As a result of the Covid catch-up initiatives from the Department for Education, this summer schools were able to take advantage of funding and provide holiday provision for their Year 7 intake.

In our school we used this time to deliver subject sessions in the morning - English, maths, science, foundation subjects - before enrichment sessions in the afternoon, such as art, PE and music.

The benefits were numerous, for both staff and students alike - and, actually, I’d argue that summer schools should become a regular offering for all settings. Why? Well, the reasons are fourfold. 

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The advantages of summer schools

1. A chance to get to know the school logistically

We can all recall those nerves when we started high school as a doe-eyed Year 7. Even as an adult, starting a job amid the logistics of a new school is daunting.

Indeed, after asking several new Year 7s how they felt about September, many admitted their nerves were mostly about getting lost.

However, the chance for the year group attending to explore the school grounds together in the quieter summer period was a real benefit. It has given them a head start to secondary school life by helping them learn their way around the school and the layout of buildings, and generally given them a sense of where their education journey will take place.

2. Making friends and bonding with peers

The summer school register included the primary schools that students transferred from and teachers used this to inform grouping students in their summer school classes.

As well as giving additional insight into who needed the most support making friends, it was also useful in providing staff with the soft data to get to know the students and understand the potential dynamics of the year group prior to September.

It also provided the opportunity for teachers to reassure nervous, shy individuals (and their parents) that they will be offered the most positive possible start to high school.

Friendships blossomed in this summer school and provided a basis for expansion in September. This can only be a good thing to make the start less daunting and help students to get into their learning more easily.

3. The transition from primary to high school

Students have missed crucial time in their Year 6 classroom being prepared for high school, and there are concerns about how big a leap this will be due to the 2020 lockdown.

We will never know for definite, but it was clear that students attending summer school this year benefited from the first-hand experience of expectations in high school that would have otherwise been lost.

Examples include when schools use routines to gain attention (“When you are ready… facing me… pens down… thank you to those who are listening...”) and manage behaviour, as well as ensuring smooth movement between lessons for the most effective school day.

Students quickly adapted to these expectations - and now we have a cohort of students to help teach those who didn’t attend summer school about expectations and model behaviour. 

4. An introduction for new staff

Year 7s will not be the only fresh faces in September, of course. One of the biggest anxieties when teaching new classes is learning names and developing positive relationships as quickly as possible.

This year’s summer school gave new teachers an opportunity to bond with the students they will soon teach and also learn the school layout. For early career teachers (ECTs) especially, the experience was vital after the huge lapse in time between finishing teacher training and beginning their first role in a school.

With the summer school dynamic very much an academic enrichment, this relieved some of the pressures of the formalities of the school year. It meant staff, too, could enjoy teaching engaging material and build the confidence they need ahead of September.

Naomi Sykes is a 2021 graduate of Endeavour Learning SCITT and will be joining Endeavour Learning Trust in one of its secondary schools in the North West in September