Hundreds of schools in England are hosting summer 'catch-up' classes to make up for lost learning during the pandemic.
The schools will be open to thousands of students this summer, offering educational and fun activities to close the gap after lessons were switched to online-only during the worst of the coronavirus crisis.
The Department for Education has funded the programme as part of the Government’s commitment to bridging the gap in education lost from the pandemic.
In addition to running a range of activities the schools also offers support to primary pupils who are making the transition to secondary schools.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "It is very good to see that so many children in the North East will now have the opportunity to enjoy clubs and activities, building friendships and supporting their mental and physical health, alongside their educational progress.
"We have invested £3billion so far in helping children catch up ahead of the next academic year and summer schools are an integral part of the overall effort to recover from the disruption caused by the pandemic."
The Government has put together a long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children to catch up.
The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the spending review.
Scores of youngsters were forced to stay at home and learn remotely during the lockdowns but many also had to isolate at home when positive Covid cases were confirmed in their classroom bubbles.
Last month it was reported that more than a million pupils missed class in just one week as the 'pingdemic' gripping the nation sparked chaos in schools.
Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: “These figures bring a year of educational disruption to a grim end. Schools and colleges face another set of challenges when students return.
“They need substantial financial and practical support for on-site testing, high-quality air ventilation and robust outbreak management plans.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has already said class “bubbles” can be scrapped but left it up to individual schools to decide whether to keep them.
