Rule of 6 and Martial Arts schools – what are the new rules?
We have built up good momentum over the last few months with students coming back to class and new students joining. Martial Arts schools have worked hard to become covid compliant and to follow the rules and guidelines set forth by the government.
With the PMs announcements on the 22nd Sep, specifically regarding team sports and the rule of 6, many schools are wondering how the new guidance affects them. The good news is that we don’t have to lose the momentum built up over these past few months as Martial Arts are not classed as team sports where changes do apply.
Sport England have confirmed this in a recent tweet:
Hi, combat sports are individual activities so are not part of the team sports restrictions – see our FAQ on combat sports around social distanced activity https://t.co/UgmLoTSxgM
— Sport England (@Sport_England) September 23, 2020
NEST’s understanding of the new rules is: if you are operating in a covid-secure way you do not need to change the way you have been operating or reduce the number of students in your class. The rule change does affect how both students and parents arrive at and leave your school – they must not congregate in groups larger than 6 inside your school, outside while waiting to enter or pick up their children or in your car-park while coming and going. We also advise that students or parents wear masks while entering and exiting your building. As a covid-secure establishment, it is your responsibility to make sure your staff, students, and parents are aware of the rules.
Now is a good time to revisit your procedures and make sure you are enforcing the rules.
- You cannot have more than 1 person per 100 square feet of space. This includes all students, staff, and spectators
- You must keep students at least 1m apart while training
- Attendance recording is mandatory so you can pass details on to NHS Track & Trace if needed
- Outside of training people must not congregate in groups larger than 6
- No contact in training – this includes no pad work or weapons
- You must keep up a rigorous hygiene routine in your school
- People should wash their hands or use sanitising gel when entering
- Masks are not required for exercise, so students do not need to wear them. However, we advise the instructor to wear a mask or face shield while teaching and any non-students should wear face-coverings
- You should use Paperless Direct Debit when signing new students up, and avoid pen and paper whenever possible
- You should complete a risk assessment and revisit it every week. A template risk assessment is available on myMA
- As of 24th September it will be a legal requirement to display an NHS QR code to be scanned by students/parents using the Test and Trace app (more information below). We still strongly recommend you track attendance using myMA Attend.
QR Codes
The official NHS QR code posters to make it easier for people to check-in at different premises once the app is rolled out nationally. You can create your QR code on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
1) It is a legal requirement to display the poster/QR code2) You can not enforce the use of QR code scanning3) You need 1 QR code per location4) Your existing attendance tracking method is enough to fulfil the Test and Trace requirement
The more you follow and enforce the rules, the less likely we are to enter a second lockdown or short “circuit breaker” lockdown. However, we advise you are ready with online training so you can swap over without missing a beat.
The main takeaway from the recent announcement is you do not need to limit the number of students you train any further, but now is the time for a heightened level of responsibility.
