Summer School Gives 200 Children A Taste of Secondary Life

Vicky Watts, Interim Principal, explains the reasons behind Tollbar Academy Summer School.

Some of the 200 Summer School participants wearing hooded tops provided by Tollbar Academy enjoy their day with Interim Principal Vicky Watts.

Two hundred 11-year-olds have returned to class at Tollbar Academy this week just days after schools broke up for the Summer holidays.

The former Primary pupils are all taking part in the Academy’s Summer School to smooth their transition into Secondary School next month. The event replaces the usual term-time taster days which had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

Transition Days are a very valuable part of the journey from Primary to Secondary Schools, familiarising pupils with their peers and their new school site and taking away some of the anxiety involved in starting somewhere new. They usually take place in the Summer Term over a number of days and are a complement to the annual Open Evenings, none of which have been able to take place during the pandemic.

With the help of extra Government funding, Tollbar Academy was determined to ensure that Year 7 students joining them in September this year would not miss out completely on this experience. Teachers volunteered to run the Summer School during their annual break. 

Vicky Watts, Interim Principal at Tollbar Academy, said: “It has been a pleasure having these children at the Summer School after what has been a really disrupted and difficult year for them. It would not have been fair for them to start Secondary School in September without at least a taste of what to expect. The Government has allowed schools additional funding to do this and we have been able to offer the children the usual Tollbar welcome.

“The children have been very excited and we have even given out Star of the Day awards, although everyone has done exceptionally well and settled in very quickly. We have made the timetable fun and interactive with educational elements and the children are really enjoying it.

“Normally we have an Open Evening so that the children can see what goes on here at Tollbar but these children haven’t had that opportunity. This week has given them the knowledge they would have gained at Transition so that they can go away for the rest of the summer and enjoy themselves knowing what is going to happen in September. We are really happy that we can offer this.”

Former Scartho Junior School pupil Darcie Sampher (11) said: “Everyone has been so kind and nice. It has been really fun and I am looking forward to coming here after the holidays.”

Tom Heckles, Maya Butler, Kani Inal and Lexi Blakey (all age 11) take part in a Music workshop learning to play the Simpsons theme tune at Tollbar Academy Summer School.

Year 6 pupils who will join Tollbar Academy in Year 7 in September take part in a Drum session as part of the Summer School.

 Evie Cutler and Brooklyn Smith (both 11) make bookmarks in Technology at Tollbar Academy Summer School.

Two hundred children (just some them are pictured) enjoyed the Summer School at Tollbar Academy and were each given a hooded top as a memento.

An afternoon of Performing Arts got everyone involved at Tollbar Academy Summer School.