At The Limes College we have decided to implement a wide range of initiatives to help our cohort re- engage in learning and catch up on the lost learning caused by the COVID 19 global pandemic.  So far we have implemented the following strategies:

• Delivered an activity, wellbeing and re-engagement week during the Easter break;
• Delivering a similar week with more activities available due to lockdown easing further during the Summer holidays;
• Employed an English tutor for the summer term to run targeted 1:1 literacy and English intervention during school hours for students identified as needing extra support, with a focus on KS 3 and 4;
• The timetable for 2021/22 has been constructed with extra flexibility built in. We have allowed extra periods each week within our English team for 1:1 literacy intervention. This will be aimed at the following groups:   
  • Year 11s to catch up on any gaps in their knowledge base due to time missed during year 10 to prepare for early entry examinations
  • Year 10s to accelerate their start to GCSE courses and early entry where appropriate;
  • BOOST groups to fill basic literacy gaps that have widened in some cases due to the pandemic and missed targeted intervention.

• We have also included a further four periods within next year’s timetable to address the backlog of Year 10 students who could not be assessed for Access Arrangements (AA) which have accumulated over the past year due to COVID. All of our student need to be assessed as we have found at least 70% do require some form of AA;

• We are investing in books and resources for various departments to enhance students learning experience across the curriculum.

As a Leadership team we will review the impact of these interventions before committing to further catch up strategies.  In line with our ethos of educating the most vulnerable children holistically and addressing their SEMH needs, we are committed to using our catch up funding to support with re-socialisation, re-engagement and wellbeing combined with supporting academic progress and attainment.