Summer school 2023 vision - more information regarding this year’s Summer School to follow shortly.
We were pleased to hold a Summer School in 2021 and our aim was to deliver an enjoyable, engaging and beneficial summer school comprising a blend of enrichment and academic opportunities. Our programme was intended to benefit pupils’ academic progress, well-being, confidence, physical and mental health, resilience and life skills.
What did a week at summer school look like?
Below is an example of the timetable of activities pupils took part in over the summer school. Each year group took part in all the activities below on a rotation basis throughout the week.
Monday
Core activity - Maths
Main activity - Educational visit: Wild Forest Assault Course and High Ropes
Tuesday
Core activity - English
Main activity - Team building day with SSG
Wednesday
Core activity - Logic puzzles
Main activity - Oracy workshop
Thursday
Core activity - Science
Main activity - Crafts (am) & fitness and healthy eating workshops (pm)
Friday
Core activity - Lateral thinking
Main activity - Sport (am) & Computing and animation workshop (pm)
Activity details
Talk the Talk - Oracy workshops
Talk About Communication is an engaging oracy workshop which will teach and develop the use of structure in presentations, essay writing and exam answers. Students were taught to identify and use persuasive language techniques to convey their message and will be well prepared for English Speaking and Listening assessments. Pupils were given the chance to practice public speaking skills and be provided with tools to structure talks and essays. This will in turn lead to increased pupil confidence as they can express their point swiftly and concisely in both verbal and written form.
SSG Onsite activity day
Pupils were given the chance to collaborate during team building and sporting activities and engage in friendly competition across the obstacle course. SSG also provided a climbing wall for pupils to push themselves to their limits.
Pupils strengthened transferable skills such as determination, resilience, communication and leadership which can be used within the classroom as well as outside of it. Pupils built confidence by trying new experiences while also developing skills such as problem solving, decision making and relationship building.
Active Luton fitness and healthy eating sessions
This was a two part session consisting of a one-hour fitness session complemented by a workshop reviewing the importance of healthy life choices.
Pupils explored a different approach to fitness with a class similar to that offered in a gym which incorporates martial arts and high intensity training. The aim of this was to broaden pupils’ horizons to different forms of exercise. The exercise session was coupled with a healthy lifestyle’s choices workshop. The pairing of these sessions reinforced the need for balance in all aspects of wellbeing in order to live a rewarding life.
Registration time core subject activities - English, Maths and Science
Pupils arrived on site at 09:30 and with the first main activity starting at 10:00. During this time all pupils undertook an activity with a focus of practicing either English, Maths or Science skills.
The aim was to ensure that pupils engaged with a core subject area on each day of the on-site summer school. The impact was intended to help reduce summer learning loss and potentially improve motivation towards core subject areas.
Educational visit to The Wild Forest and Nuclear High Ropes
This visit consisted of two activities. The first of which was a high ropes course. This included 6 different paths at 3 different levels, pupils could challenge themselves to differing levels but all were encouraged to push themselves. The second part of the visit entailed pupils undertaking an obstacle course in the forest to push their physical abilities to the limits!
This experience aimed to build skills which can be transferred into everyday use in the classroom. Pupils were encouraged to develop skills in teamwork, motivation, mindset, focus, resilience and determination which will all contribute towards boosting overall personal self-esteem.
Coding and animation workshop
Pupils took part in a two-hour workshop which included aspects of coding and animation delivered by expert computing staff. This was an introduction to basic animation software and tools coupled with a coding game to develop coding skills.
Pupils became more confident in producing computer animation and developing their coding skills which can be transferred on to key stage 4 pathways of study.
Sports and games workshop
This was another opportunity for pupils to be active and develop both teamwork and sporting skills.
Pupils both collaborated and competed in team sports in order to reach the goal of winning! They worked together to develop team building skills which can be used in future PE lessons but also be transferred to other areas of the curriculum.
Tote bags and jewellery making
Pupils took part in a crafting workshop split into 2 sessions. In one of the sessions pupils created their own design which they printed on to a tote bag and kept as a memento and for personal use. They were also taught the skills of jewellery making and provided with the materials to make their own bracelet or necklace.
This session allowed pupils to be creative and innovative with their own designs - skills that are useful across many aspects of the curriculum and in the real world.
What did the pupils think?
“I’ve always wanted to do real rock climbing and the activity day allowed me to do that! The inflatable was amazing and really competitive too.”
“It was something I had never tried before or experienced pushing myself to try new, and a bit scary things but I had a lot of fun and I am happy I got this opportunity.”
“The trip was very fun and entertaining. I faced challenges which I never imagined I would be able to do. It helped me overcome my fear of heights. It was amazing.”
“I love playing sports!!!”
“The trip involved facing one of my biggest fears which is heights and with the support of my pupils and teachers I gained confidence to complete level 2 of the ropes.”
“I enjoyed the part where I made a tote bag, so I know how to print pictures onto fabrics.”
Funding and costs
For a breakdown of summer school 2021 costings click here