• Schools in Crawley are among the 2,820 secondary schools across England that will receive funding through the £200 million Summer School programme.
• Over 540,000 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 Government’s £3 billion education recovery plan.

Henry Smith MP has welcomed the news that Holy Trinity Church of England Secondary School, Ifield Community College, the Gatwick School and Thomas Bennett Community College are among the 2,820 secondary schools across England that will be hosting a summer school over the school holidays, as part of the 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 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.

Henry said;

“The pandemic has had a huge impact on the last school year for pupils – and I’m committed to helping everyone affected catch up on lost learning and missed experiences before the start of the next academic year.

“The extra £200 million the Government are investing will help schools in Crawley put on summer schools and provide vital learning opportunities for pupils – boosting pupils’ learning and their confidence with extra lessons and extra-curricular activities like sports, music and drama.

“This will help set pupils in Crawley up for the future, giving them the best opportunity to reach their full potential and get the world-class education they deserve.”

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 confidence so 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 do not 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.

The Minister of State for School Standards, 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.”