Mark Jenkinson MP has welcomed the announcement that Netherhall School, Solway Community School, St Joseph's Catholic High School, and Workington Academy, are all 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.
It is expected that 542,710 pupils will 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.
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.
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.
Mark Jenkinson MP said: “The pandemic has had a huge impact on the last school year for pupils in the Workington constituency, and I am committed to helping everyone affected catch up on lost learning and missed experiences before the start of the next academic year.
“The evidence 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. This is more important now, than it has ever been, as we need to work hard to make sure our children are able to catch up on the missed learning caused by the pandemic.
“It is great that this Conservative Government is providing an extra £200 million, to allow these great schools in the Workington constituency to host summer schools.
“This will help pupils across the Workington constituency, giving them the best opportunity to reach their full potential and get the world class education they deserve.”
