Merit Tutors Summer School in East London

Six weeks is a long time for a child to do no Maths and no writing. Our Summer School keeps the core subjects going through the holidays, in short daily sessions, with the afternoon given over to activities.

It runs Monday to Friday through the summer holidays at Forest Gate, Ilford and Plaistow, and it is open to children from Year 1 to GCSE, roughly ages 5 to 15.

What a Day Looks Like

The day runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Four of those hours are taught Maths and English, and the last hour is activities.

Two hours on a subject, split by a break, is enough to teach something properly and practise it the same morning. It is also short enough that children are not sitting still all day, which is why the afternoon changes pace.

Why Teaching, Not Just Activities

A summer programme only raises attainment if there is real teaching in it. That is the clearest finding in the evidence.

The Education Endowment Foundation reports that pupils attending a summer school make about three additional months of progress on average, rising to about five months where teaching is small group or one to one. The EEF rates the security of this evidence as low, because many of the studies behind it are not randomised controlled trials, so the figures are indicative rather than precise.

The direction of the finding is consistent, though. The EEF states that "summer school provision that aims to improve learning needs to have an academic component", and that programmes "without a clear academic component are not usually associated with learning gains, though they may have other benefits".

That is why our timetable puts four taught hours before the activities, not the other way round. The activities are there because children need them across a long day, not as the main offer.

Who It Is For

The programme covers Year 1 through to GCSE, roughly ages 5 to 15. Children are taught in groups by stage, so a Year 2 child and a Year 10 child are not in the same room.

It suits three situations in particular:

• Children who lost ground during the year and would start September further behind without the summer.

• Children moving up a stage, into Year 7 or into GCSE courses, where the step up is steep.

• Children who are fine but need the routine, so September does not begin with six weeks of rust.

What Is Taught

Maths and English every day, following the National Curriculum, with the afternoon session covering programming and creative activities.

Maths and English are the two subjects that carry everything else. A child whose number fluency or written accuracy slips over the summer feels it in science, humanities and every piece of extended writing in the autumn term.

Fees

Booking two days a week brings the daily rate down. Rates are confirmed when you book, so check the current figures on the application page.

Where

All three branches run the programme. Confirm which branch has places for your child's stage when you apply.

Our Plaistow branch page has travel details for the newest centre.

How to Book

Places are limited by stage and branch, and the summer fills from the spring onwards.

Complete the Summer School application form with your child's details, or call the branch you want. The Summer School page carries the current year's dates and rates.

If you would like to know where your child stands before the summer starts, book a free assessment first. It is free, takes about an hour, and tells us which topics to start on in July rather than in week three.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Summer School run?

Monday to Friday through the summer holidays, starting in late July and running through August. Exact start and end dates are confirmed each year on the Summer School page, so check there before you plan around it.

What ages do you take?

Year 1 to GCSE, roughly ages 5 to 15. Children are grouped by stage.

Can my child come for part of the week?

Yes. Bookings are by day, with one day a week and two days a week both available, and the daily rate is lower for two days.

Do you cover subjects other than Maths and English?

The taught sessions are Maths and English, which are the subjects that carry the rest of the curriculum. The afternoon session covers programming and creative activities.

Which branch should I choose?

Forest Gate, Ilford and Plaistow all run the programme, so choose on travel time. Places are allocated by stage and branch, so ask when you apply which branch has availability for your child's year group.