Dance: Coronavirus

(asked on 9th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Department for Education guidance on the reopening of after school clubs, including dance classes, published on 1 July 2020, what assessment he has made of the ability of dance schools to reopen safely as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 14th July 2020

A dance school which operates for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, out-of-school settings which run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these activities have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by the Government. However, providers should check the latest Government guidelines on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. They cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.

Protective measures guidance for out-of-school settings can be found here: 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.

Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should also refer to the guidance for keeping workers, volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports and gym or leisure facilities:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/providers-of-grassroots-sport-and-gym-leisure-facilities.

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