Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether dance schools can open for (a) training and rehearsal without an audience and (b) supervised activities for children during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.

Dance can be undertaken in schools that provide a full-time education, during the period of national restrictions, but safety precautions should be undertaken. Advice is provided in the actions for schools during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#music-dance-and-drama-in-school.

In addition, qualifications in dance can take place in England during this period provided they are conducted in line with the public health guidance on autumn exams: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series/public-health-arrangements-for-autumn-exams.

Schools may also continue to offer before and after school educational provision to their pupils (including dance), to enable their parents or carers to work, seek work, attend education or training, or where the provision is to support respite care (for vulnerable children). Where schools are offering these activities, they should advise parents that they should only be using them for these purposes.

Providers of supervised activities for children, such as those providing out-of-school activities (including dance classes), may also continue to operate during the period of national restrictions, as outlined in the guidance for education and childcare settings on new national restrictions from 5 November: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss. However, providers of these activities should ensure they are only being accessed for face-to-face provision by parents if their primary purpose is registered childcare, or where they are providing other activities for children, where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work, or to undertake training or education; or for the purposes of respite care.

Providers that continue to operate face-to-face provision during this period should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in the protective measures for holiday clubs and after-school clubs and other out-of-school clubs for children during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak guidance: 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.

All other out-of-school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes and that can offer remote education, should close for face-to-face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. This will minimise the amount of mixing between different groups of people and therefore reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus.