Sports

Content currently under review

Physical activity in schools 

The government’s operational guidance provides information on physical activity in schools. Primary and secondary settings, including sixth forms, special schools, alternative providers and 16 to 19 academies have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided while following the measures in their system of controls. 

General principles

• Ensure you have risk assessed for the activity you are undertaking, to effectively reduce risks in your setting and create an inherently safer environment. 
• Keep pupils in consistent groups. 
• Clean sports equipment thoroughly between each use by different individual groups. 
• Activities such as active miles, making break times and lessons active and encouraging active travel can help pupils to be physically active while encouraging physical distancing. 
• NB. In the event of a positive COVID-19 case related to a sporting activity, teams and their opposition may be regarded as close contacts and required to isolate, even if an event occurs outdoors. 

Venues and facilities 

• Outdoors: Prioritise outdoor sports where possible. 
• Indoors: If outdoor sports are not possible, use large indoor spaces, ensure maximum ventilation, distance between pupils, and pay scrupulous attention to cleaning and hygiene. (This is particularly important in a sport setting because of the way in which people breathe during exercise.)  
• External facilities: These can also be used in line with government guidance for the use of, and travel to and from, those facilities. 

Team Sports 

• Only consider team sports whose national governing bodies have developed guidance under the principles of the government’s guidance on team sport and been approved by the government such as sports on the list available at grassroots sports guidance for safe provision including team sport, contact combat sport and organised sport events. 
• Outdoor and indoor competition between different schools may currently take place. 

Sports and activity providers 

• External providers: Settings can work with external coaches, clubs and organisations for curricular and extra-curricular activities. You must be satisfied that it is safe to do. 

When planning refer to:

• Guidance on grassroot sports for public and sport providers, safe provision and facilities, and guidance from Sport England 
• Advice from organisations such as the Association for Physical Education and the Youth Sport Trust 
• Guidance from Swim England on school swimming and water safety lessons available at returning to pools guidance documents 
• Using Changing Rooms Safely