Watch as Sunderland children enjoy free Summer School to help parents tackle cost of living crisis

Over the last week, children who will be moving into the academy’s Year 7 from feeder primary schools have had the chance to take part in a whole host of activities including caving, climbing, high ropes assault course and a range of team sports as well as enjoying a visit to Beamish Museum.

Each day the children have also been taking part in cooking lessons, preparing pizzas, tortilla wraps and quesadillas which have then been ate for lunch as part of an initiative to also tackle the potential problem of holiday hunger when children entitled to free school meals (FSM) don’t have same provision as during term time.

Summer School coordinator and Assistant Headteacher Iain Buddle said: “Last year the Government provided funding for summer schools to help children catch-up after the disruption of Covid.

"We had to find our own funding this year from what are obviously tight budgets but we thought it was important that pupils in transition between primary and secondary school got the same opportunity.

"Staff have given up there own free time and with the cost of living crisis at the moment many parents are struggling which is why it was important that all the activities are fully funded.

“Holiday hunger can also be an issue which is why we also provided all the children taking part with a free lunch.”

While the the pandemic may not be as high profile as last year Mr Buddle also feels summer schools have an important role to play in continuing to help children to catch-up.

He said: “It’s ridiculous to think what was lost to the pandemic has been resolved which is why we thought it was important to offer this initiative to help children with their social development.”

The week culminated in Friday’s (August 19) Summer Fair which was also attended by parents and in which children could take part in activities such climbing, wrestling in sumo suits and playing on a bouncy castle.

Oliver Brown, 11, said: “It has been a really good week. The best thing was visiting Beamish Museum to see how people used to live in Victorian times. I’ve not been doing much this summer and so summer school has been great and it’s important that it is free.”

Oliver Goldsbrough, 11, added: “I’ve enjoyed everything but the best bit was caving. If it hadn’t been for Summer School I would have been really bored.”

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It was a sentiment shared by Phoebe Smith, 11, who said: “I really liked the high ropes course and my mam and dad loved that it is free. I also made lots of new friends.”

A key focus of the Summer School is also to enable students transitioning from primary to secondary school to become more comfortable in their surroundings and ready to start the new term in September.

Mr Buddle said: “Last year’s Summer School created positive memories and really helped the children to settle.”

Ella Stannard, 11, added: “I really feel like I’ve got to know the school and the teachers a lot better.”