Wondering if your child should attend summer school? Think no further! We list down five advantages of summer learning that will let your child thrive in their academic life.
For most students, school summer holidays mean being outdoors, hanging out with their friends, playing video games and everything that doesn’t include academics. And rightly so, students need a break after the long school term! 😅
Yet earlier this year the UK government announced £200 million in funding for summer school, which was to be distributed across secondary schools. The government considered summer schools more vital than ever before and especially “targeted at those [students] who have suffered the most disruption to their education as a result of the pandemic.”
So what does summer school do for students’ learning?
👉 Improves Your Grades
One of the most common reasons for a fall in grades is the inability of students to keep up with the learning pace of their class.
Many students have also taken longer than their peers to adapt to hybrid and blended learning models in virtual classrooms over the past year. So they have learning gaps on returning to the classroom from remote learning this year.
Summer school allows these students to ‘catch up' by the flexibility to learn independently at their own pace.
A regular school term can also be distraught with distractions – from extracurricular activities to disruptive classmates, it can be easy to lose focus and retain information when learning.
In summer school students have the opportunity to learn in an intensive learning environment with like-minded academically driven students.
In these ways, summer school is sure to improve students’ grades!
👉 Allows Focus On Particular Subjects
Perhaps your child’s grades are great, except they find just that one subject problematic. For many chemistry equations can be muddling or creative writing a real challenge! 😕
Summer school is a great opportunity to focus on that one subject for which your child needs more support.
During this time students won’t be worried about studying for other subjects and can be immersed in improving the one that needs their most attention.
Furthermore, it’s also a great time to learn a subject that your child’s regular school might not offer but is one they might like to pursue later at college-level!
👉 Enhances University Application
When it comes to sorting through applications, colleges are more likely to recognise students who have put in that “extra effort”!
This will definitely be apparent if students have attended summer school to gain deeper knowledge of the subject they’d like to pursue in higher education.
Summer school can also equip older students with meaningful perspectives on their specialisation subject. Which they can share in their statement of purpose, to make their college application even stronger! 💪
👉 Provides Equitable Opportunities
Research shows that much of the “achievement gap” – academic performance between groups of students – can be attributed to unequal access to summer learning avenues. This means that if students have access to summer schools, there won’t be a break in their learning journey.
Overall summer school achieves two major goals :
- In the short term, it gives students a head start on learning before the workload of the new year begins.
- In the long term, it improves students’ chances of thriving at college and in their future careers.
Why is summer school important outside of academics? 🤔
Through the pandemic, many students have not only had academic learning gaps but student mental health has also suffered.
Many students have lost their social and emotional skills as well through the lockdowns.
Summer school can allow them a chance to gain these skills through extended interaction with peers and teachers along with extracurricular activities. Which will surely boost student confidence and make them more motivated to learn in the new term! 🚀
At GoStudent, while we highly recommend summer school, we also encourage students to take time off academics! During summer holidays in school, students can also learn through art and play, movies, cartoons, outdoor learning and other lockdown activities.
At GoStudent we do have the right summer learning packages available for you! Discover our full summer learning program and book a free trial lesson!
