Extra summer school help for most disadvantaged kids starts today

From the Deputy Prime Minister’s website comes the news:

Nearly 2,000 new summer schools will open their classroom doors today to help some of the most disadvantaged pupils in England in the step up from primary to secondary school. Around 65,000 children are expected to benefit.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today launched one of the first summer schools in London, to see how they are supporting those pupils most at risk from falling behind.

Many pupils find the move to a bigger school and a more challenging curriculum daunting which can lead to a dip in their performance. Pupils who fall behind at this stage often never catch up.

Students eligible for free school meals regularly under-perform compared to their peers. At the end of primary education, just under 58 per cent of disadvantaged pupils achieve the expected level of attainment, compared with almost 78 per cent of other pupils. These attainment gaps often widen as pupils progress through school.

The new summer schools programme was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in September 2011. Secondary schools will provide extra support to disadvantaged pupils making the transition from primary school to help improve their educational attainment.