Children’s learning suffered as a result of the pandemic, but schools and other services are set to offer a range of support to help them this summer.

From summer schools packed with an abundance of fun and engaging activities to tutoring sessions and online learning, there are numerous ways that your child can catch up on lost learning.

What educational support is needed?

According to research estimates from the Department for Education for the summer school’s programme, lost learning meant pupils were several months behind in reading and maths in the first half-term of autumn 2020.

However, the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that pupils can make two months’ additional progress when attending summer schools, or up to four months’ additional progress if small group tuition is used.

The government has suggested that it expects summer schools to predominantly focus on pupils who are making the transition from primary into secondary education, while also looking at ways of boosting pupils’ wellbeing.

This highlights the valuable nature of both summer schools and tutoring when it comes to helping pupils to prepare for the next academic year in September.

What are the advantages of online tutoring?

If you’re keen to help your child catch up on lost learning, online tutoring could be one option at your disposal.

The very nature of the approach means your child can log in from anywhere to join a session, meaning they can catch up while still making the most of their summer holidays.

And unlike summer school activities which could take up time and fit around a rigid timetable, tutoring allows you to plan your child’s studies around family activities.

This level of flexibility can also benefit their mental health, as the number of sessions can be controlled to ensure that any catch-up activities do not become overwhelming.

How could tutoring support summer school learning?

Tuition could also be used to complement the activities being done in summer schools, as tasks can be aligned to the subjects and work being done.

Sessions can easily be tailored to help embed knowledge and understanding of certain topics, all helping to prepare your child for a successful return to the classroom in September.