Should children study in the summer holidays?

For many years now, there has been debate about whether the school summer holidays should be reduced to prevent summer learning loss. There is plenty of research out there which suggests that children can lose up to 2 months’ worth of learning, knowledge and skills over the summer break and, as a teacher, I can attest to the fact that it can sometimes take several weeks for some students to come back up to speed after the holidays.

The present climate of increased pressure on teachers and the high numbers of teachers leaving the profession means that reducing the 6 weeks break would be a very unpopular move. For teachers – and many students – the extended break is absolutely vital for them to unwind, switch off and reset.

What then, if anything, should we be doing about summer learning loss?

If my experience as a teacher, tutor and parent counts for anything, my answer to this question is that there is no definitive answer: some children need to work in the holidays; others don’t. Research indicates that just 1 or 2 hours of private tuition a week can make a big difference to summer learning loss and your child’s progress. But this does not mean every child should do this. The value of summer tuition can depend on many factors: the age of the child; whether they have siblings at home with them; whether parents are at home with them; how academically able they are; what their hobbies and interests are; and, most importantly, what else they will be doing in the holidays.

Who will benefit from schoolwork in the holidays?

The children who do benefit from doing some work in the holidays are those who have gaps in their knowledge. Whether they have missed the odd lesson and have small gaps to be filled or have had an extended period off school and the gaps are whole topics or whole chapters/scenes of the set texts, this can be a problem if they’re doing their GCSEs or A Levels. The teacher will not have time to revise everything with their classes so, if they’re not addressed, these gaps could remain and leave the child unprepared for the examination. If you think your child has missed vital lessons, it’s worth contacting the teacher before the holidays start to find out exactly what needs to be covered. A tutor like me can then work with the students in the holidays to fill the gaps and ensure students have all the knowledge they need before they return to school.

Students who are anxious about their own performance may also benefit from doing some schoolwork in the holidays, whether that is with a tutor, a parent or on their own. Some may be falling behind their flight path and want to get back on track; some may find certain aspects of the course difficult and need help to consolidate the skills needed to succeed in their exam year; some may just feel the need to keep working because they are driven and determined (Yes, there are students like that!) For students like this, some work in the holidays is useful.

Sixth form students need to take the opportunity of the long summer holiday to undertake activities that will help their applications to university, training or employment. Taking the initiative to organise work experience, work shadowing, volunteering or charity work will look great in their personal statements and will give them a chance to demonstrate key skills that universities and employers want to see. Reading beyond the set texts is equally important, particularly in the subject they are planning to pursue. Sixth formers have a huge amount to pack into the short 21 months of Year 12 and 13 so cannot afford to simply do nothing in the holidays. When I was head of Sixth Form, I would always ask the leaving Year 13s what advice they would give the new Year 12s and, without fail, the most resonant advice was to start revising early.  Students should use the holidays to go back through their notes, checking to see if anything is missing or there are parts they don’t understand, making revision materials, testing themselves or doing past papers.  Some students will have NEAs or an EPQ to research and write and will not have the time to dedicate to this during term time.

Who will not benefit from schoolwork in the holidays?

In my opinion, many children (like teachers) need a long break away from the rigidity of alarm clocks, timetables and homework. School target setting means a huge amount is expected from children so it’s good for them to have time to choose what they will do and learn how to occupy themselves, especially if this involves more that just a games console or a mobile phone! The ability to entertain yourself is one which can save people from boredom for the rest of their lives – if children are occupied with scheduled activities the whole time, they will never develop this ability.

The social impact of Covid 19 is as evident to see in school as the educational impact, so time to develop socially is, for many, just as important as catching up academically. Being able to go out, see friends freely and move around without restriction is something we all took for granted in the past but perhaps, for this generation whose childhood was marred by Covid, they do not take these things for granted. If allowing a child who has worked hard all year, or even one who has hated school all year but plodded on obediently, to be free for six weeks helps to give them some of the memories of long, carefree summers that many adults will have, surely that is worth it?

The most important thing is not to make education a battlefield in your house; a child who hates school will just hate it even more if the subject always causes a confrontation.

Students who are reluctant learners in school are unlikely to be receptive to having to work in the holidays. Many reluctant learners are that way because they find the work too difficult or even too easy – neither of these things will be different in the holidays.  If your child dislikes school, then you need to tread carefully introducing the idea of more schoolwork in the summer holidays; they will not be able to work on their own if they can’t do it when the teacher is there to help and, equally,  it’s not likely to help if you try to teach them a subject you are not an expert in – you will only bring the stress they experience at school into your home.  A tutor can help here but only if the child is involved in the process of choosing one. You could organise a trial session with a tutor to see whether tuition might help but, if the student will not engage, you risk making education a bigger problem than it already is.

Be led by your child. Do they want to learn in the holidays and, if they do, how often and how much? Children are far more likely to engage and be successful if they have made the choice to learn themselves.

Don’t try to do everything. Work out which areas they really need to cover and only focus on these; this maybe the subject they are likely to pursue after GCSE or the one they need to pass to get their college place.

Remember that education does not only happen in school and that children learn from a variety of different experiences. Other than the obvious benefits of days out in the countryside or to the beach; visits to museums or historical places; and holidays, there are other things you can do to ‘disguise’ educational activities and help prevent total learning loss in the summer. I’ve included some that used to work for my children (and they’ve turned out pretty well, in my – possibly biased – opinion). Admittedly, being a teacher, I had the advantage of having time to do these things with my children during the holidays but hopefully many of these things would occupy your child without too much input from you.