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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Jessica Sansome

What are the rules around playing sports and PE as schools reopen?

As of the start of September school children up and down the country will be returning to the classroom.

It could be for the first time since March for many due to the closure of schools amid the coronavirus lockdown in the UK.

All pupils will be expected back at the start of the academic year with the government insisting it is safe for parents to send their children back into school.

Of course, many measures will be in place to ensure staff and students' safety.

The measures include staggered break times, increased hygiene and hand-washing and keeping pupils in consistent groups.

It also encourages staff and pupils to walk or cycle to school whenever possible.

But what about PE and playing sports while at school?

The government guidance currently states that schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls.

Pupils should be kept in consistent groups, sports equipment thoroughly cleaned between each use by different individual groups, and contact sports avoided.

Outdoor sports should be prioritised where possible, and large indoor spaces used where it is not, maximising distancing between pupils and paying scrupulous attention to cleaning and hygiene.

They say this is particularly important in a sports setting because of the way in which people breathe during exercise.

External facilities can also be used in line with government guidance for the use of, and travel to and from, those facilities.

The government is also encouraging schools to use the guidance released in July on outdoor and team sports.

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