Aim of the programme

The aim of the programme is to deliver a short summer school with a blend of academic education and enrichment activities.

Who the programme is for

The programme is for secondary schools.

It is for schools to determine which pupils, from any year group, would most benefit from a summer school. We expect, however, that most will want to focus this provision primarily on pupils making the transition into year 7. This transition is known to be a challenging one for some pupils, and the impacts of the pandemic have increased this challenge.

Pupils leaving primary school this year may have missed a significant proportion of key stage 2 face-to-face teaching and therefore missed valuable preparation for secondary education. They are likely to need additional support with English and maths, for example, to make it easier for them to access the secondary curriculum. A summer school gives an opportunity to offer that face-to-face support before they start a new school.

Summer school also offers an important opportunity to support pupils’ wellbeing. Schools must include enrichment activities, such as team games, music, drama or sports activities. The cultural capital pupils have lost out on is important too. Pupils may not have heard as many words as they do on a normal day or read the books or been to the different places they might have otherwise. Some pupils won’t have had access to a garden or other safe outdoor space during lock down, so schools might want to offer those opportunities as part of the summer school.

Please select the document below to learn how NHA used the funding.