Pupils having to attend summer school to catch up on schoolwork following the closures would feel as if it was “a punishment for an evil they did not cause”.
That’s the view of headteacher Rachel Snape of Milton Road Primary School, Cambridge, who says there’s no need for summer schools because pupils have already been “learning powerful lessons” at home during the pandemic.
Ms Snape, a national leader of education, is among the school leaders and educationalists quoted in a new report that asks whether summer schools can help disadvantaged pupils bounce back from the lockdown.
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The report, by the Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) think tank, warns heads “not to count on summer schools” being able to undo the impact of coronavirus but recommends that, where they go ahead, they should balance academic outcomes with support for pupils’ social and emotional wellbeing.
It says educationalists are divided over the benefits of summer schools, and quotes Russell Hobby, chief executive of the charity Teach First, which last week called on the government to fund summer school.
He says: “Summer schools are one way to provide the foundations to re-engage pupils with ongoing school life, re-establishing routines so that when schools fully resume, young people can hit the ground running with learning.”
However, Stuart Lock, CEO of Advantage Schools trust in Bedford, said summer schools were “a bad bet” and that disadvantaged pupils had failed to turn up in the past.
He said: “This is not the first time summer provision has been on the agenda; money was thrown at this in the past. The problem was that as well as being expensive, firstly, the most needy did not turn up; and secondly, it didn’t work for those that did. That’s why it was scrapped…Overall, I therefore think it is a bad bet and I can’t see it working.”
Other recommendations in the report include that special consideration should be given in summer schools to pupils transitioning between phases or schools such as those starting Reception, Year 1, Year 7 and Year 12.
Ed Vainker OBE, principal of Reach Academy Feltham, believes summer schools have already played an important part in transition support at his school.
He said: “Summer schools have been an important part of our induction for new secondary pupils - reassuring them, setting the tone and giving us helpful insight into what support will be required come September. We are now exploring what we can offer to our community this summer given the circumstances.”
Ms Snape said: “The pseudo-panic about kids catching up or kids falling behind only applies if you believe a good education is getting a high score in tests. Kids have been learning powerful lessons at home and summer schools would feel like a punishment for an evil the children did not cause.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “We will do whatever we can to make sure no child, whatever their background, falls behind as a result of coronavirus.
“The government has already committed over £100 million to support children to learn at home, and pupil premium funding at the highest ever rate per pupil continues to be paid while schools are closed to help them support their disadvantaged pupils.
“We have set out plans to hope to begin opening schools to more pupils from 1 June at the earliest in line with scientific advice. We are also considering, with a range of partner organisations, what more is required to support all pupils who have been affected by school closures.”
