August 2021

Intent

It was recognised that prospective year 7 students missed out on induction opportunities at Norbury High due to the impact of Covid-19; in fact, the school was directed to cancel all open evenings meaning students (and parents) were not able to visit the school as part of the application process. As such, the summer school intended to introduce students to secondary school life by providing opportunity for them to work with some of their teachers, get to know the site and meet their peers ahead of the September start; it also served as an opportunity for parents to meet senior staff. 

The design of the summer school schedule sought to provide opportunities to build student self-belief, confidence and character and therefore the activities focused on the need to broaden horizons, have students working with each other (after so much isolation) – often out of their comfort zones – with wider enrichment. To supplement this, subject specialists delivered lessons in the core areas of English, maths and science. Remote learning experiences suggested it would be beneficial for students to take part in live teaching and fall back into usual classroom routines and expectations ahead of September. The work completed in these lessons also provided some insight into the level at which the students were learning in specific subjects; this information was used for the start of the academic year. 

Targeted Students

Open invitation to all incoming year 7 students with a focus on pupil premium and SEND students; 46 students signed up and attended the summer school. In addition, five enrolled year 7 students (current year 8 students) also attended. 

Dates

Monday 16th August – Friday 20th August 2021 (five days)

Schedule 

A blended learning model was adapted with students taking part in workshops of focused academic study delivered by subject specialists in English, maths and science as well as a number of sessions that fall under the umbrella of the arts including drama, music, textiles, etc. In addition to this, each afternoon saw external providers deliver team and confidence building workshops as part of the wider enrichment initiative.

The schedule included: 

• English, maths and science lessons
• Textiles 
• Drama 
• Music 
• Languages 
• Library visit
• Site treasure hunt 
• Sports 
• Cheerleading workshop 
• Circus training 
• Mai Thai self-defence training 
• Bushcraft team building challenge 

Staffing

The week was overseen by two appointed summer school coordinators, one a pastoral leader and the other a member of the school’s senior leadership team (SLT). All subject-related sessions were taught by specialists employed by the school. The afternoon activities were hosted and delivered by external agencies with support from the teachers on site. The Head of Year 7 attended the opening days to meet and greet students and parents. A number of support staff assisted throughout the week with specific support provided for students with noted SEND needs as well as a qualified first aider. Additionally, a science technician set up, prepared and cleared all the science experiments. Site and cleaning staff were also employed on a rota basis to manage the site and ensure a robust cleaning protocol was in place. 

Funding 

Student places were part funded with the DfE’s summer school fund. This was topped up with additional parental and school contributions.

Summer School Funding Received from DfE	£10,697.26

 

Breakdown of expenditure
Staffing and site-running costs	£10,179.60
External provider workshops	£2408.50
Food and beverages	£1,189.16