Summer catch-up will be challenging

RUNNING summer catch-up classes at schools will be a ‘challenge,’ education leaders have told The News.

Government said it will hand secondary schools an extra £22,000 on average and primaries £6,000 as part of a £200m package.

Headteachers will be free to spend the cash how they see fit, including on staff overtime.

The funding is part of the education recovery programme announced by Boris Johnson on Wednesday.

Matthew Quinn, headteacher at Oaklands Catholic School in Waterlooville, said a summer offer would be ‘important’ to getting pupils ready for classes.

But he added: ‘This will also be challenging as pupils have all had different experiences with their education. Year 7s will have different learning experiences as they will be coming up from Year 6 at different schools. It will require careful planning.’

Simon Harrison, headteacher of Crofton School in Stubbington, said summer school would be good if it were for sports or activities.

But he added: ‘The academic aspect of summer school would be more difficult - teachers need that break, so it would be difficult to find the workforce.’ He said it was frustrating the extra cash was split into different pots, restricting how it could be used.

Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said summer school funding was not enough.

The Gosport and Fareham Multi-Academy Trust, which runs two secondaries, two primaries and a specialist school, said it had been using government catch-up cash for pupils since September.

A statement added: ‘Once our pupils will return, and we are aware of the monies available, we will be in a position to ascertain how to best implement systems that address potential gaps in pupils’ learning.’