Any PE Teachers here? Question re Covid guidance.

[nordicmomma]

What is the latest guidance re students using changing rooms for pe, and in which document is the guidance set out?

I know that students now can get changed in changing rooms, but our school has implied that they must due to government guidance. I'm trying to work out whether that really is the government guidance or just school policy and a badly worded communication.

All our changing procedures have returned to pre Covid norms. I don’t think there is any specific guidance on it…. Feels pretty much like Covid no longer exists in schools anymore. We are continuing to spray equipment at the end of a session but that is individual department choice.

Does it matter? If it’s school policy, it’s school policy. No?

Do I really need to answer that? School policies can be questioned and, sometimes, are changed. They are less likely to be questioned if they are backed up by clear Government guidance. It's therefore poor form to imply that they're backed by Government guidance, when they're not.

Where else are they going to get changed?

We have just about turned and told the kids to come in their pe kit on pe days

@CarrieBlue

Where else are they going to get changed?

The previous Government advice was that students should come to school in their PE kit on PE day, rather than changing. Many people were hoping this practice would continue - less to carry, less to lose, less hassle, more lesson time, no changing-room angst.

There are downsides - obviously if you get wet and muddy at the start of the day, you want something dry to change into. But if the pe lesson is at the end of the day, wearing pe kit to school is a win-win.

But my question was a simple one - has the Government advised that students should change, or simply lifted the guidance that they shouldn't?

The DfE have revised all guidance, it is that guidance - although if the school have returned to uniform and change for PE, where else would they get changed. Schools could continue to have students come to school in PE kit, particularly if they have decided, it actually gives more time for PE, not so much fun if playing rugby in the middle of winter and wearing PE kit all day

My DC changed at school all the way through. Sounds like you just want a fight with your DCs school. Hope you get whatever outcome you’re hoping for (and that your DC aren’t at the same school as mine)

You're overthinking CarrieBlue, and making incorrect assumptions.

It was a simple question. A Head of PE would know the answer.

‘Many people’ couldn’t care less whether their child goes to school in kit or changes at school, so by asking your ‘simple’ question and your subsequent response to mine you clearly have an agenda.

As I said, I hope you get whatever outcome you wish for.

Thankyou. I will take your good wishes at face value, and I'm sorry that my question added to your woes.

I'm not a disgruntled parent, but I am someone who needs to deal with disgruntled parents, and I'm simply trying to establish the facts.

I have been working on the guidance issued by DfE, it is down to school policy - personally, some of the changes brought about by covid are good and certainly in primary, children coming to school in PE kit on PE days is a good thing, less likely to lose items, PE kit gets worn more, than a couple of hours a week, plus increases the time actually doing PE. Schools are not directed to make children change for PE at school, they never were - nor were they told not to let children change in changing rooms (just consider the risk), I know plenty of schools that still had children change onsite last year.