The Department for Education (DfE) is providing the Summer Schools Fund to help support pupils making the transition from primary to secondary school. This transitional period has been identified by Ofsted research as a time where performance can take a significant dip.
The aim of the programme, drawing on the evidence of good practice, is to deliver a short summer school offering a blend of academic education and enrichment activities.
Pupils leaving primary school in 2021 may have missed a significant proportion of key stage 2 (KS2) face-to-face teaching and therefore missed valuable preparation for secondary education. They are likely to need additional support with English and maths, for example, to make it easier for them to access the secondary curriculum. A summer school gives an opportunity to offer that face-to-face support before they start a new school.
Summer school also offers an important opportunity to support pupils’ wellbeing. Schools should include enrichment activities, such as team games, music, drama or sports activities.
Schools are free to run a one- or two-week summer school and may choose to involve different pupils over that time, according to their needs. This could mean that more pupils benefit from a shorter summer school.
Funding will be made available to state-funded secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and pupil referral units. It will also be made available to alternative provision for any pupils whose education was funded by the local authority outside of state place funded schools, including independent schools, non-maintained special schools, and other providers.
Funding is calculated on the basis of a school’s existing year 7 cohort. Schools with a very small number of year 7 pupils will receive no less than £1000 should they choose to participate.
Each school’s own allocation will be published after the Easter holiday.
Applicants must complete the online opt in form before the end of April.
How To Apply
All participating schools will require a DfE sign-in account. Any school without an account should register for one.
Payment Procedure
In September, schools will be required to complete a claim form. This is to:
- Confirm that the summer school took place
- Set out the total number of ‘pupil days’ offered
- Confirm the total number of ‘pupil days’ attended.
Academies will receive their funding directly in the October funding round. Maintained schools will receive their funding via the local authority.
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