NAHT comments on government 'summer school' programme

Today (Mon 26 Apr), the government has opened up the process for schools to ‘bid’ for a share of a £200m fund to provide ‘summer schools’ in August.

James Bowen, director of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Secondary schools will be thinking carefully about the merits of running a short summer school for students. When it comes to their incoming Year 7, they will take into account their already well-established arrangements for supporting transition from primary schools. What we must not lose sight of is that these students still have seven years of education ahead of them – it is those years, rather than an additional week or two that will have the biggest impact.

"Some schools might feel that a summer school would benefit other groups of students more and the government’s guidance does contain that flexibility but schools will need to carefully consider the likely appetite from students and their families for such a scheme.”