No Spectator Policy
Spectators no Longer Permitted at MSSP Primary/Special School Events with Immediate effect – 8th October 2025
In order to do our utmost to provide a safe environment for children, we will no longer permit spectators at any of our events. Please see the Parent/Carer Information Letter attached for further details around this decision (you may want this to help explain the reasons for our decision to specific parents throughout the year).
MSSP only have a small staff team and have to focus on running the event activities, ensuring the participants and officials have a positive experience. MSSP do not have capacity to manage spectating adults. We are also aware that having parents at school events can cause additional stress and distractions for your staff on the day.
Our events are held at a range of public, private and school facilities/venues. It’s therefore not always possible to physically isolate the playing area from the public and MSSP do not have the personnel or resources to provide security to remove the public from the playing area. As such we propose the following solutions which all attending schools will be asked to uphold and support where possible, as they would on their own school sites.
Accompanying Adults
In all cases the schools will be able to nominate staff and vetted volunteers to accompany and manage their students taking part in our events. We would anticipate that a maximum of two staff per school team be ample, unless some children require 1-2-1 or additional support.
These accompanying adults must abide by (and sign) the MSSP Accompanying Adults Code of Conduct on arrival at the event and follow KCSIE Safeguarding guidance at all times. In addition they must not take, or upload online, images of any children from other schools without the teacher’s permission and knowledge. If accompanying adults do not conform to these expectations they will be asked to leave the facility immediately and will not be permitted to support as an accompanying adult at any future events.
All accompanying adults must wear an MSSP yellow sash at all times.
Protocols at Different Venues
At school sites that are gated and have a manned reception:
- No spectators will be permitted to enter the school site (this has always been the policy for school sites).
- Accompanying adults will need to bring photo ID to all sites and may also need details of their Enhanced DBS check for some sites
At gated, lockable playing fields (often a school’s sport site) that do not have a manned reception:
- No spectators or public will be allowed on site.
- Gates will be kept locked with a combination code padlock.
- MSSP cannot man the gate once registration is completed. School staff will be responsible for locking the gate behind them if they need to leave or enter during the event for example to take their children to the toilet.
- The code will be given to staff on arrival.
At public sites such as open parks, without a lockable, physical boundary:
- Spectators must not be invited.
- If spectators/members of the public are at the venue, the MSSP team will ask them to keep far away from the playing area and will use boundary tape to support this.
- Posters will be placed in the facility asking the public/spectators not to take or post online any photographs or videos.
- If adults encroach the playing area or interact with children they must be asked to leave immediately by any MSSP team or school staff member wearing a yellow sash.
- Any school staff member wearing a yellow sash should feel confident to inform the adult that they are not permitted on the playing area (in the same way that they would be expected to challenge a non-identified adult within their own school).
- If the non-identified adult/spectator/member of the public refuses to comply, all activity will be paused by MSSP until they leave. If necessary the police will be called.
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If the spectator is linked to a specific school, MSSP will ask the lead teacher from that school to support in any dealings with the spectator.
At private sports clubs or public leisure facility sites:
- Where it is possible to physically isolate and gate the playing area this will be the preference and a combination padlock will be used.
- Where there is no way to provide a physical, lockable barrier, the same approach as with public park sites will be followed.
Exceptions
There may on occasion, be events where the parents/carers are specifically invited to attend and spectate. This will be on a case by case basis and parents should not be invited unless MSSP have specifically contacted PE Cos to explain the process for this.
Parent Communications
We have changed all of the website information to note that Spectators are not permitted. Many of the events already had ‘no spectators’ due to being on a school site.
We also attached a letter that you might want to keep on file – this may be helpful in the future to explain to specific parents/carers as to why spectators can no longer attend.
Moving Forwards
We hope that this ban on spectators will make it safer for the children and also easier for your school and for MSSP to manage the events, enabling us all to focus on the event itself and the experience of the children taking part. MSSP will be reviewing our documentation, policies and protocols and updating them over the coming months to include this new approach. Our event risk assessments will also be redeveloped to better align. Please feel free to provide any feedback to support us with this ongoing process.
It is vital that all of us remain vigilant and work together to follow these protocols at every event. This process has been agreed by our Steering Committee.
If you have any queries or concerns please do get in touch. We want this approach to work well and be helpful for all our school.
First Aid
May we also remind schools that it is their responsibility to provide adequate first aid for their own students. This includes travelling to and from and whilst at the event. MSSP do not have the resources to provide first aid at events.