Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take legislative steps to put safeguarding in extracurricular settings on the same statutory footing as (a) schools and (b) statutory services.

The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including extracurricular providers outside the statutory education and childcare system, referred to as out-of-school settings (OOSS).

All OOSS have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children attending their settings. To support providers to meet this duty, the department has published guidance and free accompanying e-learning outlining the safeguarding standards we expect them to meet.

The department has also published guidance for parents and carers to help them make informed decisions when choosing OOSS, which includes potential issues to watch out for and steps to take if concerns arise. These resources are regularly reviewed, including with key stakeholders such as safeguarding partners, sector representatives, and parent groups.

Whilst the department believes most OOSS offer enriching education in a safe environment, we want this to be true for all. That’s why the government launched a call for evidence on 29 May to better understand safeguarding practices in the sector and invite views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including potential regulation. This closed on 21 September, and we are currently analysing responses. We will publish our response, including next steps, in due course.