How to choose a good summer school for your child

Educationalists have long been concerned with the phenomenon of the learning gap. Study after study has shown how the break in children’s learning that occurs over the long summer holiday sees gains made in the previous school year eroded and the new school year starting with a lot of catching up, covering old ground and the need to relearn skills previously acquired.

Mind the gap

It should come as no surprise, then, that the latest crop of studies have also found that students who attend summer schools can avoid this setback. Research carried out by academics at Bristol University, for example, claims to have uncovered a significant “summer school effect”, finding that 76% of children who attend a summer school will get in to an elite university, compared with just over half of children with a similar profile who do not attend such a school over the summer break.

Not all summer schools are the same

If you are thinking of investigating an English summer school to bridge that learning gap here are some tips for choosing.

Given all the factors there are to consider when choosing a summer program, many parents don’t look beyond the location, facilities, and activities on offer. While these are Important things to consider, there are other fine points that make the difference between an average summer school and one of the most powerful educational experiences your child may ever have.

Whilst you can gain a lot of information from a source like the Skola website, there is no substitute for first-hand experience. If you are to find out more you will need to dig a little deeper than your browser will allow.

Talk to the people who run the school

Speak to the school to find out about its philosophy and approach. Find out how it motivates children, measures and rewards their success and encourages their personal growth. Delve deeper into how the school handles mixed abilities and how it deals with any conflicts that may occur.

Find out about its staff

Of course the ratio of teachers to students is important but so too is the maturity and experience of the staff. How long do teachers stay at the school? What is their background and how are they trained? Make sure you are as happy with your summer school as you are your term-time school.

Talk to parents and children who have been to the school

Perhaps the best way to evaluate a school is to speak to those who have experience of it. Find out how children developed during their summer school and how they enjoyed it. Were there things they did not like?

See for yourself

Whilst there are language schools, sports academies, schools for computer skills, literacy and numeracy the only real way to tell if they do what they say on the tin, or even if the tin is the right one for your child, is to visit them in session. Think about whether your child will like the activities and whether they fit their interests. Is the school too big or small for your child? Are there too many older or younger children? Will your child buy into the school’s approach and ethos?

Choose carefully

If you choose the right school, your child will have the summer of their life and return to school refreshed, ready for the next challenge and raring to go. Learning gap? What learning gap?

This is a guest post. I hope you find this information useful.