Jane Stevenson, MP for Wolverhampton North East, has welcomed the announcement that several schools in the city are among the 2,820 across England that will be hosting a summer school over the school holidays.
The summer schools, part of the Government’s £200 million programme, 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.
The secondary schools taking part in Wolverhampton include Aldersley High School, Coppice Performing Arts School, Ormiston NEW Academy, Wednesfield High Academy and Thomas Telford UTC.
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.
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.
Jane said: “The pandemic has had a huge impact on education and learning for pupils over the last year, and the widening attainment gap is something that I am keen to see tackled.
“The extra £200 million that the Government is investing will help schools across Wolverhampton to put on summer schools and provide vital learning opportunities for children – boosting their learning and confidence with extra lessons and extra-curricular activities like sports, music and drama.
“This will be a massive help to pupils in Wolverhampton, giving them the best opportunity to reach their full potential and get the world class education they deserve.”
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.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP 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.”
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