Rugby MP Mark Pawsey (right) at Rugby Free Secondary School with Headteacher Samirah Roberts (left) and Tom Legge, a Trustee of the school (left)
Rugby and Bulkington MP Mark Pawsey has welcomed the announcement that 5 secondary schools in Rugby 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. The schools in Rugby taking part in the programme are Ashlawn School, Bilton School, Harris Church of England Academy, Rugby Free Secondary School and Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College.
Pupils will benefit from learning essential maths and English skills while getting involved in sports, drama, and music. There will also be the option of theatre trips, workshops with authors, cooking classes, theatre trips, and sports sessions for some pupils.
As well as helping pupils to develop new skills and catch up from the impact of the pandemic, 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. This is particularly crucial for Year 7s who are about to start 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.
Speaking about the funding announcement, Mark commented:
“The pandemic has had a big impact on the last school year for pupils, and I am determined to help Rugby and Bulkington’s young people catch up on lost learning and missed experiences before the start of the next academic year, as well as participate in extra-curricular activities like sports, music and drama. The summer school programme is a great opportunity and one which I hope families in Rugby will take up.”
Mark continued:
“The funding provided for the Summer School programme forms part of the Education Recovery programme, which has seen £3 billion invested to date in our school system. 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.”