These projects, running across the summer, will also
provide free meals for the most disadvantaged families
who may rely on the Free School Meals they receive
during term time.
Children and Families Minister said:
For most pupils, the end of the school summer term
signals the start of holidays, days out and a chance
to make memories with friends and family. Other
families, who might rely on the support provided by
schools, are not so lucky.
These projects will provide a range of support for
families during the summer break. They will also give
children access to experiences that won’t just create
great memories but will help broaden their horizons
and build the confidence they need to succeed in
whatever path they choose to follow.
Academic standards are rising across the country and
there are now 1.9 million more children in schools
rated good or outstanding than in 2010. Most
importantly, the attainment gap between disadvantaged
pupils and their more affluent peers has already shrunk
by 10% at GCSE and 10.5% at KS2 since 2011.
Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of
government backed schemes to help disadvantaged
children. These include the £2.25billion Pupil Premium,
Free School Meals and most recently a £26million
investment to kick-start or improve breakfast clubs in
at least 1,700 schools.
Commenting on the announcement, Lindsay Graham,
independent policy advisor who has campaigned on this
issue in the past, said:
The school holidays can be a challenging and costly
time for families, particularly for those on a
limited income or whose children are reliant on term
time free school meals.
The need for community led enrichment opportunities
for children, young people and their families is
paramount for helping the most disadvantaged in our
society. Early research in the UK is telling us that
these types of projects can make a difference.
Evidence suggests that attending out-of-school
activities can have a positive impact on children’s
educational, health and well-being outcomes. The
projects announced today will be run by Children North
East, Family Action, Feeding Britain, Birmingham
Holiday Kitchen, Onside Youth Zones, Street Games and
TLG (Transforming Lives for Good).
This funding comes after the government announced that
it would run a targeted pilot programme in the 2019
Easter and summer holidays.
This work aims to support children’s education by:
- testing the effectiveness of interventions
- looking at take-up of provision
- identifying the costs involved
- considering whether there are particular areas
where this kind of programme would be most effective
To ensure this work is implemented effectively,
ministers will work closely with MP and expert
stakeholders, as it develops.
