Teachers Volunteer To Make Summer School Transition Fun and Informative

Teaching staff from Somercotes Academy are visiting local Primary Schools to talk about transition and encourage Year 6 pupils to sign up for the Summer School.

Teachers from Somercotes Academy will spend a week of their annual holidays this year volunteering to run a Summer School for Year 6 pupils who have missed out on transition days due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Primary pupils are due to join the Academy in Year 7 from September. Covid restrictions throughout the entire academic year have meant that the usual transition days, where pupils get the chance to meet their new teachers, familiarise themselves with the school site and make new friends, have not been able to go ahead.

To make up for this, the Academy is running a week-long Summer School from August 9-13, and 60 pupils have already signed up.

Activities will vary, but the underlying theme will be getting to know each other, exploring the school site, meeting key staff and, in particular, having fun. The events will all be run by teachers who have volunteered.

Frances Green, Somercotes Academy Principal, explained: “We would usually hold a series of transition days in the Summer Term to welcome our new students and to introduce them to the Academy before they start in September. Because of restrictions relating to Covid-19, this has not been possible this year.  

“We are very aware that our new starters will not have had the same transition opportunities. Whilst we have created a virtual transition experience through the Academy website, we are also excited to be able to offer students due to start with us in September, the opportunity to spend a week in the Academy through our Summer School.  

“By running a Summer School from August 9-13 we want to give these students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with staff, other students and the Academy site and, most importantly, to have some fun. Students will participate in sessions and activities from across the curriculum, all designed to support transition and help them catch up on learning lost through the pandemic.

“We have staff from a range of subjects volunteering to take part, at present we have 14 staff, including senior management, teachers, teaching assistants. We are very pleased with the take up of this offer as it will allow the new students to have a transition period that they would otherwise have missed this year due to the lockdown restrictions still in place. 

“We hope they will find the time they spend with us informative, educational and great fun. With pupils joining us from across the many feeder schools we have, this will also enable students to get to know each other before the first day in September.”

There is still time to sign up for Somercotes Academy Summer School via the website or by calling the Academy direct.