PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Academic Year: Coronavirus (29 June 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide a (a) framework and (b) tailored support to enable schools to open as places for pupil engagement and activity in the 2020 summer holidays.

Asked by:
Alison McGovern (Labour)

We are not asking schools to open over the summer holidays. Teachers, support staff and head teachers deserve a break, to recharge and rest.

We are aware that some headteachers may be considering using their catch-up premium to provide summer school activities for their pupils. Where this is the case, they have the flexibility, discretion and autonomy to decide how they want to do this. To support schools in planning how to use the catch-up premium, the Education Endowment Foundation has produced a guide which includes advice on summer schools and contains a link to a Teach First toolkit specifically focused on summer schools, for schools that choose to do this.

Holiday clubs and out-of-school clubs for children will also be able to restart over the summer, with safety measures in place. These clubs will be part of Step 3 of the recovery strategy (from 4 July). We have published guidance for the sector on how to implement the protective measures necessary to open safely:

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/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

Answered by:
Nick Gibb (Conservative)
2 July 2020