Covid in Wales: School sports day bans for parents 'unfair'

Charlotte Russell is planning a protest over sports day access

Parents have expressed anger over being refused entry to school sports days while thousands of spectators are allowed in to major sporting events.

They have called guidelines keeping parents away "ridiculous" and "unfair," pointing out the same people are at school gates daily to collect children.

One Pembrokeshire mother is planning a protest at the council over the issue.

The Welsh government said schools could let parents attend if they had the right risk assessments in place.

Charlotte Russell has two daughters, aged seven and four, at Johnston Primary in Haverfordwest, which is holding its sports day on Wednesday - her younger daughter's first one.

The 38-year-old mother of three is so incensed by the fact she will miss it, she is planning to protest outside Pembrokeshire council's offices on Tuesday.

Scenes of thousands of fans at sporting events such as the Euro 2020 championship and Wimbledon have added to her anger.

Those events are being treated as fan pilots - under the UK government's Events Research Programme - where spectators are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test before entry.

Sports days typically round off the summer term, but this will be the second year with no event or no parents present

She contacted the school and council to express her views, quoting ex-health secretary Matt Hancock saying elite football had special rules "because it brings people joy".

However she wrote: "What brings me joy is seeing my children happy, healthy and thriving in school. What brings my children joy is seeing me watching them with pride. This continued isolation is unfair and extremely damaging to their mental wellbeing."

Charlotte told BBC Wales no parents were being allowed to attend sports day, but as she pointed out, they were "allowed to stand outside the gates with the same parents".

The council told her the school was following guidelines, and also pointed to high case rates in Pembrokeshire.

"They are saying it's not safe so why am I still at the school gates and why is the school open?" she asked.

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She said the school and the parents had stuck to the rules imposed because of Covid and she believes sports days, which are run in class bubbles anyway, could be safely managed on the school's large playing fields.

Pembrokeshire council said in a statement the school was operating within guidelines, but added: "Although parents are unable to attend this sports day, Johnston CP School is keen to assure them that they have been working very hard to enhance their children's wellbeing since their return to the classroom by developing a wide outdoor programme in partnership with other organisations, enabling children to spend a large amount of time learning outdoors."

Sara Powell-Davies has already missed her daughter's sports day

Sara Powell-Davies, 48, a communications manager from Caerphilly, has already missed her daughter's first sports day at Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili.

"We were told it was happening and we weren't allowed to go," she told BBC Wales.

"We were lucky because at least our school videoed it and showed it to us.

"You see at Wimbledon - [exercise coach] Joe Wicks is apparently in everybody else's social bubble now. It's ridiculous and not fair.

"If it's safe to go to Wimbledon and the Euros, then it's safe for parents to go to watch sports' day."

She said it could easily be managed, adding: "You can have one parent only, you can have markings on the field [showing where people stand]."

She stressed she thought the school was just following guidelines set by the council, but added: "It's very sad that I say to my four-year-old, 'I'm sorry I can't come to your sports' day because of...', and she interrupts me and says, 'I know, I know, because of the germs'."

Caerphilly council has been contacted for a response.

'I feel it's a monetary thing'

Sarah, from St Clears, Carmarthenshire, is also set to miss her seven-year-old daughter's sports day this week.

She said she would have been happy to be told to come at a specific time just to watch their own class do their events, adding: "I just don't see the problem."

Like other parents, Sarah thinks money is a motivating factor behind the events which are being allowed to run.

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"My daughter doesn't understand why all these people can be watching the football but I can't go and watch her," she said.

"If it was a blanket lockdown like it was before, I'd understand, but I just feel it's a monetary thing. Ascot makes money, the football makes money, school sports days don't.

"We have done everything by the book. I'm more than happy to do that if it's the same rules for everybody."

The Welsh government said: "School sports days - and other similar events - can go ahead, and parents, guardians and other family members are permitted to attend, providing schools carry out appropriate risk assessments and discuss plans with their local authority.

"Guidance has been provided to schools reminding them and everyone attending of the importance of following Covid guidelines to ensure these events are as safe as possible."

What do fans have to do to attend sports matches?

To attend a Euro 2020 match at Wembley, UK fans aged 11 and over have had to do one of three things to get in:

• provide proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of the gates opening, either via the NHS Covid Pass app (for people in England) or a text from the NHS Test and Trace

• provide proof of full vaccination at least 14 days before the match via the NHS Covid Pass or the English vaccination letter, Welsh or Scottish vaccination record services

• provide proof of natural immunity via the NHS Covid Pass app (for people in England).

To attend Wimbledon, the same first two options as Wembley apply.

Spectators at the Principality stadium in Cardiff who watched Wales' men's rugby team play Canada on Saturday, however, did not have to provide a negative test before entry.

They had to have a digital ticket to allow for track and trace in the event it was needed afterwards, follow phased entry and exit times to allow for social distancing and wear masks when moving around.