aren't yet eligible to return to school (ie they're in years 2 to 5).
- You can only provide wraparound childcare if you operate on school premises, and follow the same health protection procedures as the school, and the headteacher is satisfied with your arrangements.
- You can only provide wraparound childcare to the children of the school within which you operate. You cannot take children from other schools.
Note that the references to wraparound childcare are in the context of schools opening from 1 June and refer to before and after-school care.
The guidance for before and after-school clubs that was issued on 1 and 2 June means that if you operate your wraparound setting from a separate premises, such as a community centre or church hall, you cannot currently open.
Update 17 June: Despite our very positive telephone meeting with the DfE on 4 June in which they acknowledged that their decision to insist that clubs could only operate on school sites was leading to a number of unintended consequences, and they assured us that they would review the situation with some urgency, it seems that our cautious optimism was misplaced. Over the intervening two weeks there were a number of hints and half promises that a revised statement was imminent, but it now transpires that the issue of clubs operating off school sites has become entangled in the larger issues of whether, and in what form, holiday clubs can open. This means that a change of policy on this issue before 4 July is unlikely.
On 5 June the DfE issued the statement: "The department acknowledges the queries being raised regarding wraparound care for children in early years and schools... Currently the department has stated that provision can only open if it is on a school site and only for children attending the same provision/school. We have been made aware of the challenges this may pose for wraparound childcare providers, and will keep the current position under review. As soon as we have an update, we will share it with relevant stakeholders and ensure it is reflected in any COVID19 guidance."
Official guidance documents
The DfE updated its published guidance for childcare providers on 2 June to include this new rule about wraparound settings only being allowed to operate on school sites (see para 6.3). Puzzlingly this rule does not apply to other early years settings which are explicitly told that they can operate from community centres (see para 6.2):
Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
They also expanded on the rule about clubs only being allowed to operate on school sites, in updated guidance for schools issued on 3 June. This includes confirmation that holiday clubs are not currently allowed to open (see para 24.4):
Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak
And it is also mentioned in information for parents published on 2 June and updated 18 June (see end of section on early years settings):
What parents and carers need to know about schools during the coronavirus outbreak
Holiday clubs
The DfE published its guidance for holiday clubs on 1 July 2020. For more information see: Holiday clubs guidance: a summary.
Answers to questions received on 1 June
This is the explanation that we received from the DfE on 1 June 2020. The text in bold are the original questions that we sent them several weeks ago.
"Thank you kindly for your patience whilst we have been collating the answers to your questions, which are below. I hope you find this information useful to update your members with:
If parents of children in YR, Y1 or Y6 who would like to send their children to school are unable to access places in their local school (eg if the school can only accommodate a proportion of children in the affected year groups), would wraparound providers be allowed to open up to provide all day childcare (similar to what they provide during school holidays) for those children? (Obviously assuming that the health protection recommendations are met.)
Where schools are planning for wider opening for children from 1 June, all eligible children (such as those in reception, and years 1 and 6) and those in priority groups (such as children of critical workers and vulnerable children) are being encouraged to resume their full-time attendance at school.
Childcare providers who usually provide before and after school provision should therefore not be extending their offer to cover the whole school day.
If children cannot access their usual school, due to it not being open, parents should contact their local authority to find an alternative school place for their children. Schools should not operate rota systems.
We have made temporary changes to the law, to enable eligible children to attend another school, on a temporary basis if their school is closed. The changes ensure these children can return to their normal school once it reopens.
If parents of children in YR, Y1 or Y6 don't want to send their children to school for whatever reason, could wraparound settings provide all day childcare for these children as outlined in question 1?
Where schools are planning for wider opening for children from 1 June, all eligible children (such as those in reception, and years 1 and 6) and those in priority groups (such as children of critical workers and vulnerable children) are being encouraged to resume their full-time attendance at school.
We would expect and strongly encourage children in reception, and years 1 and 6, and those in priority groups to be attending their usual school, unless they are self-isolating or there are other reasons for absence (such as shielding due to health conditions).
Childcare providers who usually provide before and after school provision should therefore not be extending their offer to cover the whole school day.
If parents of children in other years which are not currently covered by the proposed re-opening on 1 June (ie Y2 - Y5), need childcare so that they can return to work, could wraparound settings provide all day childcare for these children from 1 June?
No. Wraparound childcare (with the exception of childminders) should only be provided for children in the eligible year groups (such as those in reception, and years 1 and 6) or those in priority groups (such as children of critical workers and vulnerable children); and should only be offered where the provision operates on the same premises as the school those children attend, and where the school is also satisfied that the wraparound provider can implement the same protective measures in place, i.e. keeping children in the same small consistent group that they are in throughout the school day.
Childcare providers who usually provide before and after school provision should also not be extending their offer to cover the whole school day.
Childminders can provide care for children of all ages from 1st June in line with their current Ofsted registration and within the usual limits on the number of children they can care for.
Must wraparound settings ensure that children remain in exactly the same 'bubbles' that they were in during the school day? Whilst everyone understands the purpose of this requirement, it is likely to be this very point that makes it impossible for the majority of wraparound settings to re-open. Is there any acceptable alternative to this requirement at this stage? For example, if providers were able to meet all the other requirements for strict hygiene protocols, and kept children outside and encouraged distancing as much as is possible with primary school-aged children?
Wraparound providers (with the exception of childminders) should only be operating for children in eligible year groups (such as those in reception, and years 1 and 6) or those within priority groups (such as children of critical workers and vulnerable children), and provided they are:
- Operating on the same premises as the school those children are attending; and
- Only caring for children of that school and no others.
With the exception of childminders, wraparound providers who do open from 1 June, should ensure they are following the same protective measures being taken by schools during the day, and work with schools to follow their arrangements, such as keeping children in the same small consistent groups that they are in during the school day.
If wraparound providers are unable to implement the same protective measures as the school, they should continue to remain closed for the time being.
Childminders can provide care for children of all ages from 1st June in line with their current Ofsted registration and within the usual limits on the number of children they can care for."