- 6 schools in Wokingham are among the 2,820 secondary schools across England that will receive funding through the £200 million Summer School programme.
- 542,710 pupils are expected to attend a face-to-face summer school this year, with around three quarters of eligible mainstream secondary schools taking part.
- The programme will play a key role in helping pupils catch up on their learning as part of the Conservative Government’s £3 billion education recovery plan.
John Redwood MP has welcomed the announcement that Bohunt School Wokingham, Maiden Erlegh School, Oakbank, The Emmbrook School, The Forest School and The Holt School are among the 2,820 secondary schools across England that will be hosting a summer school over the school holidays, as part of the Conservative Government’s £200 million Summer School programme.
The summer schools will provide a range of extra-curricular and academic catch-up activities to boost children’s opportunities to catch-up.
Pupils will benefit from learning essential maths and English skills while getting involved in sports, drama, and music – as well as the option of theatre trips, workshops with authors, cooking classes, theatre trips, and sports sessions.
The summer schools will help pupils establish and build friendships before the start of the next school year, improving their confidence and improving mental wellbeing – particularly for Year 7s making the transition up to secondary school.
High quality online resources are also being provided for all pupils and teachers for throughout the summer holidays by Oak National Academy, to give pupils the confidence they are ready to start their next school year.
Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that pupils who benefit from summer school programmes can make two months additional progress in comparison to pupils who don’t attend, and up to four months’ extra progress if the summer schools involve small group tuition. They also provide a range of benefits to families and communities by providing support for vulnerable young people.
The funding provided for the Summer School programme, to participating schools, forms part of the long-term Education Recovery programme, which has seen £3 billion invested to date in our school system, providing vital support for pupils.
Since June 2020 £1.5 billion has been invested in national tutoring, £400 million for training and professional development, and now £200 million for summer schools this summer. This is on top of a £650 million universal catch up cash boost for secondary schools this year and a £302 million recovery boost for next year.
Commenting, John Redwood MP said: “I am glad the government is providing extra money to help schools run summer schools. The pandemic did mean some pupils having at stay at home when the schools were open, and meant more on line rather than in class learning when schools were affected by CV 19 closures. Summer schools offer a chance to catch up or fill in gaps in learning.
“I would like to thank all the teachers who adapted and worked hard to make on line and hybrid education work. I thank all teachers who help over the summer supplement term time learning. Children only get one chance of a good education, so we mustn't let the pandemic get in the way of delivering that.”
Commenting, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “It is very good to see that so many children will now have the opportunity to enjoy clubs and activities, building friendships and supporting their mental and physical health, alongside their educational progress.
“We have announced £3 billion so far to support education recovery, and are focusing now on helping children catch up ahead of the next academic year. Summer schools are an integral part of the overall effort to recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic”.
