In light of the ongoing pandemic, the government announced in Spring 2021 that funding would be available for Secondary Schools to run a Summer School programme to support the transition of selected students from Key Stage 2 into Key Stage 3.
The Summer School ran from 30 August – 3 September 2021, with the aim to add a layer of transition for pupils identified by primary school as in need of extra support.
Below is a breakdown of the funding allocated to Vale of York Academy and how it was spent to ensure the programme was both rich in academia and enrichment, followed by an overview of the four days.
|
Number of Pupils Invited |
62 |
|
Provisional Pupil Days For Basis of Allocation |
248 |
|
Provision Funding Amount (£59.70 per day, per child) |
£14,805 |
|
Actual Pupil Attendance |
30/08/21 – 38 |
|
|
01/09/21 – 40 |
|
|
02/09/21 – 40 |
|
|
03/09/21 – 39 |
|
Actual Pupil Days For Basis of Allocation |
157 |
|
Expected Funding Amount |
£9372.90 |
|
Use of Funding to be Claimed |
|
|
Staffing (inc NI and Pensions) |
£7094 |
|
Catering |
£800 |
|
Greg McGee Art Workshop |
£125 |
|
Falling Stars Theatre Company Performance and Workshop |
£400 |
|
Science Resources |
£37.84 |
|
Rewards Package (Chocolate, Scientific Calculator, Stationary Filled Pencil Case, Voucher) |
£814.47 |
|
Total Spend |
£9271.31 |
Day 1: Tuesday 30 September
It was fantastic to be able to welcome the children to the school and there was a great atmosphere on the first morning with a mix of nervous and excited energy in the air. In the morning, the students were put into four groups and enjoyed a rotation of trampolining in PE, coding in computing, a maths relay and a project using feathers in art. They had a delicious pasta bolognese lunch before our guest Greg McGee from According to McGee Art Gallery in York delivered an engaging and fun Manga art workshop.
Day 2: Wednesday 1 September
The second day saw all the students arrive in good spirits, taking confidence from the positive day they had previously had. Friendships were clearly beginning to form and working relationships between students and staff were being built. Throughout the day, the subject teachers remained the same and the students completed their tasks in the various areas they had begun the previous day. In PE the students played badminton. For lunch it was roast beef and Yorkshire puddings which went down very well before the excellent music workshop in the afternoon run by Vale of York Academy’s Mrs Brady.
Day 3: Thursday 2 September
Day 3 saw a new team of staff come to deliver sessions at the summer school and in turn some different subjects. In science, the children designed structures to support a falling egg, discussed careers in their literacy sessions, did dodgeball in PE and talked about world affairs in geography. It was a mild but lovely curry for lunch before we were treated to an afternoon of theatre performed by Falling Stars Theatre company. A self esteem workshop was run by the theatre team for all students to finish the day.
Day 4: Friday 3 September
It was obvious by the last day that the students had gained a lot from being at summer school and their confidence and engagement levels were at the highest they had been. In the morning, the students continued with their projects from the previous day and enjoyed a treat for their lunch – pizza and chips. In the afternoon, we held a celebration event that included a quiz, bingo and party games. The summer school culminated in a presentation of certificates and rewards by the academy principal Mr Eastaugh, recognising the positive journey each student had gone on during the four days.
