John Oxley, Chairman of West Ham Conservatives, has welcomed the announcement that Bobby Moore Academy, Chobham Academy, Lister Community School, Royal Docks Academy, School 21, Stratford School Academy (pictured) and The Cumberland School are among the 2,820 secondary schools across England that will be hosting a summer school over the school holidays, as part of the Conservative Government's £200 million Summer School programme.

The summer schools will provide a range of extra-curricular and academic catch-up activities to boost children's opportunities to catch-up.

Pupils will benefit from learning essential maths and English skills while getting involved in sports, drama, and music - as well as the option of theatre trips, workshops with authors, cooking classes, theatre trips, and sports sessions.

The summer schools will help pupils establish and build friendships before the start of the next school year, improving their confidence and improving mental wellbeing - particularly for Year 7s making the transition up to secondary school.

High quality online resources are also being provided for all pupils and teachers for throughout the summer holidays by Oak National Academy, to give pupils the confidence they are ready to start their next school year.

Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that pupils who benefit from summer school programmes can make two months additional progress in comparison to pupils who don't attend, and up to four months' extra progress if the summer schools involve small group tuition. They also provide a range of benefits to families and communities by providing support for vulnerable young people.

The funding provided for the Summer School programme, to participating schools, forms part of the long-term Education Recovery programme, which has seen £3 billion invested to date in our school system, providing vital support for pupils.

Since June 2020 £1.5 billion has been invested in national tutoring, £400 million for training and professional development, and now £200 million for summer schools this summer. This is on top of a £650 million universal catch up cash boost for secondary schools this year and a £302 million recovery boost for next year.

Commenting, John Oxley said:

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the last school year for pupils - and I am committed to helping everyone affected catch up on lost learning and missed experiences before the start of the next academic year.

The extra £200 million the Conservative Government are investing will help Bobby Moore Academy, Chobham Academy, Lister Community School, Royal Docks Academy, School 21, Stratford School Academy and The Cumberland School put on summer schools and provide vital learning opportunities for pupils - boosting pupils' learning and their confidence with extra lessons and extra-curricular activities like sports, music and drama.

This will help set pupils in West Ham up for the future, giving them the best opportunity to reach their full potential and get the world class education they deserve.

Commenting, Minister for School Standards Nick Gibb said:

It is very good to see that so many children will now have the opportunity to enjoy clubs and activities, building friendships and supporting their mental and physical health, alongside their educational progress.

We have announced £3 billion so far to support education recovery, and are focusing now on helping children catch up ahead of the next academic year. Summer schools are an integral part of the overall effort to recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Notes

We will deliver the world class education facilities our children deserve by: 

• Establishing our Education Recovery Plan, helping schools deliver long-term catch-up support so that every child can reach their full potential. We are determined that no child will be left behind in their learning as a result of the pandemic, and have so far committed a total of over £3 billion in catch up support as part of our long-term education recovery plan, which includes £1.5 billion invested in national tutoring, £400 million for training and professional development, and now £200 million for summer schools this summer. This is on top of a £650 million universal catch up cash boost for schools this year and a £302 million recovery boost for next year, and high-quality tutoring for those students who need it most. (Prime Minister's Office, Queen's Speech 2021: background briefing notes, 11 May 2021)
• Delivering on our ten-year plan to transform schools in each region of the country, which starts with our £1 billion investment this year. Schools across England will benefit from a transformative ten-year rebuilding programme, with investment targeted towards school buildings in the worst condition as part of our plan to level up opportunity for all. The programme begins this year, with the first 100 projects now confirmed and backed by £1 billion in government funding. (Prime Minister's Office, Press Release, 29 June 2020; Prime Minister's Office, Press Release, 30 June 2020)
• Giving every pupil in every school a funding boost, so all children have the same opportunities to succeed. We are increasing primary school funding to a minimum of £4,000 per pupil this year, with £5,150 per secondary school pupil, as part of our £14.4 billion three-year investment into schools. We are also investing an additional £730 million for children with special and educational needs in 2021-22. (Department for Education, Press Release, 20 July 2020; Department for Education, The national funding formulae for schools and high needs 2021-2022, July 2020)
• Investing £1.8 billion to maintain schools across the country, helping deliver the best possible learning environments for every child, no matter where they go to school. As part of our 10-year programme to rebuild schools throughout England, we announced £1.8 billion in the 2020 Spending Review to repair and improve the condition of school buildings, and we are also providing funding to bring all Further Education college estates in England up to a good condition. (HM Treasury, Spending Review 2020, 25 November 2020)
• Re-affirming our commitment to levelling up education by increasing the schools' budget to nearly £50 billion in 2021-22. We are raising the schools budget to £49.8 billion in 2021-22, representing an increase of £2.2 billion, and re-iterating our commitment to increase the core schools budget by £7.1 billion by 2022-23 compared to 2019-20 funding levels - as part of our £14.4 billion three year investment in schools, which represents the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade. (HM Treasury, Spending Review 2020, 25 November 2020)