Sports Day going ahead with parents?

[Yellowmellow2]

Following the delay in the lifting of restrictions, what’s your school doing? DfE guidance says parents can attend but in separate groups of 30. Interested to know how schools will manage that.

In order for schools to stick to the guidance, as they should do, each parent group would need upto 168 square metres of space. This could be reduced if some members of that 30 were from the same household but then the number of groups would need to increase.

If you did KS2 sports day in a single form entry school, you'd need a minimum of four parent groups just to provide each child with one parent supporter. That's upto 672 square metres of space plus a larger gap between each group.

Even allowing a single parent, that's an unmanagable about of space to be given over to parents when the children need that space to actually do the sports day. Once you start factoring in second parents and/or grandparents, siblings, etc, I'd question whether any school running it with adult supporters is actually able to meet the guidance.

Ah my school has a huge field which makes a difference to a city school. Not having a huge field would obviously make a dofference to spacing!!

I forgot which thread and meant generally for trips/residentials/sports days where some schools are and some aren't.

I don't think the groups of 30 outside have to socially distance within that group?

drspouse
The DfE guidance states:
“spectators must adhere to current social distancing requirements”.

So that will include within the groups of 30.

Secondary school here. Spectators have been invited back to fixtures but only one per pupil, and all are to maintain distancing (which for the sake of simplicity is - space yourselves out, no groups please)

They'll probably do something similar for sports day, but not many parents go to that anyhow

Tiny school here with enormous games field - sports day last month split into KS2 and KS1/EY. Parents were allowed to attend and were socially distanced along the length of the running track. Scaled down event though.

Ours is spread over 3 days, with each year group having their own time slot so parents can watch

.

mrz
That's fine for family and friends in your own social time but if you look at the meeting family and friends guidance (as your post directs), it clearly states:
"COVID-secure rules, including social distancing requirements, continue to apply in the workplace, and in businesses and public venues. This guidance does not affect a site owner’s responsibility to calculate the number of people that can be accommodated with social distancing in place."

So schools just saying those 30 don't have to social distance is not okay.

It doesn't say that the 30 don't have to socially distance.

The bit you quoted said that distancing is a personal choice when it's family and friends and outside.

I was saying that doesn't mean that it's personal choice for parents attending school events.

Ours is going ahead with no parent spectators. In some ways I'm a bit sad as its last year in primary but there are other events which they're planning to do outside.

My ds's school is doing nothing because, well, covid is now the perfect excuse to keep the pesky parents away from anything to do with the school. They have a big field and plenty of space but a complete lack of ability to do anything for the children even after everything they have been through in the last 18 months.

I am feeling fairly bitter about the whole thing if you can't tell!! It's such a shame.

@Norestformrz

"The DfE say that sports day events can go ahead but “pupils and students must remain in their bubbles, and early years children should remain in their consistent groups as is usual for your setting.” The government say sports equipment should be cleaned regularly throughout the day and “spectators must adhere to current social distancing requirements”. Spectators can gather in separate groups of up to 30. Multiple groups are permitted."

This. It came out on Tuesday evening. So, schools can run a sports day with parents. I ran with bubble of children, observed by two groups of 30 parents. I didn’t do sidelines (in case children ran up to parents/ parents tempted to go into children bubble) nor parent races. We also took photos and videos.

I think some schools are using restrictions as an excuse not to do events. With careful planning and organisation, there is a clear way to still run events whilst keeping to the restrictions. I take the time to think how children and parents can still get the experience. I think it’s been important in a tough year. Not everyone bothers to do this as it does take extra time to do so.

No covid cases all year!

The kids are having sports day. No parents to attend.

Birmingham school 10 years ago banned parents. Too many fights.

Kids had a fab time and I didn’t have to miss work. Hardly the end of the world.

@aloysiusflyte

My ds's school is doing nothing because, well, covid is now the perfect excuse to keep the pesky parents away from anything to do with the school. They have a big field and plenty of space but a complete lack of ability to do anything for the children even after everything they have been through in the last 18 months.

I am feeling fairly bitter about the whole thing if you can't tell!! It's such a shame.

Are you at my sons school? Same story here

None of the schools near us in Manchester that I know of are inviting parents in for sports day. They just don't want the risk. If 30 adults come in, they have to do T&T then potentially they'll all have to self isolate if one later tests positive. And kids who don't have a choice about being in school might send up out of school SI. Times this risk by however many classes etc
Their priority is keeping schools open.
Might be different in very low rare areas.